the bank that got away

[reppy007]

Many,maybe hundreds,maybe thousands of times I have been associated with the crew that gets the worst pole replacement jobs,the worst transformer change-outs in the easements......the ones nobody wants....you get used too it after awhile,even look forward to them,they can make you some hard earned money.The ones where you tear down anything that is in your way,and with some good hands haul the equipment into the easement.There was one though,and I knew that sooner or later it would be mine....just my luck.....this one was a 277/480 volt bank 500kva...500 parallel copper,the good thing was that it was a 7200 volts on the high-side,made it a little lighter....you couldnt drive up to it.......It was and still is behind a long-long shopping center......it sits on a pole at the bottom of a long long slope,steeper than a 45 degree angle....with a lake 10 feet from the pole......no level ground as far as the eye can see.....I waited for years for that baby to burn up,instant double time if it went south at night........years and years went buy.I even forgot about it......then one day I wet back in that area on another trouble call.......new sod....tracks all over the place....the smell of trans. oil in the air....new transformers......no wonder I didnt see a few lineman that morning.....they were on a rest period that was susposed to be mine......just my luck..........I guess you all know of a spot where a pole or transformer shouldnt be in...how many of them have you seen?

[T-Man]

The ones that got me were the poles set at the end of a rural road T intersection or the poles on the outside of the curves where cars out of control could easily clip em off. I might add I have been to a few pole strucks in the middle of the night just after bar closing time for a car vs pole wire down lights out situation. Not much a Trobleshooter can do but cut it in the clear, get the pole size and what's on it, call it in and go refuse the good part of the line till a crew can get in there and set the new stuff. Usually all night affair.

The real good ones were the Buck arm poles with two circuits of sub-t and a circuit of primary, 3 phase and single phase secondary and a bunch of tele crap,Guys (or stays) Maybe a 65-2 cedar, Just a big hair ball. Broke by a semi cutting too close to the corner. Never totally down just smashed to the point it needs to be changed out and almost impossible to set the new stick anywhere else but the same hole. Thankyou Jesus I'm a troubleshooter, let's get a crew in here ASAP.

[reppy007]

The ones that got me were the poles set at the end of a rural road T intersection or the poles on the outside of the curves where cars out of control could easily clip em off. I might add I have been to a few pole strucks in the middle of the night just after bar closing time for a car vs pole wire down lights out situation. Not much a Trobleshooter can do but cut it in the clear, get the pole size and what's on it, call it in and go refuse the good part of the line till a crew can get in there and set the new stuff. Usually all night affair.

The real good ones were the Buck arm poles with two circuits of sub-t and a circuit of primary, 3 phase and single phase secondary and a bunch of tele crap,Guys (or stays) Maybe a 65-2 cedar, Just a big hair ball. Broke by a semi cutting too close to the corner. Never totally down just smashed to the point it needs to be changed out and almost impossible to set the new stick anywhere else but the same hole. Thankyou Jesus I'm a troubleshooter, let's get a crew in here ASAP.

Your a 100% right,a troubleshooters job can be the best at times,theres been plenty that I was glad not to have,but on the other hand you see too many dead bodies,the white sheets covering them up,the blood on the cement,the glass everywhere.....now back to the bank....which was in the easement....no straingt shot for a winch-line........remember these were 500kva's.....whats the rating on a cathead?......ive seen generators get in a big bind hauling up a 250kva.....a 120volt generator can only do so much.

[linemanfrog]

We have a couple of poles that will be a pain when they go due to they are down in a deep ditch on the other side of a foot bridge quite a distance from the road. I think they are 60s or 65s and have 4/0 copper mainline on them. Definately do-able but will be a pain to dig when wet (like now). Have one large 3 pot bank on a regulator platform that will be fun fun if it falls, the secondaries are open wire from pole to pole. Still have some large transformer banks inside buildings. A few alley lines from hell due to vegatation and wetlands that have been and will be a pain. I cannot fail to mention some of the UG circuits running in manholes with submersible switch gear in them and 2 or 3 other circuits running thru the same manholes, always good for long switching orders just to de-energize the hole for entry/work.

I think the worst I have seen was the double circuit 795 hendrix cable lines in Kentucky that used 7#8 Alumaweld for teh static/messenger. When a large tree falls on that it can break multiple poles.............I am sure those guys catch hell at times due that construction. I know on our laterals that have the same messenger it is not uncommon for a tree to break 2 or 3 poles.

Saw numerous things in South Florida after Hurricane Wilma in 05 that made me think "**** I am glad we do not have to fix that crap" Poles set in rear lots with no access what so ever, had to use a crane and set the pole from out on the street. They even had mainline circuits like that as well. Sometimes makes you wonder just what the hell somebody was thinking............

[reppy007]

I like that title........still waiting on a few of yours.

[Koga]

decided Hendrix was good for residential distribution in the ally ought to have his ass kicked !
Tree fell and it took about 19 spans down. Course it took some poles and services with it. Cut outs and arrestors ,xfmrs.... With no access took us over 24 hours with all we had to get it back up. Do not like the sH^T !!!


Koga