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Hemingray Insulators
08-09-2006, 09:08 PM
found these pics that just came back on a roll of grans film......
take only 16 DAYS before my line was "decommissioned"
I was doing a line rebuild as a storm took 2 of the 3 poles down, and I had moved the riser to the middle pole. I had a slack span between the riser and "substation" pole, which I later changed out when I finally got the other end pole in. I did it hot with no intereuption of service to the radio I had playing in the sub. So heres the last pics of me working on my line before it was tore down.
And you want to know what makes me even more ticked? Driving today i saw where the power co left an OPEN TRENCH THAT WAS NOT BARRICADED right next to a sidewalk, yet they are more concerned about someone getting into our FENCED in yard, CLIMBING up a Ladder just to reach the wires at 12' (neutral at 9') and getting electricuted, than someone falling into their trench and getting injured :mad: now if someone was stupid enough to TRESSPASS on our property, and stupid enough to climb up a ladder and touch my wires and get hurt then, It's their own dang fault, i wouldn't feel sorry for them at all.
and on top of that, One of my insulator collector buddies who is also a lawyer in NY, said what the power co did was illeagle, that once a power co disposes of something, it no longer belongs to them, and that it belongs to the disposal service, but you know THEY aint gonna do anything,
anyhow, heres the pics.

http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c252/Tshooter/jobs%20i%20have%20worked/backyad%20line%20last%20days/Backyardlineslastmonth-1.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c252/Tshooter/jobs%20i%20have%20worked/backyad%20line%20last%20days/Backyardlineslastmonth001-1.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c252/Tshooter/jobs%20i%20have%20worked/backyad%20line%20last%20days/Backyardlineslastmonth003.jpg

Hemingray Insulators
08-09-2006, 09:14 PM
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c252/Tshooter/jobs%20i%20have%20worked/backyad%20line%20last%20days/Backyardlineslastmonth004-1.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c252/Tshooter/jobs%20i%20have%20worked/backyad%20line%20last%20days/Backyardlineslastmonth005-1.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c252/Tshooter/jobs%20i%20have%20worked/backyad%20line%20last%20days/Backyardlineslastmonth002-1.jpg

igloo64
08-09-2006, 11:39 PM
But where is your FR shirt and safety glasses? john

Mike-E
08-10-2006, 04:11 AM
so consumers is actually the one making you tear down your lines? sorry to hear it. maybe next time they won't find out. good luck on the wreck out.

BigClive
08-10-2006, 07:15 AM
Hey Hem'.... It's time to move onto a full size round pole and spikes. ;)

(That should give your gran the heebie jeebies.)

Hemingray Insulators
08-10-2006, 09:09 AM
so consumers is actually the one making you tear down your lines? sorry to hear it. maybe next time they won't find out. good luck on the wreck out.

um, actually they didn't make ME take it down, they came and called the closest crew available to take it down for me, they wouldn't even let me touch MY OWN STUFF "because I'm not qualified to work on it"

but was just thinking now, LINEMEN are not qualified to work on ANYTHING past their side of the meter are they? :confused:

Then they tried telling me I had to get a lisenced narrow back to take the breaker outa the box, And I told them it wasn't coming out lol, cuz it's perfectly leagle to not be a liscenced electrician and put something in (as long as it passed inspection) and that just made the lawere furious getting told NO by a 16 yr old, but there wasn't a thing he could do about it lol.

Clive was sayin somethin about real poles? LOL, real poles ARE goin in, about 250 miles south east of here on my uncle farm in connersville IN, he's got a LOT of property lol, and he said do what ever I want with the line as long as it doesn't go through his fields, so I wannaeventually have the line about 1 mile long. I can get miles of #4 acsr from the abandoned tracks near him, and arms, he's got poles already, whenever the power co there takes down any poles, they take a lot of em to his farm, and a lot of em are pretty new too, from a road widening project in town. so It will take a while to build it all, but it'll be fun, and a buddy from another company is teaching me to climb, it's just difficult to find time when we can meet to do it.

Hemingray Insulators
08-10-2006, 09:15 AM
it was torn down for me the 30th of june. You ought to have seen the look on the crews faces when they were told what they were called to do :D
and you ought to have seen the look on the supervisors face when he walked into the backyard 2 days earlier to check out the line ofr the co. he was like "call me us in 2 years" and not all supervisors are the a$$holes you guys make them out to be.....This one is actually nice, and well like by his linemen, and actually knows his stuff about the trade, I could tell when he was talking about my line.

