NEW CD!

Introducing CD 590.5 in pretty lime green from Russia! It's really too bad we didn't see this one in time to include it in GLASS INSULATORS FROM OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA (Second Revision), but it's just arrived here in the States with a friend of Carol McDougald's. It measures 2-7/8" wide at the base and stands 3-7/8" tall. Embossed on the front is that funny looking 'insulator' logo with two legs that we see on so many Russian insulators (Carol calls it a space ship!). It carries a date of '89', which explains why the insulator looks so new. The back side of the insulator has the marking 'HC18A1'. The letters 'HC' are the Russian equivalent of our 'NS'. Don Fiene (Knoxville, TN) recently came back from Russia with some large glass insulators embossed with the same logo and an even more recent date of 1991 (See October, '92 CROWN JEWELS) We don't know anything about this company or where in Russia it is located, but it is obviously an active insulator manufacturer. Next time you go back, Don, save some time to track down the factory and see what you can learn.

CD 590.5

Russian logo found on the skirt of new CD 590.5

SUPER SPOOK

This large fuse insulator was found by Caleb Thimell down in Colombia shortly before he finished his assignment there and came back to the states. It is 7-3/4" tall and weighs a hefty 3-1/2 lbs. As you can see from the photo, it has several unusual features. Because of the two holes, this type is usually referred to as the "spook", but in this case, the eyes are square and they peer out from either side of a very large nose. Caleb, it looks like you may have found an owl instead, and I don't know that owls have U-Numbers, but maybe we better scratch around and find one for this bird! It is really a super insulator.

It came with a large metal pin securely (and I mean securely) cemented inside the pin hole. It took 4 months of patience and a lot of Muriatic acid to set it free. There is no marking on the insulator, which is unusual for one this size. We usually find unmarked pieces among those about 4" in height or under. Colombia imported several porcelain styles from HERMSDORF of Germany as well as from an Italian insulator manufacturer known as RICHARD GINORI. The insulator is made of the same fine quality porcelain as some of the other pieces we have seen from these companies.

"Caleb's Owl"

Steinbuch Bushing

AND A HORSE IS A HORSE, OF COURSE

I was delighted when I opened one of my 'trade boxes' from Frantisek Danek of Obratan, Czechoslovakia and found this little porcelain insulator among the pieces he sent. When the two parts are screwed together, the insulator measures 4-1/8" in height. It really does look like a horse, and without his explanation I'd never have guessed how it was meant to be used. He calls it a Steinbuch bushing, presumably named for the person who patented the design. The incuse mark 'A48', which appears on the skirt, gives us no indication of either the maker or user. When the insulator first arrived, it still had a piece of wire in place, and I have kept it that way. The threaded base 'plug' is hollow so the wire can pass through it. This is Frantisek's explanation of the insulator's use:

Steinbuch bushings were used instead of dry-spot insulators, such as U-1941 (1935, 1938 etc.). Their use was much cheaper and more flexible. According to British practice, in order to make a telephone extension, a dry-spot insulator was used. Its purpose was to prevent the penetration of humidity into the insulated telephone extension cable. When adding a further extension to the line, it was necessary to replace the standard PTT insulator with a dry spot insulator. A Steinbuch bushing was much easier to use. It could be used anywhere, by simply hooking it on the wire, fastening it, and connecting the cable. See the sketch enclosed

Thanks, Frantisek, for sharing that with us.