My O Scale Utility / Telephone Poles

Lee,

 

But in that era, didn't cruisers have limits on gun barrel size, e.g. 8"?  Those look like 5" or 8" gun turrets.  Battleships would have 12" guns and up, right?

 

George

The Washington Navy treaty limited cruisers to 8" guns and 10,000 tons displacement. But that treaty and its limitations ended just before the war, so the Baltimore class was larger,  at much more than 10,000 tons, but nothing could be done quickly about the guns, so they used 8".  By '44 12" was considered too small for battleships.  The Alaskas were designed after the treaty lapsed with the idea they could take on pocket battleships like the Graf Spee and win: it was more than twice as big as any other cruiser, 800 feet long, and had a new 12" gun, much more powerful than the WWI 12" guns. But the two Alaskas were, quite correctly, given a lower priority to carriers and thus only finished just as the war ended, and they were obsolete by then.  I'm making a model of it mostly because it is an interesting ship and I have never seen a model of it in any scale. I view the Alaska as similar to the N&W J locomotive: a great breakway design of the traditional thing with lots of brilliant technology that performed very well, but came just a bit too late after a major change in paradigm  (carriers, diesels) to have a chance to shine like it should have.

Lee, thanks for reminding me of that bit of history.  The Washington Naval treaty limited those that obeyed it, but really didn't slow down the Japanese or the Germans (who disguised their violations).  The German focus on U-boats almost won them the war.

 

The Alaska is a good looking class.

 

Any interest in the Portland class of cruisers, e.g. Indianapolis?

 

George

 

 

There are some nice 1:350 models available today of the Indianapolis from Trumpeter and Dragon. I'm sure there's good aftermarket enhancements for it also.

I have the Trumpteer 1:350 Indianapolis.  Nice model.  Whenever I can get a kit I prefer - easier to build.  I like scratch building, but I have a long backlog to make. 

Update on the poles (and to get this thread back on track):

 

Last night I completed the last of 5 lighted poles w/ cross-arms.  I also finished 2 poles with lights, double cross-arms, and double 3-wire standoffs.  I have 3 of that variety left and 1 remains that will have 4 arms (criss-crossed), a light, and 3 transformers.  That will wrap up the poles for this part of the layout.

 

George

 

 

Nice!  Hope you can post pictures when its all done.  Good stuff.

I got the last of poles with double cross-arms, light arms, and two 3-wire stand-offs done last night.  Unfortunately, it was late and I didn't get a chance to photograph them.  Hopefully tonight, I will get the last 2 poles done tonight. 

Of those, the first is a 3 transformer pole with standoff.  I find that drilling parallel holes in a pole to accomodate the transformer to be the hardest task.  Invariably, the holes are not completely lined up.

 

The second is a pole with criss-crossed insulator cross-arms (90 degrees to each other) and a light arm.  That shouldn't be too much trouble.

 

After that it's putty time.  All poles need to have their scars and extraneous cross-arm holes filled with squadron putty and then sanded and painted.

 

George

OK gang.  Here's pole number 27 of 28.  It's the one in the middle of the photo with the 3 transformers.

 

 

 

George

I can't believe all of the information on this thread! I love the detailed information.