L16 (Eve 0.4)

Contents

• Overview
  • Designation
  • General data
• Can be confused with
• Tower forms
  • Examples
• Tower details
• Examples
  • Elstree–Rye House
    • Tyttenhanger
  • Sundon–Luton North
    • Sundon
  • Wymondley–Stevenage
    • Stevenage
  • Sundon–Westoning
    • Sundon
    • Harlington
• Eve 0.175
• Documentation
• See also

Overview

L16 is a 132 kV UK electricity pylon (steel lattice transmission tower) series, designed by J L Eve Construction.

Designation

There is no definitive designation for this tower series. This site uses “L16” and “J L Eve 0.4”. Known designations include:

L16

The “J.L EVE.” types in the Tower Bible have been hand annotated as “[illegible]/L16”. This designation appears in [Hinkley Point C], which contains side view diagrams of L16 towers that broadly correspond to those in the Tower Bible (allowing for simplifications). The D2 STD and D60 STD heights in [Hinkley Point C] match those in the Tower Bible when converted to metric. Ian McAulay has examined the route described in [Hinkley Point C] and the towers in use are primarily those of a design matching L16 in the Tower Bible. [Hinkley Point C] only names a small portion of the BW route towers: BW2R, BW3, BW28R, BW29A and BW36R are given as L7(c), while BW27, BW29, BW34 and BW35 are given as L16. Spans BW1–BW9 are listed as having Rubus (500 mm² AAAC) while spans BW9–BW39 use Zebra (400 mm² ACSR).

L132

As an CEB L132-compliant type, some organisations refer to the type as simply “L132”. It would appear that “L132” can also refer to the lighter weight Eve 0.175. The BR route between Dumfries and Chapelcross in Scotland uses L132 towers strung with Zebra (400 mm² ACSR) conductors, indicating L16 and not a Lynx L132 type [SWS Forum 08/06/2017]. Examination of this line shows this to be the case. [Uprating of Overhead Lines] also mentions L132 as a Zebra configuration with Lynx earthwire. The C route that passes Pwll in Wales also has towers matching the L16 design. The only formal information on this route is the following note in [Brechfa Forest Connection]: “The preferred solution is to add a further extension to tower C17. This is a type D10 E10’ tower constructed to specification CEB L132 (0.4 sq in conductors) …”

C534

Used by UK Power Networks; this is the only known J L Eve drawing series for this tower suite and may be a good choice of designation overall.

J.L.EVE

[Standard Tower Types] as well as Brechfa Forest Connection Existing Line Survey

J L Eve (0.4 design)

Alternative term found in Brechfa Forest Connection Existing Line Survey (same tower, C8, as designated “J.L.EVE”)

L4(H)

See the L4 page for details.

L55

Said to be an SSE designation; this stems from a misinterpretation of the marking “GEN. O.H.L. 132/L.55” as a suite identifier when in reality it is a drawing number for the general arrangement drawing of the D2 tower.

J.L.Eve PL16

An incorrect term used by some enthusiasts as well as SSEN (in [Elmwood-Glenagnes]); this is illogical as, while L16 is a CEB-L132 type, L16 is Zebra (400 mm² ASCR) and PL16 is Lynx (175 mm² ACSR).

General data

Can be confused with

• PL7
• Eve 0.175

Tower forms

The following diagrams are shown to scale at 12 pixels per metre:

A single DT (terminal) type appears in the Tower Bible, as shown above. In reality, the DT crossarm design varies between examples. The prototypical type in the Tower Bible can be seen at Essex Wharf Substation (51.514° N 0.003° W) on a short line comprising an L16 DT, L16 D90 and L7 DT. The DT90 form is not depicted specifically. All towers observed thus far in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire differ from the official drawing; these variants so far appear to share the same tower body as the prototypical type and differ only in crossarm design. Some towers are fitted with top crossarm extensions, also not included in the Tower Bible. Known variants include:

Variant 2 can be seen in St Albans. Variant 3 can be found in Luton and Sundon. Variant 4 can be found in Sundon and Westoning. There are also lateral crossarm bracing variations within the variants. Variant 2 with dual top crossarm extensions can be found at Lea Marston substation, Faraday Avenue, Birmingham. L16 DT towers with only one crossarm extension can also be found, such as in north-east Oswestry (only the right-hand extension fitted).

Variant 5 notionally represents a through-line tower: no extensions to any crossarms. Variant 5/+1, fully extended on one side only, can be found at Lye Green Grid.

Two L16 DT90 towers are known; both are based on variant 3 and have (compared to other DT90 types) unusual auxiliary crossarms:

One such tower can be found in Stevenage, England; the other can be found at Charleston substation in Dundee, Scotland.

The diagram above also depicts the difference between the front and side bracing of the tower body.

Examples

Tower details

Crossarm width is the total width across the widest crossarm.

Examples

The following examples represent opinion only. No tower types were obtained from any official material and thus all designations are speculative.

Elstree–Rye House

Tyttenhanger

This is a spur off the Elstree–Rye House 132 kV route, between the St Albans sealing end compound in Nightingale Lane (51.737° N 0.303° W) and the Coursers Farm Anaerobic Digestion Plant (51.728° N 0.261° W) on Coursers Road, passing through Tyttenhanger outside St Albans, Hertfordshire. The design of the terminal tower differs from that in the Tower Bible.

Sundon–Luton North

UKPN Sundon–Luton North 132 kV carries power from Sundon Substation (51.933° N 0.500° W) to Luton North Substation (51.908° N 0.425° W. The overhead lines run between Eve DT towers at Sundon Substation and the sealing end compound between Marsh Farm and Bramingham in Luton (51.919° N 0.442° W); from the SEC the line passes underground to the substation. The line appears to have been reconfigured at some stage, because one tower along from the DT at Sundon Substation is another DT (51.931° N 0.497° W) serving as a D60.

This entire line appears to be Eve L16.

Sundon

National Grid Sundon–Wymondley 400 kV and UKPN Sundon–Luton North 132 kV pass eastwards from Sundon Substation between the village of Upper Sundon and the hamlet of Lower Sundon, north of Luton in Bedfordshire.

Wymondley–Stevenage

This is a short 12-tower line from Wymondley substation and Stevenage.

Stevenage

These photos were take on pylon hunt 15 on 19th August 2023 specifically to document the comparatively (for Eve) unusual DT90 terminal tower.

Sundon–Westoning

The Sundon–Westoning 132 kV line runs between Eve DT towers at Sundon Substation (51.936° N 0.498° W) and Westoning Substation (51.985° N 0.491° W) and passes alongside Harlington. Alongside the Midland Mainline Railway, a number of the towers are L7 instead of Eve. Neither terminal tower matches either the design in the Tower Bible or the type found in St Albans.

Sundon

Harlington

Eve D10 adjacent to the Harlington Station car park. This appears to be standard height, as contrasted with the taller towers alongside the railway.

Eve 0.175

Eve 0.175 (“3-X”) line towers look almost identical to those of L16 (“4-X”):

Documentation

• J L Eve D2° General Arrangement (1940)

See also

• Universal crossunder gantry in Whitewater Country Park, Hook (centre background) (Flickr)