Overview
Fri. Dec. 14.
Cloudy + breezy. The gang of linemen on the Wellington City Transmission Line from Mangahao are now running out the copper cables across Cheslyn Rise so I went along soon after breakfast with camera. The wooden carriers of the coils of cable are placed upon a special four-wheeled vehicle called a jinker, designed to take 3 spools of cable at one, each of the transmission lines being a 3-phase one. A separate jinker is provided for each line + the cables are run out simultaneously. The spools of cable run on iron axles on which the whole spins when the draught horse pulling out the cable moves forward, any too rapid twining of the spools being checked by a brakesmen with a pivoted beam of wood. In the hauling out of the cables the use of the draught horse has superseded that of the caterpillar tractor which was used in the initial stages of the job. 1/2pl. photo (1) of transmission line looking south with the two jinkers in position running out cable. 1/2pl. (2) the two jinkers. 1/2pl. (3) one of the jinkers with spools of cable + brakesmen. In addition to the three copper power-cables on each line, there is a fourth thinner steel cable earth-line; this is attached to the fourth cross-arm end + is connected with the metal
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strips which are fastened to each of the poles from top to bottom, and run to earth every sixth pole to “earth” the current in the event of fault or breakdown. The big double poles which are erected at long intervals across country + at all roads are the points where the cables are stramed up. The double poles also have two sets of insulators on each of the three cross-arm ends + unlike those on the intermediate poles, these insulators will be in a nearly horizontal position when the whites are stramed. Between the ends of each pair of these horizontally disposed insulators, the copper cables will make a loop projecting groundwards + any “give + take” in the lines will be taken up at these points. Also at all road crossings the double poles will be fitted with a horizontal loop of iron bar called a “road arrestor” the function of which is to “earth” the current in the event of one of power cables falling across the road, in which case it will first come in contact with the “arrestor”. The horn-like part on the metal attachment by means of which the cables are fastened to the ends of the insulator sets, is a lightning conductor. The western transmission line which is fitted with “J.D” (Johnston-Delf) 6 unit insulator sets is the main
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line and the eastern one with “C.P” (Canadian Porcelain) 8 unit insulators is the stand-by line. It seems that in electric power-line erection as in other things “familiarity breeds contempt” – one of the men, C. Cusack by name, climbed to the top cross-arm of one of the double poles on Queen Street + balanced upside down on his head retaining a precarious grip on the smooth squared edges of the cross-arm at a height of 44ft. long enough for me to take a photo of him, 1/2pl. (4) + (5); this was a feat requiring nerve. His mate contented himself with standing in the normal attitude on the lower cross-arm. On return to Woodside turned the bit of hay I have cut for the bottom layer in my new shed but could not get enough sun to make it properly and at 3.30 rain came on. Sledged up rest of split rata from big log in front of Long p. to woodheap less one cart-load presented to Prier. Clif arrived with plough + marked out the “lands” in front 4 acres of Long p. ready for ploughing. Wet night.