I took this pic a couple of weeks ago, hence the blue skies compared to the miserable gray from today's photos!

Every time I drive by this pole it always strikes me as being something of an oddity, and I've yet to figure out what this transformer feeds.

It's a normal-enough 11kV delta to 240/415V wye transformer, but both primary and secondary cables are underground and as you can see, there's not much close by. There is a tiny airstrip amid the open fields a quarter-mile or so behind, which I thought might account for lines being run underground at this point, but where does the secondary go?

It just seems too far away from anything else to have been installed here.

Certainly is lonely!

The airstrip would account for u/g cables; they are impossible to see from above and often the only indication - aside from a map - of the existence of o/h lines is when you can see the change in vegetation/ground appearance at the base of a pole!

It is not uncommon to see PMTs on riser-only poles in odd locations. It is cheaper to instal such arrangements rather than ground subs where the load is small and the customers spread out. Cmbined with the various reasons for using u/g as opposed to o/h lines this is the end result Bizarre - but think of the poor lonely pole!!

Just a small thought Paul,
It doesn't supply some sort of a water pump nearby does it?.
It does look kind of strange though!.

 
OK, I looked all over for a similar arrangement but can’t find a ready reference. I’m pretty sure it’s gotta’ be for a Gamma Sector flying-saucer landing pad. {Sorry.}

ROTFL Bjarney!.
Paul, what is that on the pole above the transformer?.
It looks like either a set of cross-arms or a street light.

Darn! The secret's out......

There is actually a small pumping station in this area, but it's quite a long way from this transformer, so I can't imagine why it would have been located so far away.

The part you can see above the xfmr is just a coupling head where the underground cable transfers to bushings to go onto the transformer. It's similar to this one:




[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 10-17-2004).]

Ahh yes Paul,
I should have known that, I've worked with enough of them!.

 
Another ½ mile down that road is...

LOL!

Pardon my sociogeographic insensitivity...

"Another ½ km down the road..."

You were right first time Scott.

Despite the efforts of the metrication brigade, we still measure road distances in miles here.