# linemen have been busy



## Cooder Mac (Dec 18, 2012)

Waiting on funds to purchase more expensive item for the layout thought I'd add some more realism. Decided I have the telephone poles on the layout but no phone lines? Things I do to kill time (shaking head)! Almost 7 foot of them also 6 lines per pole....good thing I had my glasses LOL


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Now you have to branch off and add some going to the houses and businesses. :thumbsup:

Or maybe make a bunch of birds in your spare time to sit on the lines. 

What did you use for the line?


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## Cooder Mac (Dec 18, 2012)

your right working on those two things right now I did add a little section for that at the far end.....birds not a problem at all : )


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## Cooder Mac (Dec 18, 2012)

wife's stuff came in handy again..looked in her sewing stuff and found some really thin thread...light blue though so strung the thread then took a fan brush and black acrylic wash and presto black lines : )


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## LIRR Guy (Dec 4, 2011)

Looks great! I don't know if I would have the patience to do it.


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## Cooder Mac (Dec 18, 2012)

LOL patience wasn't the issue....eyesight was more of one : )


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## Ranger (Mar 4, 2012)

nice looking! what size is your layout?


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## Cooder Mac (Dec 18, 2012)

its a little shy of 4 foot by 7 foot...will be doing another layout which is in the planning stage about 12 foot long...maybe a area at each end 3' by 3' 24 inches in between on the run


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## N scale catastrophe (Nov 18, 2012)

The lines look great!:thumbsup:


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Looks great, CMac!

What did you do with the thread at each pole? Just let it ride up against an insulator bump, or did you wrap it around the crossbar, and/or glue it in place? Curious, as i scratched my head on this a while back on my own layout.

TJ


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## Cooder Mac (Dec 18, 2012)

TJ each crossarm had like 2 insulators on each side...I laid the thread right between them worked perfect and took a spot of super glue to hold it in place ....time consuming but wasn't all that hard. Maybe had about 1/32 inch between those insulators, perfect for thread. Thanks adds something to layout I think.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Thanks for the info! I never glued mine, and on occassion, a reaching arm/hand will pop them off. I really should go back and follow your lead.

Good motivation, I think. Much appreciated!

TJ


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## Cooder Mac (Dec 18, 2012)

Hey TJ I have two small granddaughters that I have to make sure these stay in place...haven't been tested yet but seems like it should work : )


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## Fighterpilot (Mar 16, 2011)

Layout looks great. Try elastic thread for electric lines. You can get it at most fabric stores. If you hit the lines, you don't break your line of pull your poles over, you just stretch the thread a little..


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Good tip, FP. I remember you using that on your layout ... great results.

I think we had discussed the EZ-Line product a while back ... very stretchy line ("wire") made for this type of purpose ...

http://www.berkshirejunction.com/

Cheers,

TJ


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## Fighterpilot (Mar 16, 2011)

Yes we did TJ. I know I'd have torn down a few hundred feet of power line by now if I hadn't used the elastic.


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## Cooder Mac (Dec 18, 2012)

ahhh thanks for that tip...going to do that of I break this thread on my poles...Have another layout working on still in planning stages will be doing that on that one


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

And I thought you just drilled a hole through each insulator? :thumbsup:

What will you use to make the birds?


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