Route MC at Chippenham

[caldridge]

I’m continuing with taking pictures of my local L3 routes, this time with Route MC.

MC probably stands for Melksham-Chippenham, because that's where it runs between. It might be a short local route and it's also not shown on the map.

Here's the route on the A4 just outside Pewsham, Wiltshire.

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Now there's a small L3 deviation tower.

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A taller one on the opposite side of the road.

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The pylons on Stanley Lane.

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Making their way into Chippenham.

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Heading across the fields on North Wiltshire Rivers Route.

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A deviation tower on North Wiltshire Rivers Route.

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The pylons heading into Chippenham.

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Some shots of the suspension towers.

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The pylons on Cocklebury Lane.

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Heading to Chippenham Power Plant.

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And here's the terminal towers.

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Enjoy!

Christopher

[caldridge]

Does anyone know what the voltage is for MC, is it 275kV or 132?

[yv47r]

I would say 132kV for this line. Cheers Paul

[caldridge]

If we compare MC with XL we might see a few differences.

The spacers look different, XL has curved spacers, MC has straight ones.

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MC has brown insulators, XL has grey ones and they look the same size.

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I thought the size of the insulators means the size of the voltage, maybe the spacers mean it too.

Christopher

[yv47r]

The spacers will indeed be related to voltage although on older un-refurbished National Grid lines and a few of those that spring to mind are the YO Bredbury-Stockport-South Manchester L2 line still on original spacers and red insulators plus the ZK L2 line from the Legacy double tee to Trawsfynydd is still original too. The non NGC lines using L2 and L3 on the whole still have original insulators and conductors and spacers. The XL line as shown has been redone in line with NGC line overhauls using either the grey insulators or the newer clear glass ones. The curved spacers are NGC whereas the straight ones will be area board.

Cheers Paul

[caldridge]

One L3 route in my area, I can think of that has shorter insulators is route AG. L2 route ZG as I know it has grey insulators, L2 route ZF in my area has grey or clear glass insulators, but it has brown ones at Upper Coberley. I'm quite sure when I first saw L2 route YE in Cornwall it had brown glass insulators, but now it looks like it has clear glass ones, I must try and photograph that route.

Think I've just got one more L3 route in my area to photograph now.

Cheers Christopher

[yv47r]

There are a whole multitude of variations when it comes to insulators but a good guide is the colour with the red and brown glass insulators being a good clue to an older un-refurbished line whereas the grey or clear green glass insulators will point to a much more recent re-furb. And often not the entire line or circuit receives new insulators. My local the YV line running from Macclesfield north towards the tee at Bredbury, Stockport runs on two voltages; 275kV forming the southern part of the Manchester 275kV network and this starts off with grey insulators for the first 16 towers (1-3/3A/4-5/5A/6-14) then switches back to the original brown glass insulators from there to the final original tower YV 52 with the exception of 24 that tower doesn't exist anymore; 37 is a replacement L8 tower and had new grey ins from new; as did 47R L2 and 47A L8; then 53 was a new L8 D60 with grey ins. The 400kV east side of the YV line is now all glass insulators these having been fitted in 2010 during the 400kV upgrade project to renew the ins and conductors from Stalybridge to Macclesfield on the ZZC and YV lines to upgrade the existing 400kV line with new fittings.

Cheers Paul