Unlike the lawyer who thought the 2x4 pole needed to be removed for me too, because he thought they were crossarms :rolleyes:

Trampbag
08-10-2006, 02:03 PM
:rolleyes:

Utilities definitely have too much money and too many lawyers. What kind of bull s**t is this?

In the movie “Red Heat” Schwarzenegger’s character says, “Shoot the lawyers first.” How appropriate.

By the way, Hem’, was there an engineer in tow by the liar, I mean lawyer?

Hemingray Insulators
08-10-2006, 03:06 PM
:


By the way, Hem’, was there an engineer in tow by the liar, I mean lawyer?

I'm not quite sure what you are asking. Are you asking if there was an engineer that came to my grandparents house along with the lawyer and supervisor? If that is what you are asking, then no, there wasn't an EE that came.

Trampbag
08-10-2006, 07:13 PM
I was just being cute, lad. I find it sick humour, I guess, when a utility finds it has the need to push a kid around. All utilities push their weight around constantly, but I thought there was a limit. Apparently not.

Lawyers, or in other words trained liars, are not my favourite people. Neither are EEs. Both rank, in my opinion just slightly higher than school teachers. Funny thing is most school teachers start out in college or university trying to be lawyers, engineers or doctors but when they find they cannot cut the mustard they become school teachers.

I guess it means most school teachers are failures, really.

Just a bent idea from a crusty old codger.

But I kinda like the cut of your jib, Kid. You have a sense of humour.

iceman1
08-10-2006, 08:38 PM
hemi be careful taking that wire from the tracks some of it is own by the federal goverment and the railroad "federal offence"I found some really old glass insulators blue and clear and ask to have them and the railroad authority said they were owned by the feds

Patriot
08-10-2006, 08:44 PM
That is pretty cool young man! Great dedication, I didn't think they made them like you any more. I hope you find a spot to start when you're old enough. But pleassssse be careful with the stuff you build. I don't want to read about you in the paper.

Hemingray Insulators
08-10-2006, 08:57 PM
I'm not gonna go into it all, but when my buddy got in trouble, he told me later, that one of the things they thought he had done was steal a transformer and give it to me. Some management saw that coffe can "transformer" and thought it was the small 1kva kind sometimes used on cap banks and such, and I think my buddy said the company was upset that he let me borrow his books along with the bible aka "the linemans and Cablemans handbook" becuase now I know too much about their system, and the company frowned upon me asking linemen about 3 phase banks and capacitors and other stuff like that :rolleyes: go figure.
they say this won't hurt my chances of me being a lineman for them, and not to discourage me from working for them, but that really says something about the company. If they find someone that is interested in powerlines, and has built one in his grandparents backyard, but they are more concerned about THAT more than actually maintaining their own system? You drive around an see floating tap insulators all the time, and quite often arm that are burnt in two, but they don't want them fixxed till the wire actually falls on the ground, and they are more concerned about my line, than the public getting into 4.8kv or 14.4kv? thats just messed up lol. Kinda make me mad when I see all those things, yet they are more worried about my 120/240 line? Ya I knoe even that can kill ya, but you have better chances than with 4.8kv.

BTW, it was someone on this site who saw the pics and told Detroit Toledo Edison, who investigated, and found it wasn't their problem, who then reported it to consumers, who investigated and found me. Don't know if it was a member or not, but whoever it was, SCREW YOU.

It actually suprises me, that if consumers main concer was i had it energized that they didn't tear out my riser and tear up the yard.

certainly will make me think twice before applying at consumers,
what they did has forever changed my opinion of them as a "OK" company.

the way things have been going lately, I was thinking of mabey Tramping the country, I actually wouldn't mind seeing different parts of the country, and different types of construction. so, a question to the tramps, how well do you like it, and do you think It's worth it? i don't think I'm going to have a family to tie me down, and it sounds like it would be good money.
so, whats your take on it?

and as alway, a sense of humor :D i just don't see how people can make it through the day nowdays without a sense of humor lol.

