What are the glass insulators at the top of old telegraph lines?
If you've ever driven by old telegraph lines next to a railroad, you may have noticed the glass insulators sparkling at the top of the poles. During the era when telegraphs were a primary method of communication, these glass insulators kept the wires from coming into direct contact with the sometimes wet poles.
What is a glass insulator and how does it work?
During the era when telegraphs were a primary method of communication, these glass insulators kept the wires from coming into direct contact with the sometimes wet poles. This helped insulate the signal and allow it to travel across the country. According to Hemingray Info, the Hemingray-42 was one of the most common styles of glass insulators.
What is the oldest glass insulator in the world?
The oldest glass insulators date from about 1846. Telegraph pole with glass insulators along a railroad in Indiana. Most glass insulators have been dismantled in recent years, but these were still in the air when I took this photo on September 14, 2017!
What type of insulators were used in old telephone lines?
A steel or copper tie-wire was attached to the insulator, and connected with the communication wire. These “pintype” insulators were an extremely commonplace sight, and communication lines with insulators were strung alongside most roads, highways, and railroads. Telegraph line pole with glass insulators (possibly CD 145 and CD 133 styles).
Are telegraph insulators worth anything?
On average, these glass insulators tend to sell for around $20, though there are special instances where insulators can sell for significantly more than that. Generally, the insulators that sell for more are rare, either because of their manufacturer or their color.
What were telephone insulators used for?
Glass insulators were used for telegraph and telephone lines to aid communication between states and prevent wires from touching wooden poles. Today, depending on the color, age, and quality, the price of these insulators ranges between $2-$400.
What is the rarest insulator?
Like bottles, aqua is the most common color, but some of the rarest insulators are aqua. A few insulators were factory-coated with carnival glass or a flashed amber. The most sought after colors are cobalt blue, yellow, 7-Up green, and purple.
What are telephone insulators worth?
Insulator price guides generally give a range of values (e.g. $20-30). The high end value is usually Mint (no damage), and the low end value would be Near Mint (some damage). More extensive damage would be valued even lower.
What do people use old insulators for?
Old glass insulators are a popular item for numerous craft projects, upcycling projects, decoration projects and the fact that they are very cheap and relatively easy to find makes them a great material for DIY projects – lamps, succulent planters, garden lamps, table decorations, etc.
What are vintage insulators?
Vintage Glass insulators were first produced in the 1850s for telegraph lines, then for telephone and power transmission lines. They insulated and protected the wooden poles from the electricity coursing through the wires. They are made from glass, porcelain, or composite polymer materials (non-conductive materials).
What is the oldest insulator?
Macky: The very earliest insulators were lightning rod insulators. One of the interesting things about insulators is that they parallel the development of electricity.
What is the most collectible glassware?
Here is the list of the 15 most valuable antique glassware.Antique Engraved Art Glass Vases. ... Set Of 48 Glasses Decanter Crystal. ... Anchor Hocking Milk Glass Punch Bowl With Stand And 4 Cups. ... Lot Holiday Buttons And Bows Pink Depression Glass. ... Mid-century PALWA Glass 6-Light Pendant Lamp.More items...
Are purple insulators rare?
“The rarest are glass insulators in purple, light green, deep amber and those that are threadless,” says Judy Tackett of Attic Delights in Orange, who collects insulators.
How do you date an old insulator?
Look for a circle with an A in it. If it is followed by two numbers, the first number is the mold number and the second number is the year +1900 the insulator was made. For example, (A) 39 49 means the insulator was made in 1949 with mold #39.
How much is a Hemingray 42 insulator worth?
Because the Hemingray-42 insulator is one of the most common, they tend to be an affordable collectible. Most sell for under $10. You'll find them in most insulator collections, but there are certain factors that can make them worth a bit more.
Are glass insulators still used?
During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s many of these lines were dismantled as technology advanced. Today, a few lines using glass insulators are still in service, but are only a tiny percentage compared to the heyday of open wire communication.
Are glass insulators still used?
During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s many of these lines were dismantled as technology advanced. Today, a few lines using glass insulators are still in service, but are only a tiny percentage compared to the heyday of open wire communication.
What materials were early phones made?
BakeliteIn many ways Bakelite was the perfect material for telephones at the time. Basically they could be moulded into any shape possible, even the soft streamline shapes preferred. The material is homogenous, evenly coloured and hard, with a lovely lustre.
What are telephone pole insulators made of?
Insulators come in a variety of colors and styles and are made of glass, porcelain, rubber or adobe.
What material was the first telephone made of?
Alexander Graham Bell produced two telephones for a demonstration between Boston and Salem, Massachusetts, in 1876. Bell's first telephone included an iron diaphragm, two electromagnets, and a horseshoe permanent magnet pressed against the electromagnets. Both transmitter and receiver were similar.
How to clean a deck insulator?
There are several ways to clean insulators, but the easiest (in my opinion) is to soak the insulator in a product that contains the active ingredient oxalic acid. Oxalic aid is usually very effective in breaking down the stubborn layers of train soot which can be VERY difficult to remove if using ordinary cleansers, soaps and detergents. Oxalic acid is an ingredient in certain brands (but not all) of so-called “Wood Bleach” or “Deck Cleaner”. (Behr’s markets their version as “All-in-One Wood Cleaner” and it does contain this ingredient). Usually, a one gallon plastic container of deck cleaner can be mixed with 2 to three gallons of water in a five-gallon plastic bucket. (DO NOT USE METAL CONTAINERS OF ANY TYPE!). Oxalic acid can also be bought in crystal form (like a fine white powder). Oxalic acid is technically a poison, so using plastic gloves when handling it is strongly recommended. (Caution: oxalic acid cannot be used to clean Carnival Glass insulators, as the carnival coating may be dissolved).
