Utility System Poles

Decided to (finally) install a set of Walther's Utility System poles on the layout.  This is a set of four single cross-arm "utility poles" that come pre-wired in the package.

There's only four poles in the set, and I wish it was five.  The instructions sheet suggests spacing the poles 11 inches apart.  I spaced them 15 inches apart because I wanted them to run the length of my South Industrial Boulevard peninsula street trackage.

Here we can see the line of poles and wires in place.  The set was quite easy to set up, and didn't take me much time at all.

I felt like the wires should go to or come from somewhere, so I dug out an electrical substation kit from my storage cupboard that I had assembled previously.  The small plot of land that I made available for the substation was too small for the footprint of the whole model, so I cut off 1/3 of it to make it fit into the space.  I can probably make use of the other 1/3 some other time, perhaps at the side or end of an industry building.

I actually made a mistake when I made the cut to reduce the size of the sub-station, and so then had to add some add a piece on to the base.  The chain link fence is made by Alkem Models.  I had never assembled a photo-etched metal kit before.  I used tacky glue to put the fencing together.

Here's a look at the sub-station in place. I weathered the fence by airbrushing it with ModelFlex Rust and followed that up with Roof Brown.  The framework of the substation got a bit of the Roof Brown and Tamiya Panel Line Brown.

The pole in the background with no wires running to it yet will carry power lines to the building across the street, but I haven't gotten that far along yet.  I still have to do some scenery work around the substation too.

Switching gears now, out in the 1:1 world locally on April 4, 2024, down at the Government Docks, this is a view of the Cargill grain property.

Left to right, we see a clean new covered hopper, a not quite as clean covered hopper, an even less clean covered hopper, and a you can judge for yourself covered hopper

Have a good week