Pylon of the Month

October 10, 2014 7:10 PM

All about electricity pylons and electricity supply
posted by Confess, Fletch (16 comments total)

Totally worth it for this gif alone.
posted by arcticseal at 7:14 PM on October 10, 2014 [12 favorites]

"YOU MUST CONSTRUCT ADDITIONAL PYLONS" -
Sen. Bob Tassadar, addressing a subcommittee on infrastructure
posted by murphy slaw at 7:26 PM on October 10, 2014 [15 favorites]

Worst. Gift club. Ever.
posted by drlith at 7:43 PM on October 10, 2014 [3 favorites]

Cool post, Confess, Fletch. Near where I live, there are remnants of virgin prairie that have remained unplowed and relatively undisturbed because they are located beneath electricity distribution infrastructure. I've always felt there was an unusual beauty to these places where human technology sits on top of undisturbed Nature. And I've always wondered just what the Grid is made of, and how it works. So, I think this is a really good post. Thanks.
posted by Novus at 8:14 PM on October 10, 2014

Neat, thanks posting!
posted by carter at 8:30 PM on October 10, 2014

Not as cool as the original site. Just kidding...

I am scared of pylons since I watched The Changes.
posted by marienbad at 10:17 PM on October 10, 2014 [1 favorite]

I don't want to merely pile on here but
posted by armoir from antproof case at 10:53 PM on October 10, 2014 [4 favorites]

One of the things I remember from my trips down to Los Angeles as a kid was seeing the electrical pylons stretching across fields south of LA. Having read the Gold Key Comics version of "War of the Worlds", always imagined them as alien war machines striding across the landscape.
posted by happyroach at 12:45 AM on October 11, 2014

When I was young, I used to spend time after school at the local library perusing the 'romance' section for the smuttiest parts... whereof I found the phrase "his glistening pylon of love..."
posted by ennui.bz at 4:25 AM on October 11, 2014 [2 favorites]

Near where I live, there are remnants of virgin prairie that have remained unplowed and relatively undisturbed because they are located beneath electricity distribution infrastructure. I've always felt there was an unusual beauty to these places where human technology sits on top of undisturbed Nature.

That's the opposite of how power lines work in places with trees, where instead they clearcut mile after mile of the route and keep it clear with ground crews and amazing helicopter-operated buzz saws.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:43 AM on October 11, 2014 [2 favorites]

What with all the Tug Hill windmills we have lots of electricity moving through these parts, and after an ice storm, we have us some glistening pylons, believe you me.
posted by kinnakeet at 6:25 AM on October 11, 2014

I apologize for my lack of interest in pylons, except as a symbol of the political machinations of the old boys' club in Alberta to build an electric system worthy of Enron.
posted by sneebler at 7:37 AM on October 11, 2014 [1 favorite]

I've noticed these things attached near the insulators on high tension lines, and always wondered what they do: Stockbridge dampers. A little mystery cleared up. Thank you for this post.
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 7:43 AM on October 11, 2014 [1 favorite]

The short documentary "Silvering Up," linked from one of the articles, is fascinating. It follows a crew of pylon painters who brave heights, heat, and the occasional bull (strategically placed by angry landowners) to coat the towers in rural Devon. Highly recommended.
posted by prinado at 7:47 AM on October 11, 2014

Seeing these, I am somehow struck by how easy it looks like it might be to use them for a zipline highway, where the zipline would be attached just enough lower on the destination pylon to let you reach there at a speed that could be easily braked away, then you would climb a short stairway to the launch platform for the next leg, or down the stairway to the ground.

Maybe they're too far apart for that, though.
posted by jamjam at 10:54 AM on October 11, 2014 [1 favorite]

@jamjam, the zipline would be a lot of fun, but I'm guessing the pylon owners would judge them an "attractive nuisance." So for every zip you'd need someone to put it up and another to take it down. Sadly your total speed would diminish.

The movie Among Giants, too-briefly mentioned in Jan 2010, is absolutely the very best pylon-painting film (with a side of sexism-fighting and parkour-on-the-bar-crawling). Pete Postlewaithe, Rachel Griffiths, Andy Serkis! Genuine celebration of hard work! Fourteenth generation video of trailer here.
posted by Jesse the K at 3:00 PM on October 11, 2014 [1 favorite]