Trampbag, when I first read what you wrote, I thought you were being smart and asking whether there was an EE there to learn how to properly design lines lol, but I didn't want to ask if that was wha you ment and me be smart too. LOL, I've been told by other linemen that they don't like me being smart with them, even though they are smart with me all the time :confused: they say, cuz I'm so much younger than them....... but then theres one local crew I saw a lot of, earlier this summer, that would at a free moment bring me the "engineering drawing" to look at, and see what was going to be done, and they taught me how to read it, and then they'd alway have me over in there circle when the job was done for the after work BSing matches. one i recall, a guy cut up a pole into manageable piece to put on the digger truck, and then another lineman was like "WHY the heck did you cut that up? That was a good pole, and i was gonna use it at my house!" and they went back and forth for 5 mins or so while the rest of us was just laughing at em. then I noticed someone had cut through some lady's sprinkler system, and I was like "who did a number on that sprinkler?'' and they said the contractors, and said "you know anything about sprinklers?" and then they said"you better learn soon so you can fix it for us" now that is what I like, when they apreciate my interest in there job that "no one cares about" and it's nice that they include me in the normal after work BS lol, an i often hear them ask "I bet you want to put the tools on and climb that pole" lol, there always teasin me in some way lol, one of the best parts, is even though I don't work with them (Yet), is the brotherhood we all share, even though I'm alot younger, and th brotherhood is one amazeing thing. another thing is.... all the guys I've met around here treat me as an equal, and talk to me like they would a journey man, when they always talk to the aprentices by saying "watch close and stay outa my way" lol,so they are nicer to me than their apprentices lol.
well, I'm done talking now, just wanted to share some of the things I ove about this trade, as many of you probably love about the trade as well.

Hemingray Insulators
08-10-2006, 09:12 PM
hemi be careful taking that wire from the tracks some of it is own by the federal goverment and the railroad "federal offence"I found some really old glass insulators blue and clear and ask to have them and the railroad authority said they were owned by the feds

my understanding (from what I've read on the indiana govt web site) is that once a railroad has filed an abandonement, that means the property reverts back to the original owner (say the railroad bought right of way from joe public, one it's abandoned it goes back to joe public)
so essentially it is private property, but all i have to do is walk up to there house and ask permission to do what I have been doing and so far no one has refused me. Most of the time it is just through famers fields, so they could care less, and often i will offer to do something in return like cut down some poles for them, as they use them for fence posts, and everybody id happy, out in the country of indiana most people are the honest folk, like the types before everyone became sue-happy.

hmm, usually the gov't does not own railroads, even if it is abandoned, unless they buy the property for say a bike trail. or something.

Hemingray Insulators
08-10-2006, 09:25 PM
That is pretty cool young man! Great dedication, I didn't think they made them like you any more. I hope you find a spot to start when you're old enough. But pleassssse be careful with the stuff you build. I don't want to read about you in the paper.

I am probably one of the few (of the newer generation), that take pride in my work, and the trade.
you know how most apprentices don'tlike climbing? seems I'm the opposite, i LOVE climbing. I'm not very expiranced yet, and still have a friend teaching me, but I just absolutely LOVE it. so far the highest I've been it about 25' in the air at a railroad, and I loved it, the pole was only about 5 years old according to the date.

I have had my backyard line for 12 years now, and have had it energized the last 8, and have had NO injuries or shocks. Only one incident where I Blew a fuse and a shower of sparks, when i was sting the #4 acsr to replace the #6 Cu, the rope broke, and it went into the HOT #6, and contacted the neutral, which it burned down.

Patriot
08-10-2006, 10:29 PM
Where did you pickup the desire to be a lineman? Is some one in your family in the trade. I think it's great and the trade needs young people like you.
Also I am not sure I would want to work for either of the outfits you mentioned.

Hemingray Insulators
08-10-2006, 10:48 PM
I'm not really sure why i became interested in the trade, just that as long as i can remember I've always watched the guys on the lines. then it only furthered my interest when my uncle brought home a powerco hardhat he found on the side of the road, I still have it, and it's the one I use to this day.
My aunts dad (who we called "Grandpa J", wasn't really my grandpa) was a lineman for consumers for 42 years, and he started in 1945. He sharde lots of stories and pictures before he passed away at the age of 81 a few weeks ago. but I was interested before i knew he used to be a lineman. i've always had an interest in electricity too, my parents have told me that when I was 2 yrs old, they found me playing with bateries and lightbulbs from the chirsitmas tree

ya, I'm not sure I want to work for consumers anymore, and i definately don't want to ever work for DTE.

