The “furniture” has gone missing. Not just pole lines but often signals (replaced with cab signals), switch towers (replaced with centralized dispatching and automated electronic switches), turntables, water tanks, and coaling towers (steam to diesel), and stations (freight only, mobile agents). In short they have taken away the elements that gave railroads their charm in the name of efficiency and profits.
The fact of the matter is I only know what some of the wires are for.
Two act as an AC (Alternating Current or power-supply) feed (a source-supply, in other words). One or more could be code line part and parcel of train control. Historically, one or one pair was dedicated to telegraphy, thus the reason behind the poles at one time being given the name “telegraph poles.”
The “furniture” has gone missing. Not just pole lines but often signals (replaced with cab signals), switch towers (replaced with centralized dispatching and automated electronic switches), turntables, water tanks, and coaling towers (steam to diesel), and stations (freight only, mobile agents). In short they have taken away the elements that gave railroads their charm in the name of efficiency and profits.
I thought from your title that you were going to finally explain what all those wires do. I've always wondered that...
The fact of the matter is I only know what some of the wires are for.
Two act as an AC (Alternating Current or power-supply) feed (a source-supply, in other words). One or more could be code line part and parcel of train control. Historically, one or one pair was dedicated to telegraphy, thus the reason behind the poles at one time being given the name “telegraph poles.”
That’s as much as I know as of this writing.