Brookfeild new york insulators under barn

[Jfoude]

I know these are both brookfeild new york insulators but just trying to find a rough date. Most of the stuff under my barn is 40s and 50s. I am finding new stuff everyday. 3 insulators so far which makes me wonder if that was normal at the time to dump multiple insulators or is my barn sitting on an electrical gold mine?

 

[Robby Raccoon]

Brookfield ceased operations in 1922; the earlier ones had patent dates on them. If they say only Brookfield New York, they're closer to the end of their operations. Fulton street addressed ones and those with patents could be as old as the 1880s or as new as 1900.

 

[Jfoude]

Thanks for the information. The one just has brookfeild new york on it and the smaller one has no markings at all that i can find

 

[treeguyfred]

Hiya J, fun finds ya got there.... farms often had to design and build their own electric poles and carriers off the main line and then have the local linemen "tie" them in once the account was approved. They often used what ever insulators they could scrounge up or simply bought what was available. Now this wasn't the hard and fast rule.... but it happened a lot. And likewise when an old service line was abandonned and a new modern service drop was installed by the modern utility the dismantling of the old service was usually left up to the farmer. The insulators sometimes ended up in juniors tree fort or club house or on the window sill of the kitchen or bathroom. Pretty often they were just tossed off behind or under the barn or outhouse. The small one appears to be a CD 102 (best guess with out exact measurements) and the larger one is more than likely a CD 162. They have minimal dollar value, but do have window gem appeal! Thanks for sharing!
~Fred

 

[Jfoude]

Awesome thanks for the info. I found two more today while digging around. All together i have found 6 which makes me wonder. Considering i am really close to downtown. I dont assume they would have many poles on my property its not huge. House and barn build around 1850 to 1870

 

[sandchip]

The first one is a CD102 as Fred sed. The other is a CD162.4. In the second picture, not sure about the one on the left, but it reminds me of a CD143. Any other embossing other than "Pattern"? Always fun to find insulators.

 

[Jfoude]

Here is the othe side it reads "DWIGHT"

 

[treeguyfred]

I agree with sand chip on the first pics and the second photo does appear to have the CD 143...
So, sometimes in the past when a tree would storm fall and take poles down locally the repair men, at certain points in our evolution in electrical service would leave the old insulators on the ground and utilize newer types. Folks love to find them and take them home... another possible scenario.
~Fred

 

[Jfoude]

Yes very possible. I work in the electrical feild. Insulators still get thrown everywhere. Thanks!

 

[Jfoude]

I found old service wires tied nicely in the ground like a line worker would tie them. Leads me to beleive a lineman could have lived here at one point. Fun to imagine anyway