Telephone/Utility Poles

[MetroMogul]

Since this is such a wierd topic, I don't expect too many replies, if any at all, but is anyone else interested by telephone polls? I've loved looking at them since I was a child, particularly the variety of "cheerfuls" (crossbearing) poles. I saw an old picture of Sharpstown with a cheerful in the foreground and wondered if some of those original poles are still standing today. Also, there is an extremely old telephone poll by HCC Central that olds two or three black/red transformers. I wonder how long it's been there.

Many consider telephone polls and their accompanying wires an urban blight, but I love the zest and flavor they add to a neighborhood.

Oh, and here is a cheerful type poll in case you're still wondering.....

[northbeaumont]

Since this is such a wierd topic, I don't expect too many replies, if any at all, but is anyone else interested by telephone polls? I've loved looking at them since I was a child, particularly the variety of "cheerfuls" (crossbearing) poles. I saw an old picture of Sharpstown with a cheerful in the foreground and wondered if some of those original poles are still standing today. Also, there is an extremely old telephone poll by HCC Central that olds two or three black/red transformers. I wonder how long it's been there.

Many consider telephone polls and their accompanying wires an urban blight, but I love the zest and flavor they add to a neighborhood.

Oh, and here is a cheerful type poll in case you're still wondering.....

Well, tell me if I'm right or wrong: If cell phones become the norm, and landline phones aren't used anymore, will that mean that all telephone poles will be taken down?

In Scotland, they have contests where men pickup telephone poles from the bottom, then lift and throw them upward. Many years ago an uncle of mine fell asleep at the wheel one night while he was driving and he ran into a telephone pole. He had to pay for it.

Yes, people take and collect photos of many things. I take photos of headstones and post them on "findagrave.com." Telephone poles are OK. You can start a website called "telephonepoles.com" where people can post their photos of the "matchsticks" along the highways.

[musicman]

Well, tell me if I'm right or wrong: If cell phones become the norm, and landline phones aren't used anymore, will that mean that all telephone poles will be taken down?

to be honest, this looks like power only. so i don't see this one disappearing soon.

[dbigtex56]

Not sure if this is exactly on-topic but the ugliest utility pole prize has to to to the one at the northeast corner of Jack and Richmond. It's cracked about 6' off the ground, and leans at an alarming angle; two 2x4s have been tacked to the sides for support.

How Third World.

[jm1fd]

My favorite telephone/utility poles are the really old ones found by railroad lines. They typically have at least 3 crossbars, usually more, and are loaded with glass insulators. I'm told these date from the days of the telegraph. You don't see them very often anymore.

[JLWM8609]

MetroMogul, I share your interest telephone/utility poles too. I've noticed in some road construction projects, they've kept the old utility poles up instead of replacing them with new ones. For example, down on S. Main in front of Butler Stadium, it looks like when they shifted S. Main's ROW to the south a little bit, they kept the old utility poles, but it looks like they moved them too. There's one utility pole with a guy mast wire lamp post from the 50's or 60's mounted on it on the southern edge of S. Main. Looks like instead of replacing it, they moved the whole utility pole over because it's now BEHIND the gate at Butler Stadium. I've never seen a utility pole on the side of a highway behind a fence. I thought they usually shared ROW with the highway and didn't go on private property. That's why to me it looks like they picked it up and moved it. You heard of that happening?

[MetroMogul]

Ugh, I'm starting to see why this site has a minor reputation for unnecessary filth being on these boards.

Anywhoodles; I've never seen anything like that. When they repaved and widened Kirkwood Road in Alief, they placed new poles behind the old ones and disconnected the lines from the older ones. For awhile, the lines drooped in a very depressing manner, but it was a nice sight to see. I should have taken a picture. In sad news, they seem to be replacing the extremely old telephone poles on Almeda near MacGregor. They have erected a few new poles basically right on top of the older cheerfuls. I'm hoping they won't replace them, but I know they will. The replacement poles are what I call "super sisters" because they are taller versions of the "sister" poles named so because they look like a woman looking down on you.

My favorite telephone/utility poles are the really old ones found by railroad lines. They typically have at least 3 crossbars, usually more, and are loaded with glass insulators. I'm told these date from the days of the telegraph. You don't see them very often anymore.

Yes, I still see a few of those around, but most are in very sad shape with their wires disconnected and insulators missing.

