GETTING WIRED

I need a suitable wire or cord to fix to a set of electricity poles on my 4mm scale layout, which is based on the Waverley route, as it could have been if it had remained open (so it’s a modern-day depiction). I’ve used fine elastic cord, as used on model aircraft, for my telephone lines, but I’m guessing that I’ll need a thicker material for power lines, which will also need a degree of droop to look authentic. Any ideas?

Mark Kennedy, by email

George says: I’ve been asked a few similar questions in the past year, so perhaps there has been an increased desire to add even greater detail to our layouts recently? It depends on how substantial the power lines would be but, if you’re modelling a fairly remote location, they’re likely to be light duty cables feeding a small number of dwellings. Taking the power lines near my home as an example, there’s not much difference to telephone cables in terms of diameter. Obviously, it’s not a good idea to get too close to electricity lines but, by standing below, I estimated that the lines are about 10-12mm in diameter.

An important factor to note is that the power lines are actually taut, with hardly any droop between poles, in stark contrast to telephone cables. Therefore, I’d recommend using a similar elastic rigging cord to what you’ve already employed, but

installed with a greater degree of tension. This will demand a robust set of wooden poles, so it could be worth making your own from hardwood dowelling and brass angle, rather than plastic posts. A flexible cord is essential for stringing between poles, rather than wire, as the lines will be prone to being disturbed by the ‘hand from the sky’ whenever cleaning or maintaining your layout. If the cord has an elastic nature, it’s much less likely to break or lead to the poles being disturbed.

There are many different gauges of flexible rigging cord, but the packs in the Uschi van der Rosten range (also packaged under the MIG Ammo brand) are especially good. Aimed primarily at ship and aircraft modellers, the Medium gauge is likely to be the most appropriate. Any extra cables, such as those running to a transformer or other equipment mounted on the poles, could be added with fine nickel jewellery wire.

Another reader asked me about suitable cables for larger electricity pylons, which do have a pronounced droop, thanks to their increased size and weight. For these,

I wonder if a black or dark grey embroidery thread – perhaps an elasticated version – would be more appropriate. Your local craft or haberdashery store is likely to have a selection of threads to choose from. Availability: www.scalemodelshop.co.uk