The Span Wire Setup Lives Again

After a bit of thinking on how to do this by myself, I finally accomplished hanging the span wire setup back up again. It was a LOT of work doing it by myself. Trust me.

I could never get the span tight enough so the signals didn’t hang to low to the ground.

img_20170915_183553 — The first attempt last year. There was too much sag in the lines and the poles would sag also

After a lot of thinking I decided to try a new approach. I added some thicker diameter wire to two of the anchor wires for the poles. I also put a couple turnbuckles on them. I could only get the wire so tight, but using the turnbuckle, It gave me a way to tighten up the wires after I clamped them in place.

So, 18 trips up and down the ladder this morning and I FINALLY got things tight as I could with very little sag on the span.

I also bought myself a cheap $18 Come Along. I was able to secure one side of it to the pole and the other to the span and pull the wire through the tensioner. Remember, I’m trying to do all this by myself, on a ladder, usually with a dog barking at me because i’m not near him or playing with him.

So after about 45 minutes of work, I was able to get it much tighter than before. It was almost straight between the poles.

And testing it out with a couple of the yard signals. Look, it’s not sagging!

After some more work, I got the 2 signals up on the span that I wanted to. These two were pared together for around 45 years or maybe more. They were there when I moved a block away in 1970. (yes, I remember things like that)

img_20180715_135946_371 — Signals how they were in the wild. The 2 single Crouse Hinds were always an odd green color. The Marbelite cluster replaced a Crouse Hinds D/DT somewhere around 1975 I believe.

img_20180715_135330 — And they’re up in the back yard. They sat for about 4 years after they were taken down.

img_20180720_081437 — Testing for any sag in the span with a cement block.

There was some sag from the same troublesome post. Had to take the signals down again and fix that. Hopefully the last time.

Here it is running with the controller.

4 thoughts on “The Span Wire Setup Lives Again”

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Stephen Thompson says:

May 13, 2019 at 10:44 pm

Awesome set up!! Love span wire set ups! Can’t wait to see the 4 way in the middle. I’ll help you if you need help. I have a span wire in my backyard, but have two trees holding it up. They are rotting out though, so I’ll eventually have to cut those down and get poles!

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1. Tony says:
  
  May 14, 2019 at 5:28 am
  
  I’ve got some taller poles to put up if it ever stops raining here. It’ll add 4 feet in height to the span which will be much better.
  
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Zach says:

March 19, 2022 at 11:49 am

Tony is that a GE Streamlight in one of the photos? I have one similar to that that is the only one of six from a six street intersection in my hometown.

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1. Tony says:
  
  March 19, 2022 at 11:52 am
  
  Zach, yes that’s a streamline. I got that in 2015 I think from someone selling in Baltimore. He didn’t really know much about it.
  
  The Streamline resides down in the basement hanging up with 15 or so other signal friends.
  
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