Alan Mac
08-11-2006, 02:40 AM
Hey Hemingray, just follow your dream. Sounds like you're not gonna let them @ssholes put you off, you'll need that kind of attitude later in life too.
According to my grandmother, my first word was "wire". Been a transmission lineman (132KV) for twenty years now, love the job as much today as when I started.

Good luck my friend.

Mac

Sno10
08-12-2006, 03:55 PM
I am sure if I look hard enough I will find out why the power company came in and tore down your line. But what was the reasoning for them taking it out? If you want to get at them a little and burn the bridges with the management of the company contact the media. I think the local paper would love a story like this or even the local news.

Hemingray Insulators
08-12-2006, 04:10 PM
they said they took it down because it was dangerous to other people, because someone could come into the yard and get hurt (they's have to climb over the fence and get on a ladder to reach the wires that re at 12', except at one pole they are at 10', the neutral is at 7', but anyhow they said if someone climbed up and got hurt that the company could be sued because the stuff I used was thrown away by them.

DuFuss
08-12-2006, 05:51 PM
I'm glad you have a sense of humor. Now go work on your spelling! :)

Sucks they took your line down. As long as you don't come across as a know it all but done nothing your just the type of person I love to train. One who is interested in learning what has been taught to me. Linemen can be rough acting on some grunts and I'm no different. The ones that help out and act like they want to learn get treated pretty nice. The ones that act like it's a chore to do anything get to do everything.

spooler
08-18-2006, 11:28 PM
Hemi,

Sorry to hear the news about your back yard line! It kind of makes one wonder, in my area of the country many older homes have the old style 120v "open wire" service strung from the house over to power the outlets and lights in an un-attached garage. I wonder if there is any of that in your neighborhood you could point to and let the utility company explain why they aren't hassleing those folks too! (I realize there garage service drops may be insulated, but some of it is so old it's probably not insulated very well!)
I had a back yard line I when was just a kid. It was not as cool as yours though! Back in the days of open wire telephone lines, I encountered a line crew replacing a phone pole on the way home from school. I asked them if i could have it, and much to my suprise (and my parents) they dropped it off at my house! It had a 4' cross-arm 4 wooden pins with (yes) Hemingray insulators on each pin. My dad sensing that this could be a healthier activity for me instead of sitting around after school and eating cookies, grudgingly allowed me to borrow one of those old manual post hole augers, and I started digging. This was a fairly short, and of course small diameter pole, so even with the cross arm on it, it only took two guys to set it. In no time I was stringing wire from it to the nearest tree. I eventually found an old pair of climbers, they were so old, i think they were owned by Western Union! After learning how to sharpen the gaffs, I climbed up and down that pole so much, it got very chewed up and splintered in a hurry. (No safety belt, I couldn't find one of those laying around like I found the 'hooks)I thought being a phone company lineman would be cool, until one day when our 7.5kva csp transformer blew, and I saw a 2 man trouble crew from the REC replace it with only a block and tackle from the back of thier 1 ton truck! My interest then changed, I wanted to be a powerlineman. Well, I'm sorry to say I never accomplished that goal. I decided as a senior in high school to do something else. Now 30 years later, I wished I had that decision back!
Stay true to your ambitions, because they will tak you a long way!

Line Cowboy
08-25-2006, 11:41 PM
Hey Hemi, just wonderin if you could tell me the value (if any ) of a few insulators i came across. All of them are probably pre 1940 one clear the rest green. by the way i think it sucks they made you tear down all your hard work :mad: looks like you have a knack for linework and the desire to learn. stay focused and don't let those grumpy old farts get you down.... Anyway they're not all bad especially if you want to learn. But stay away from texas

Hemingray Insulators
08-26-2006, 07:30 AM
Hey Hemi, just wonderin if you could tell me the value (if any ) of a few insulators i came across. All of them are probably pre 1940 one clear the rest green. by the way i think it sucks they made you tear down all your hard work :mad: looks like you have a knack for linework and the desire to learn. stay focused and don't let those grumpy old farts get you down.... Anyway they're not all bad especially if you want to learn. But stay away from texas

Ya Got pictures of em? theres so many different kinds its not even funny, and I would have to see a picture of them, and have you tell me what they say, to be able to tell you the value for sure.