Why are insulators needed for telephone lines?
Insulators were necessary by serving as a medium for attaching the wires to the poles, but much more importantly, they were required to help prevent electric current loss during transmission. The material, glass, is itself an insulator (not a “conductor” or “transformer” as insulators are often incorrectly labeled in antique malls and flea markets).
What is a CD 154?
For instance, “CD 154” is the CD number assigned to the most common style of glass insulator ever made , and that most likely to be seen by the average person……..the HEMINGRAY-42. Several other glass companies besides Hemingray Glass Company made the same basic model, although their versions may have raised markings, color, and base types (smooth base, sharp drip points or round drip points) that differ. But all of them would be known as CD 154s. Here’s a few other commonly found insulators: Hemingray NO. 9 is classed as a CD 106. Hemingray-10 is a CD 115. Hemingray-12 is a CD 113. Armstrong DP 1 is a CD 155. Hemingray-45 is also a CD 155. Kerr T.S. is a CD 129. There are several insulator websites that discuss this classification system in more detail.
What is an insulator?
Insulators (generally speaking) are still commonly in use, but insulators of the modern era (speaking of the United States in particular) are mostly heavier, high-voltage types used in electric power line transmission and distribution, and are of porcelain (“ceramic”) or polymer (plastic) construction.
How to identify molds?
Sometimes an individual mold can be identified by studying and comparing insulators that were produced from it over a considerable stretch of time . Changes in the mold, such as re-cut (re-tooled) engraving, repair, or the addition or erasure (“blotting out”) of the engraving can be discovered upon very close inspection of the insulator. Thus, the comparison I’ve made to the coin collecting hobby, with the many slight differences in coin die design details, as revealed under close scrutiny by serious collectors.
What is the color of the insulation on a railroad?
Insulators installed along railroads typically are coated, to some degree, with black soot. Sometimes the layers of soil are so heavy that the true color of the insulator cannot be discerned.
How many insulators are on a telephone pole?
Some telephone poles (such as in large cities) carried as many as 20 or more crossarms, each one bearing six, eight, 10 or 12 (or even more) insulators. Each insulator was attached to the crossarm by being screwed onto wooden (or in some cases) metal pegs or (more properly) “pins”.
What was Jake's real struggle?
His was a real struggle of out-of-shape diagonal braces, weeping Keruing crossarm timbers, defective "J" brackets and the general sourcing of spares for such an increasingly rare object . Of the crossarm jewels, Jake tells us:
Who is the collector of Telegraph Pole Ceramics?
S ome time ago, Telegraph Pole Ceramics collector Jack Nesbit asked me about crossarm measurements. Furnished with said information he went off and constructed a display pole for his new insulator collection. See picture, and see more at the British Insulators website.
Who is Jake Rideout?
Professor of Telegraphpoleology at the Faculty for insulators, crossarms and dropwires at Frome University, Jake Rideout, is well known to us here at TPAS Towers. He has, of late, been submitting progress reports on his garden ornamentation made entirely from scrap telegraph pole parts.
Who sent us a picture of his telegraph pole?
Anyway, I’m not alone in this pursuit – insulator collecting that is. John Paine (#0512) sent us a picture of his telegraph pole (left, below). “Garden ornament thing” he describes it. And he is worried that his collection is going to soon be covered by his good lady wife’s clematis. A taller pole may be in order there John and some accidental weedkiller spillage onto the clematis if I may make so bold.
What are the scallops on a Hemingray 42?
The Hemingray-42 insulator came in two main styles. In the standard style, the small scallops or "drip points" along the bottom of the skirt are rounded. In a rarer variation, they are sharp points. You'll see both at antique stores.
What year did O-4 come out?
O-4 (and other numbers) - In 1934, the company began adding a digit to represent the year. O-4 means 1934. O-9 means 1939. 23-42 (and other numbers) - In 1940, the company realized the single digit year number would no longer work. They began adding a mold number and a year number to the back of the insulator instead.
How much did a Hemingray 42 cost?
A ruby red Hemingray-42 with some wear to the points at the bottom sold on eBay for almost $80. An aqua Hemingray-42 with all drip points intact sold for about $28. It had a small chip on one side. A clear Hemingray-42 without any chips or cracks was less desirable, selling for only two dollars.
What was the purpose of glass insulators?
During the era when telegraphs were a primary method of communication, these glass insulators kept the wires from coming into direct contact with the sometimes wet poles. This helped insulate the signal and allow it to travel across the country. According to Hemingray Info, the Hemingray-42 was one of the most common styles of glass insulators.
What is a Hemingray 42 telegraph insulator?
This recognizable model came in many different colors, some of which are rare and valuable. Learn about the history of the Hemingray-42, as well as how to identify one you may have found.
How to identify a Hemingray 42?
In general, it's easy to identify a Hemingray-42 insulator. The glass is embossed with the name and style number; both are clearly printed on the insulator. There may be other markings, including numbers, dashes, and dots.
What does O stand for in insulator?
O - A capital O, sometimes mistaken for a zero, stands for Owens, Illinois, where the insulator was made. This mark was used in 1933 and appeared under the name on the front of the insulator.
