Jump to page content

L16 (Eve 0.4)

Caveat

Due to the limits of the available data, details on the pylon pages are incomplete and in places inaccurate or incorrect. Pages typically only cover standard tower types and common variants. This information is provided for enthusiasts and those of a curious mind and is not authoritative. Additional source material is welcome, in particular drawings. Most data and illustrations provided are sourced from industry-related material. See the sources page for a list of sources and the series page for a list of series.

Contents

Overview

L16 and L55 are designations of UK electricity pylon (steel lattice transmission tower) manufactured by J L Eve Construction.

J L Eve appear not to have named their tower types; it would seem that L16 and L55 were external designations put in place to allow other organisations to identify the types. A significant amount of outline drawings for the L16 tower types have been obtained, as has been a detailed drawing for L55 D2; from these, one can see that the two D2 designs match visually, and they are both 88′–10″ in height. Whether the two types use the same thicknesses of steel bars is yet to be determined.

L16 can also be referred to as “L132”; see L132 on the main series page for more details. L16 is also referred to by some enthusiasts as “J.L.Eve PL16”, a term that is even used by SSEN in [Elmwood-Glenagnes]; this is illogical as, while L16 is a CEB-L132 type, it is incompatible with PL16.

L16

L16 is a designation used in England. 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).

L55

Far less is known about L55. An J L Eve D2° general arrangement chart annotated as L55 (see under Documentation below) shows a design with the same form and same dimensions as L16. L55 is said to be an SSE designation, which would accommodate the suggestion that in Scotland the L16 design is known under a different name. This is not proof in itself, as there is still a possibility that L16 and L55 were built to different specifications, different perhaps in foundation sizes or steel bar thicknesses.

L132

Towers described as “L132” seem to refer to the same tower design as L16; whether they are precisely the same specification is not known. The BR route between Dumfries and Chapelcross in Scotland uses L132 towers strung with Zebra (400 mm² ACSR) conductors, a heavier conductor type than the 175 mm² ACSR Lynx conductors used with PL1 and PL16 [SWS Forum 08/06/2017]. Examination of this line shows towers seemingly identical to L16/L55. [Uprating of Overhead Lines] also mentions L132 as a Zebra configuration with Lynx earthwire. This use of heavier conductors is consistent with the CEB designations: L16 D2 appears as one of the two unidentified “CEB–L132” 1940 types in [Wires Pipes Pylons] alongside PL16 D2S. The CEB-L132 type resembling PL16 D2S took 0.175″ conductors while the type resembling L16/L55 took heavier 0.4″ conductors. 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) …”

General data

Height (straight line tower) 88′–10″ (27.1 m)
Voltage 132 kV
Known conductors Single
Circuit count Double
Known heights (L16) STD
E10 (+10′)
E20 (+20′)
E30 (+30′)
E40 (+40′)
E50 (+50′) (not listed for D90, DT or DT90)
Known conductor arrangements
Designation Voltage Phase Earthwire Rating Lines
L132 132 kV Zebra (400 mm² ACSR) ? 144 MVA BR
Lynx (175 mm² ACSR)
L16 Zebra ? BW
CEB L132 0.4 132 kV 0.4″ (SCA?) ? C

Can be confused with

Tower forms

J L Eve (L16) D2
J L Eve (L16) D10
J L Eve (L16) D30
J L Eve (L16) D60
J L Eve (L16) D90
J L Eve (L16) DT/DT90
J L Eve (L16) universal crossunder gantry

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:

J L Eve (L16) DT variant 2
J L Eve (L16) DT variant 2/+1
J L Eve (L16) DT variant 2/+2
J L Eve (L16) DT variant 3
J L Eve (L16) DT variant 4
J L Eve (L16) DT variant 5/+1

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:

J L Eve (L16) DT90 from DT variant 3

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

View full-size image
L16 D2
View full-size image
L16 D10
View full-size image
L16 D30
View full-size image
L16 D60
View full-size image
L16 D90
View full-size image
L16 DT, variant 2
View full-size image
L16 DT, variant 3
View full-size image
L16 DT, variant 4
View full-size image
L16 DT90
View full-size image
Universal crossunder gantry

Tower details

Crossarm width is the total width across the widest crossarm.

Type Source Height Base width Crossarm width
J L Eve (L16) D2 Tower Bible 88′–10″ (27.1 m) 14′–9″ (4.5 m) 30′–6″ (9.3 m)
J L Eve (L16) D10 Tower Bible 86′–0″ (26.2 m) 18′–0″ (5.5 m) 28′–2″ (8.6 m)
J L Eve (L16) D30 Tower Bible 86′–0″ (26.2 m) 18′–0″ (5.5 m) 28′–9″ (8.8 m)
J L Eve (L16) D60 Tower Bible 86′–0″ (26.2 m) 21′–0″ (6.4 m) 30′–7″ (9.3 m)
J L Eve (L16) D90 Tower Bible 86′–6″ (26.4 m) 23′–11116″ (7.1 m) 37′–9″ (11.5 m)
J L Eve (L16) DT/DT90 Tower Bible 86′–6″ (26.4 m) 23′–9″ (7.2 m) 52′–0″ (15.8 m)

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.

View full-size image
D2 E20 tower viewed from the North Orbital Road
View full-size image
Same tower viewed from Highfield Lane
View full-size image
D2 E20 tower detail
View full-size image
D60 tower
View full-size image
D60 tower
View full-size image
D60 tower detail
View full-size image
DT tower, St Albans sealing end compound
View full-size image
Sealing end compound with DT
View full-size image
DT tower detail

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.

View full-size image
Balfour Beatty L6 D and Eve D2 and D60 towers

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.

View full-size image
D2 E20: line tower with 20-foot height extension
View full-size image
Line tower detail
View full-size image
Foot of the line tower, outside view; with no livestock present it appears that the cattle guards were omitted
View full-size image
Foot, inside view
View full-size image
Line tower seen from below
View full-size image
Inside the line tower looking skywards
View full-size image
D10 E20
View full-size image
D30 detail
View full-size image
D30 side view
View full-size image
Approaching the DT90
View full-size image
DT90
View full-size image
DT90 rear detail
View full-size image
DT90 side detail; note the unusual design of the auxiliary crossarms
View full-size image
90° termination of the downleads
View full-size image
Alternative view of the termination; sadly it was not possible to get a clearer view

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

View full-size image
Eve D10 and L7 D towers, facing Harlington
View full-size image
Eve D10 (foreground) and L2 and L7 (background)
View full-size image
Eve D10
View full-size image
Eve D10 detail
View full-size image
Eve D10 inside view
View full-size image
L7 D and Eve D90 towers, alongside Sundon Substation
View full-size image
Eve D90
View full-size image
Eve D90 close-up
View full-size image
Eve D90 front view
View full-size image
Eve D90 side view
View full-size image
Eve DT variant 3 at Sundon Substation; variants 3 and 4 can both be found there

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.

View full-size image
Eve D10 visible approaching the station
View full-size image
Eve D10 side view
View full-size image
Eve D10 close-up

“3-X” towers

A variant of L16/L55 exists, referred to as “3-X” due to the different tower body bracing; L16/L55 is correspondingly termed “4-X”. The two designs are very similar and easy to mistake for one another.

The “3-X” type is being classified as Eve 0.175 based on information from SSEN. It can be found mixed in with PL16 angle towers or as a complete line in itself.

Documentation

See also