N&W icons: the singularly N&W 440-volt line on poles

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

I tend to think the top wire was ground...many high-tension power
lines have similar arrangements.

440 was used on many railroads as voltage for operting signals and CTC
equipment, the C&O was an example of this. In fact, many older C&O
code lines have "440" stenciled below said wires.

CG Tower

On 7/31/06, nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:

>

>

>

> Wrote Lloyd Lewis:

>

>

>       My Dad, who was The Virginian Railway's last Supervisor of Telegraph &

> Signals, told me this extra wire on the N&W's pole line above all the other

> numerous lines and crossarms was the perch upon which rested a special

> N&W-only 440-volt line....

>

> Doesn't add up for me, Lloyd.

>

> 1.)  Where's the other side of the circuit (the "neutral" or "return" wire)

> ?

>

> 2.) 440 isn't enough juice to go very far.  I haven't done the calculations,

> but I'll bet you'd see a 50% line drop in voltage over a hundred miles.

>

> 3.)  Other railroads, and mebbe even the N&W, were hanging 4,400 volts on

> poles and using it to light stations and drive AC signal systems, as early

> as 1911-1913.

>

> 4.)  CTC code line is almost invariably shielded (insulated) because of its

> critical importance.

>

> I hope one of the museums can get a couple of N&W poles, crossarms and wire,

> and two of those distinctive angle brackets !

>

> -- abram burnett

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