[JLWM8609]

Get some photos of the ones on Almeda and MacGregor. They have some of those old streetlamps attached from them from the 50's or 60's. You can tell their because of the little ornamental piece below the mast. As the bayou widening project progresses down that way, say goodbye to the old poles, and the current bridge over the bayou, which was built in 1931.

[northbeaumont]

to be honest, this looks like power only. so i don't see this one disappearing soon.

That was a stupid question for me to ask. I forgot all about electric lines. Even if landline telephones were to become obsolete, poles will still be needed for those, unless someday technology advances enough for everyone to have "wireless electricity."

[jgriff]

I have a German friend who is always disgusted by the amount of telephone poles and power lines we have in Houston. Apparently in Germany most of it is buried for asthetic reasons.

I grew up beside railroad tracks. When I was a kid they came in and replaced all the old power lines with new ones. They just knocked them down and left them in place with the glass insulators on them. I went and picked up as many insulators as I could. I kept finding them for years. They're all in storage somewhere at my mom and dad's house now.

[webdude]

I have a German friend who is always disgusted by the amount of telephone poles and power lines we have in Houston. Apparently in Germany most of it is buried for asthetic reasons.

I grew up beside railroad tracks. When I was a kid they came in and replaced all the old power lines with new ones. They just knocked them down and left them in place with the glass insulators on them. I went and picked up as many insulators as I could. I kept finding them for years. They're all in storage somewhere at my mom and dad's house now.

Lots of places have them buried, it makes surroundings look less ugly and less third world (except third world don't have much electricity and telephone, its a figure of speech).

[dbigtex56]

Not sure if this is exactly on-topic but the ugliest utility pole prize has to to to the one at the northeast corner of Jack and Richmond. It's cracked about 6' off the ground, and leans at an alarming angle; two 2x4s have been tacked to the sides for support.

How Third World.

Update: Centerpoint replaced the offending pole this morning. Wonder if they read this forum? It had been broken for months.

[Disastro]

I have a German friend who is always disgusted by the amount of telephone poles and power lines we have in Houston. Apparently in Germany most of it is buried for asthetic reasons.

I grew up beside railroad tracks. When I was a kid they came in and replaced all the old power lines with new ones. They just knocked them down and left them in place with the glass insulators on them. I went and picked up as many insulators as I could. I kept finding them for years. They're all in storage somewhere at my mom and dad's house now.

I agree with your German friend!

I'd be willing to pay a little extra on my electric bill if they would bury these eyesores. The wooden ones are ugly and so are the big metal monstrosities!

Bury it all, I say!

[Subdude]

I have a German friend who is always disgusted by the amount of telephone poles and power lines we have in Houston. Apparently in Germany most of it is buried for asthetic reasons.

I used to work with a Turkish guy who said the same thing. He couldn't believe the number of above-ground power lines in Houston and thought it ruined the attractiveness of parts of the city.

[Guest Marty]

I like the look of the telephone post because it reminds me of my childhood, but with the constant moister in the ground in Harris County would make it a high matinence thing for the underground utility. IMO

[jwphillips2]

If you look at the picture above, the bottom wire mounted below the others is a tv cable line. So, telephone poles will be around for another electronic generation. If you like the look of poleless communities, come down to Oakbrook near NASA. It was to be THE modern spaceage community with all the utilities buried including the trash (did I mention aluminum wiring?). Each home had a buried pop-up trash can that was located next to the garage in front of the house. You can still see them on most of the houses.

By the way, tv reception gets marginal when there is a rainstorm.

Aren't all poles numbered for location purposes?

[Vertigo58]

I used to work with a Turkish guy who said the same thing. He couldn't believe the number of above-ground power lines in Houston and thought it ruined the attractiveness of parts of the city.

Not only that, but the new oily smell was horrific could have been toxic in those days? Kids could easily climb the spikes that stuck out for utility guys to climb up, we did.

[jwphillips2]

Not only that, but the new oily smell was horrific could have been toxic in those days? Kids could easily climb the spikes that stuck out for utility guys to climb up, we did.

If one falls over near you, do NOT cut it up with a chainsaw. That oily stuff is creosote which is a treatment against termites and other little cooties and also prevents the poles from growing anymore. Poles or railroad ties soaked in creosote will put you in the hospital even 30 or 40 years later if you breathe the fumes from cutting them. Hurricane season isn't over yet.

[MetroMogul]

Really old one by HCC, any guesses to the exact age?

