Insulators

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DescriptionIt is nearly 45 years ago that I first started saving the occasional insulator from remote places when working with the Forest Service and tramping. I've never bothered with trying to get multiple examples of the same thing but different examples have added up over the years and I now have a couple of boxes of of older style differing insulators. Four comparatively recent finds are in the photo.
It is surprising what remote areas the telegraph went to in the C19th and also where some private power schemes were. In the past it was quite common to fix the insulators to trees in forested areas. These insulators were all personally found here on the West Coast on the ground abandoned and not up surviving poles. Perhaps I should attach a tag to each one in the collection denoting where they came from and offer them to a museum or heritage organisation? See LessContributorGlenn Johnston

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EventInsulators

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Date Created4th April 2021CommentsBrian McIntyre
All but that one on the left are P and T ones from my days in the 50s

Brian McIntyre
Where insulators were attached into trees would have been the old earth return system where the ground was used to complete the circuit

Glenn Johnston
I suspect the two middle ones were manufactured earlier than the 1950's but they are the sort of things that can be used over many decades so good to know they were still around in the 50's. The tallest one second from left has a large groove in the top for a thick cable and was on an old power line route thus is not a telegraph insulator.

Denis Ian Skates
The one on the left is an insulator for power lines.

Ian Andrew Jonson
Have you found any on the Gillespie's Beach Road? Dad probably fitted them.

Jean Mehrtens
Good idea

Brian McIntyre
Didnt spot that but P&T had one similar but flat across the top which was mostly unglazed.

Christine Hogg
Please label them, the sort of thing the next generations will have no idea of what they are or where they're from

Felicity Pudds
Roger Devlin has an amazing personal collection.

Kev Rasmussen
Broke a few of these in the day.

Stephen Ryde
I remember them very well I have been an electrician coming up 53 years. Who remembers Tricity House in Manchester street in Christchurch I got all my amature radio parts from them?

Stephen Ryde
The aerial components including insulators and coil formers and Philips valves from them and still have the VHF book stamped with Tricity House on it.

Iri Sinclair
Yes add where each was found. Interesting objects.

Dave Lyes
Whilst living in Hororata they upgraded the lines from Coleridge down to the Hororata sub station. All the power poles were replaced. Many swooped on the poles which could be had for $50 on memory (I made raised gardens with about 20 of them) but no one wanted the cross members off the tops with the insulators on. I bought a truckload for almost nothing and gradually disassembled them all. Made some great benches from them. Anyway, a hundred insulators later I had a huge range. Speckled grey ones and all colours. Made great candle holders.

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Insulators

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