What to use for line between telephone poles?

ELASTIC THREAD, WHITE ,BLACK , OR GREY. AT CRAFT STORES, WALMART ETC... LOOKS REAL, EASY TO WORK WITH, FLEXIBLE , VERY FORGIVING AND RETURNS TO ORIGINAL SHAPE!  GIVE IT A TRY!

I definitely like Clifford's idea better, but years ago (I mean I still was using matchbox/hot wheels for cars) I used black thread.... 

try EZ Line. stretches way beyond its length and us used by many of the forums modelrs for telephone poles lines as well as by boat modelers for rigging. just google it.

jerrman

The elastic thread will not form a catenary, it will just stay straight. There are no straight wires in real life. They all hang down to one degree or another.  Exception: fiber optic cable, being extremely light weight, will look "almost" straight when it is lashed to a messenger.  I suggest that you use black or dark gray thread for modern wires, and light green thread for historic copper-weld telegraph wires.

If you're going to use common cotton thread instead of a synthetic monofilament line, I would suggest running the thread through a block of beeswax first.  Reason?...common thread has microscopic dust-catchers along its length, also known as 'fuzz'.  Unless you belay (model ship crafter's term) that fuzz with some beeswax, in time, in a dusty environment (i.e., where most of us live and play with trains!) you'll have a problem that will be nigh unto impossible to correct without damage.  I mean, think about it!...getting the dust off of those delicate, uniformly drooping lines???....not my idea of a fun job.  Of course, waxed line will snag its share of dust in time, too, but there are just fewer 'tentacles' to do so.'

 

Where to find a small block of beeswax?  We (LHS) carry them regularly in our wooden ship models section of the store...for the bazillion of rigging lines on a clipper ship, et al.!!  I've seen beeswax at fabric stores, too.

 

Hey, not an original idea.  I read it as a tip in a railroad hobby magazine dated in the 1940's!!!  Some old ideas are still valid, IMHO.

 

FWIW, always...

 

KD

I'll have to check the exact name of the product, but a forumite turned me on to it.  I found it at JoAnn Fabrics.  I think it's called yarn thread.

 

Not yarn.  Not thread.

 

It's really nice - it held it's tension for the 5 months that I had it up.  The thickness is perfect too.  Comes in black and some other colors.  Watch though: there are different thicknesses.

 

If I can get to the roll I'll supply the details.

 

I don't have any great pictures, but here's one.

 

 

- walt

That's only if you pull it taught between the poles.

I checked: the product is called Crochet Thread.  Mine is brand "Aunt Lydia" and is the "10 weight".  I comes in a ball-shaped roll.

 

- walt

elastic thread will "sag" if you want it to.dont pull it taught, it looks realistic and lasts and lasts

EZ Line works Very well

DO NOT USE WHITE..

 

EZ Line period.........

Thank you all for ideas.  I will try a number of the ideas and let you all know what I use.