Why I got paid the big bucks!

[Tig]

I always thought about the linemen when I was called out because of a power outage. I'd have to drive through whatever weather and then go inside and work. Meanwhile the linemen were working up a pole somewhere.

 

[kco]

Yeah, definitely a shopped pic, but I recall one time we were energizing a new 25 Kv line and making the connections out of an insulated double bucket truck with 40Kv gloves..."hot work", eh. We were crimping up the connectors on the three jumpers and a storm was approaching; we could see the lightening flashes in the distance and they were about four miles away, but getting closer. We wanted to finish up the job and get the heck out of there so we weren't sitting up there enjoying the scenery but on the very last crimp, a good big strike took place really close by and both of us were darn near put to our knees. It felt like every muscle in our bodies contracted! I literally had the breath squeezed out of me and so did my fellow worker in the other bucket.

Out of all the hazards I faced as a Lineman, lightning was the scariest by far.

Bucket truck!!!!!! Man, some linemen were wimps.

Here are some scans from my lineman days in 1965 doing things the Workers Compensation would not allow now.

The first couple are tying in a 115kv steel tower line using rope ladders and a regular ladder held up with a rope to reach past the insulators to make up deadends and install dampers.

The other two are tying in a 230kv wood pole line (Gulfport design). That was particularly exciting because you climbed the 70' main poles, straddled the angled spar, shinnied down it, hung your ladder and tied in the conductor. I'm the one on the rope ladder on the 115kv tower and the 230kv centre phase (with no hard hat as it fell off).

The rope ladders were exciting. When you transferred to them from the pole your feet would swing up higher than your waist level. The rungs were the size of broomsticks.

After tying in it was easier to drop the ladder and climb up the insulator string as shown in the photo with my partner Larry Z.

One photo I don't have of this job is where we had to string one line over another. We hung the rope ladder from a snatch block (which we wired shut for safety) and they pulled me out to the centre of the span so I could throw a rope over it and we used that to pull the conductors up under tension.

 

[Mace Canute]

Great photos, kco! :thumbsup: I worked on Transmission lines for just two years and although I was happy for the experience, I preferred working on a Distribution crew. I started in 74 and worked Transmission in 79 and 80. Some things had changed between the time you worked it in 65 and when I worked it in 80, but a lot was the same. One of the biggest changes here happened while I was on Transmission...they purchased a crane truck with a telescoping boom and hung a good sized work platform on the end so we could work up to 105' (I think) above ground level and have a major amount of freedom to move around to reach the work. Bucket trucks are awesome! (And it doesn't bother me a bit to be called a wimp because I loved em! )

This reminds me of an old foreman I had...a Ukrainian fellow. Now as some of you know, Ukrainians come in two flavours...smart and dumb as a post. Eddy definitely wasn't the former. One famous line of his was "Bucket trucks just ruin good Linemen". The day he told us that, the rest of us just looked at each other and laughed! Anyways, one fine summer day right after noon break, he got a burr under his saddle and came over to the crew and chewed us out for "not paying attention to what we were doing". I forget exactly what it was we didn't pay attention to, but Eddy was know to have a short memory and blame us for not doing stuff he forgot to tell us to do...so we were used to his rantings and would just stand and listen knowing in a few seconds it would be over like a dust devil passing by. After he ran out of steam, he spun on his heels and went stomping across the parking lot to jump into his truck to make a dramatic exit out of the yard. He opened the door, jumped into the seat, and slammed the door shut after himself....and then sat there in the back seat of the crewcab. :laughing::laughing::laughing: The best part was there was about a half dozen other guys there who overheard the whole thing.

 

[Pixguy]

I just tried to give away my FIL's boot spikes(term?) and the leather strap to pole stuff a tree climber/cutter and he said, no way, those are too unsafe!

Well, my FIL climbed poles for decades with those things in bad weather.

Yea, you guys deserved good money!

 

[kco]

I just tried to give away my FIL's boot spikes(term?) and the leather strap to pole stuff a tree climber/cutter and he said, no way, those are too unsafe!

Well, my FIL climbed poles for decades with those things in bad weather.

Yea, you guys deserved good money!

I still have my belt (a Buckingham) and Klein spurs with replaceable gaffs. I still use them several times a year to top trees, attach ropes to direct trees while falling (otherwise it can be a bit random ), and helping the local internet provider install radios. I've been told they are illegal now but they work fine, although the gaffs are short and tricky for the bark on some trees.

Mostly I'm only 20 to 25' up but sometimes higher when topping the dead stuff off trees I want to save. It's a real effort now and a few trees a day are my absolute limit. Makes me wonder how I used to do it all day.

I changed from linework to power line design (and later computer/network operations) in 1968. But the lineman years were the best of the lot. It's great how much fun work can be when you're with others who love the job.

 

[RoyJackson]

...He opened the door, jumped into the seat, and slammed the door shut after himself....and then sat there in the back seat of the crewcab. :laughing::laughing::laughing: The best part was there was about a half dozen other guys there who overheard the whole thing.

I would loved to have seen that!!!

 

[PossumHound]

Great thread! Thanks for the fascinating comments and your hard work to keep the rest of us "energized".

PH

 

[Mpking]

Saw this a couple of years ago and thought it was pretty cool. Definitely not for me though!

YouTube - High Power Job

 

[om21braz]

Linemen certainly earn their pay. My grandfather ran much of the first electrical service in our county beginning in 1934. Originally installed 100 miles of line at a cost of $100,000 (yes, one-thousand dollars per mile). All holes/poles dug and set by hand - some help from a couple mules I believe he stated.

 

[richamor]

You/those guys deserve every penny you get from my light bill. My Army MOS was Field Wireman (36F?) and I had to climb a 40ft pole. Did it once to qualify. Never again. I can only say.. Not just no, but **** no!:laughing:

Thanks guys...for keeping the lights and a whole lot more.....ON!