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Woodhouse masts

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Overview

“Woodhouse masts” were steel girder supports designed for 11, 33 and 66 kV lines built between the 1920s and the 1940s by the Yorkshire Electric Power Company. The conductor configuration is the same as the Hebden Bridge to Elland towers: two tiers, wider spacing above. The earthwire appears to have been placed on one side of the upper tier instead of the lower tier (a configuration that existed on one line in 2018 prior to replacement).

While the steel girder intermediate supports are not towers, the angle supports were lattice towers. Due to deterioration with age, many Woodhouse mast lines have been replaced.

The type is described by Northern Powergrid on the Energy Networks Association site as follows:

The Woodhouse steel mast supports were originally designed to accommodate 0.15” (7/.166”) HDBC & 0.1” (7/.136”) HDBC conductors using three basic design spans of 500 ft, 650 ft and 700 ft. A number of the circuits were later reconductored with 0.175” (37/.110”) conductors designed on a 700 ft basic span. This was achieved without the need to carry out any alterations to the existing supports.

Exactly what the replacement conductor was used is not known. The figures suggest a 37-strand AAAC type but there doesn’t appear to be a UK 37/2.79 mm AAAC type (0.110″ is 2.79 mm), while 2.79 mm is the strand diameter of Lynx (ACSR) and Keziah (AACSR), both 175 mm² with 30 aluminium strands and 7 steel strands.

General data

Designed for Yorkshire Electric Power Company
Design contract ?
Found England
Status Endangered
Height (intermediate mast) ?
Dates back to 1920s
Voltage 11, 33 and 66 kV
Known conductors Single
Design conductor 0.1□″ and 0.15□″ HDBC (original)
Unspecified 0.175□″ (replacement)
Circuit count Single
Normal span 500′, 650′ and 700′ (152, 198 and 213 m)

Tower forms

No material.

Tower details

No data.

See also