Another one by UofH on Cullen @ Holman

Some more by HCC

Last one by HCC

[porphyrula]

I have a German friend who is always disgusted by the amount of telephone poles and power lines we have in Houston.

I hope he's not planning to travel to India...

[memebag]

That was a stupid question for me to ask. I forgot all about electric lines. Even if landline telephones were to become obsolete, poles will still be needed for those, unless someday technology advances enough for everyone to have "wireless electricity."

Technology advanced to "wireless electricity" over 100 years ago. See Nikola Tesla's Tesla Coil:

[Disastro]

If one falls over near you, do NOT cut it up with a chainsaw. That oily stuff is creosote which is a treatment against termites and other little cooties and also prevents the poles from growing anymore. Poles or railroad ties soaked in creosote will put you in the hospital even 30 or 40 years later if you breathe the fumes from cutting them. Hurricane season isn't over yet.

I always dug that smell.

I know...weird, huh? LOL!!!!

Really! I liked it!

Anyway, electric lines, telephone lines, cable TV...bury all the ____!

[jwphillips2]

I always dug that smell.

I know...weird, huh? LOL!!!!

Really! I liked it!

It was always hard for me to get back to the car before the light changed after snorting a really good pole.

[Disastro]

:lol:

[lockmat]

I have a German friend who is always disgusted by the amount of telephone poles and power lines we have in Houston. Apparently in Germany most of it is buried for asthetic reasons.

I grew up beside railroad tracks. When I was a kid they came in and replaced all the old power lines with new ones. They just knocked them down and left them in place with the glass insulators on them. I went and picked up as many insulators as I could. I kept finding them for years. They're all in storage somewhere at my mom and dad's house now.

Honestly, Houston would look better without the poles, but they really don't bother me. Maybe it's b/c I was raised here and are used to them. Had I grown up somewhere else, maybe my thoughts would be the same as your German friend.

I'm all for asthetics, but in the end, it's not that big of a deal to me. The ugliness of the poles does not change my mood or affect my affinity for the city.

I see no reason to be ashamed for them. However, I'm glad ours don't look like those Indian ones. Wow, those are hideous. Hometown or not, I think those would always bother me.

[moni]

I dislike utility poles. I have engineering friends who live in the Netherlands and I asked them this question about 5 years ago. "When can we do away with our power cords for our appliances". They estimated that in about 10 years, we would not need cords of any kind to get electricity in our homes and businesses. I think they were a little premature, but still it is a problem being considered by engineering. I will say, most cities don't allow utility poles, they are put underground and out of view.

[Subdude]

I dislike utility poles. I have engineering friends who live in the Netherlands and I asked them this question about 5 years ago. "When can we do away with our power cords for our appliances". They estimated that in about 10 years, we would not need cords of any kind to get electricity in our homes and businesses. I think they were a little premature, but still it is a problem being considered by engineering. I will say, most cities don't allow utility poles, they are put underground and out of view.

As it happens, I was recently speaking with someone from a European grid, and he mentioned that their long-run preference was usually to bury utility wires. The rationale was that the buried wires were far less prone to damage from wind, weather, and wayward drivers, and they ended up saving on maintenance costs and personnel. The aesthetic improvement goes without saying.

[Disastro]

Honestly, Houston would look better without the poles, but they really don't bother me. Maybe it's b/c I was raised here and are used to them. Had I grown up somewhere else, maybe my thoughts would be the same as your German friend.

I'm all for asthetics, but in the end, it's not that big of a deal to me. The ugliness of the poles does not change my mood or affect my affinity for the city.

I see no reason to be ashamed for them. However, I'm glad ours don't look like those Indian ones. Wow, those are hideous. Hometown or not, I think those would always bother me.

I was raised here too, but I hate the things...always have. I've wondered what the city would look like without them. Same goes for those big ugly metal towers as well.

[MetroMogul]

I've noticed a couple of very old poles around the Wheeler Station area and one in Bellaire that probably dates back to the 50's at least as I've seen some of these types in very old pictures. I've also noticed they are replacing the "faces" on various poles around town so I need to get pictures of the current decads old arrangements currently in place. I'm already upset that I didn't get any pictures of the recently replaced poles on Almeda and MacGregor.

[memebag]

I was raised here too, but I hate the things...always have. I've wondered what the city would look like without them. Same goes for those big ugly metal towers as well.

Without the big, ugly metal towers this city would be much darker, especially at night.