Jersey Central Power and Light line

The utility company want to run a transmission line between Matawan and Red Bank along the North Jersey Coast Line. It would use 140 foot monopoles to carry the line. When a unility company's power line was added to the North East Corridor, they simply added a structure to the existing catenary structure to carry it. but apparently that's not what they are trying to do here.
http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/20 ... reviv.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://patch.com/new-jersey/middletown- ... power-line" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'll opine with some educated guesses as to why overbuild is not under consideration. The PRR catenary structure was built sufficiently strong to carry the PRR's 132kV (now 138kV) transmission. Indeed, like much other railroad infrastructure of the era, it was likely overdesigned in strength. Eventually when the utilities approached the PRR to negotiate the lease or license for the overbuild, monopole technology and availability did not yet exist so the 230kV utility transmission was overbuilt on catenary support extensions which obviously were able to accommodate the extra static and dynamic loading. I strongly suspect that the NJ Transit catenary structure does not have the structural strength to support the proposed new 230kV line. Indeed, most if not all of the extension is built only to carry the 25kV operating conductors, no transmission. Monopole construction at the 140 foot high level can accommodate spans of 1,000 feet or even up to 1,300 or so where beneficial, resulting in the need for far fewer poles. Far fewer poles results in far fewer components such as insulators, clamps, etc. that need to be inspected and maintained periodically. Much of the inspection and maintenance work can be done by helicopter tower group personnel, thus eliminating the need to coordinate with rail operations as fouling tracks is not an issue. Moreover, from an environmental safety standpoint, since electric and magnetic field ("EMF") strength declines at a high rate of the distance squared, the monopoles will place the conductors at a much higher distance from the ground thereby reducing exposure to the public. Overall compared to other designs, monopole construction is far less expensive and more reliable which are two of criteria upon which the utility's approval application before its state and federal regulators will judge the merits of the project.

Thank you, Ken W2KB, for such a knowlegable response.

You are most welcome. I enjoy seeing many of your "heads up" posts concerning NJT about developments that would otherwise be missed.

Over the Memorial Day weekend Residents Against Giant Electri put up flyers on the platforms at Middletown, asking people to attend meetings in June, opposing the the new power line. They say thaty it can cause childhood lukemia- fact or fiction?

Over the Memorial Day weekend Residents Against Giant Electri put up flyers on the platforms at Middletown station, asking people to attend meetings in June, opposing the the new power line. They say that studies show that it can cause childhood leukemia- fact or fiction? The "studies" aren't identified. They also say that it will cause property values to decline, What they don't say is that the extra power line might cone in handy sometime.
Driving in to New Jersey yesterday, I saw some monopoles for the first time, and they struck me as unattractive things. However, without the juice I couldn't write this and send it around the globe, instantaneously.

Nimbyism at it's finest. I don't want to see it, I don't want it, but why the heck am I having issues with the power to my house, FIX IT!
Sorry for the rant, but I see it all too often.

all the wise points above aside- there is no infrastructure to build on south of matawan anyway. The "Pennsylvania" type cat was extended from south amboy to Matawan. But then from Matawan to Red Bank (and then points south to Bay Head if i'm recalling? )- they used the 'european'/constant tension/lightweight/whatever you call it that aint made big giant i-beams in the shape of an H.

So the option is rebuild the entire catenary structure from scratch and do it like Penn to use that or just use monopoles. Ignoring rebuilding the whole thing from scratch- as Ken explained (thanks- learned something new every day)- the monopoles make more sense anyway.

I lived a few hundred yards from the old Freehold- Matawan line when they used it's right of way to run the monopoles from JCPL on Texas Road in Aberdeen through Matawan to the new Aberdeen substation on the NJCL that powers the Matawan to Red Bank segment. The grownups all had a cow with all the same arguments. The put the lines in and electrified the NJCL from Matawan to Red Bank. No horrors ensued, I'm not even sure the houses right next to the ROW noticed any significant value change. The biggest real world beef I can think of is they do hum a bit at times so when it's calm in the summer and you have your windows open you might hear them- I've recently read (and Ken can probably explain?)- that the power companies can remedy that one by stringing the conductors in pairs. Of course if you live on the ROW and they plunk a pole in your yard that's an issue too, but 1) you already live on the busy rail ROW and 2) I'm thinking they don't typically spot the poles right next to people's back yard pools if they can help it.