Telephone Pole Wires

It’s called EZ Line and it’s basically an elastic thread.  It’s pretty inexpensive and works quite well. 

You can use plain old thread, but keep in mind it’s not flexible if you pull it tight, so anything that catches it after you put it up is going to break the line, the poles or something else it’s attached to. 

Hi,

Thank you for your help. Can I find this product at large train shows? I will look into that. Thanks.

Ricky

Scenic Express has o-scale elastic telephone line in various colors, but I wasn't able to pull up a picture.

You might have to request a catalogue and view them there.

Just please don't pull that stretchy stuff tight. Real lines always droop (except in Minnesota when it is 40 below) to allow for thermal contraction. 

I used to be against that stuff until it was pointed out to me that it is possible to droop it properly, and it has the advantage of not instantly breaking the first time you bump it (as Boilermaker1 pointed out).

You can get similar stuff in the beadwork section of Michaels.

  I used thread many years ago on my telephone poles. But I found out the local spiders like to spin their webs in my wires. I got tired of cleaning it so the town folks now have underground cable.

Berkshire Junction  EZ line. 

Hi,

Thanks for all your help. Thanks,

Ricky

You can also buy EZ line at dozens of eBay sellers. Works great. 

My last layout, I used thick black thread and also thin black fishing line. But...….. I kinda forgot they were there, I'd hit them with my hand when I reached down to move things like people, vehicle or a structure .   

Thanks for this thread.  I could use some telephone poles on my layout.  I have some poles, just order some EZ line.

I have been working on some utility poles and am using E-Z Line. Great stuff.

What are you guys using to attach the wires to the poles?

At my layout they would be a huge spider web attraction and I would accidently get my hand in the wires sometime.

Matthew Jones posted:

I have been working on some utility poles and am using E-Z Line. Great stuff.

Matthew - great photo. Are those beads on the cross arms?

Sean

Hi,

Thank you everyone. I was going to ask, what’s the best way to attach them? I was going to wrap them around and the ends, and then rest them on the poles in the center, but I’m not sure if that’s the best way to do it. Thanks,

Ricky

I got mine at the York show, called E Z Line at a table called Berkshire Junction, look for them, they should be there.

Sean007 posted:

Matthew Jones posted:

I have been working on some utility poles and am using E-Z Line. Great stuff.

Matthew - great photo. Are those beads on the cross arms?

Sean

Yes. Small glass beads with a hole in the center. They are attached to short pieces of wire inserted into the cross arm. 

Ricky S posted:

Hi,

Thank you everyone. I was going to ask, what’s the best way to attach them? I was going to wrap them around and the ends, and then rest them on the poles in the center, but I’m not sure if that’s the best way to do it. Thanks,

Ricky

EZ Line suggests using CA glue. They have a very complete set of instructions. But I discovered you have to be careful. Too much of this glue will actually melt or "craze" the line. After many failures I ended up doing as you suggest - I wrapped it around the first pole and then tied a knot. Then touched it with a very small amount of CA glue on the end of a needle. After that (as their instructions suggest) you just wrap it around the next 5 or 6 poles, and then glue to the next pole. Repeat that process until all you poles are done.

Hi,

Thanks for your help. 

Ricky