In reply to a post by FredTheB:

please note these were all built roughly at the same time!

I think the answer is that they weren't. There may have always been PCPs there (although maybe not...) but in any case, the outer shells wouldn't have all been put there at "roughly the same time". When the oldest cast iron PCPs existed, "pillars" also existed - sort of an American fire-hydrant style, grey/white asbestos type arrangement, with a "vertical" contained inside. I think they are all redundant now but I know of a couple which (although redundant) physically remain. I think some were replaced with PCPs labelled something like PCP1(B), or similar.

On the old cast iron one there, which does look rather unusual (it's thin) - what is spraypaint-stencilled on it? And is the apparent "thinness" just a quirk of Google Maps and their car's view of it?

What I am asking you to do is take a photograph of it as best you can, and post it here, for my own satisfaction. It's got two doors so I don't doubt that it's an active PCP; but there are a lot of small, single-door cabinets which look like PCPs but are simply lightning surge protectors where a lot of lines are travelling a relatively large distance. Like the pillars, you can still see a lot of these hanging around in various states of disrepair, abandoned. I do know of one which is apparently active. The idea is that the cabinet doesn't ever change the network, but little carbon "fuses" get blown out instead of a massive power surge travelling further along that part of the network. I don't think they are part of OR's inventory any more, for several reasons, but others here will know for sure.

Edited by deleted (Tue 05-May-15 01:32:59)

Ok, its definitely still live, its definitely BT, there is no other 'replacement' cabinets and it actually serves pretty decent speeds for that half of the village. I will see what I can do for a picture, maybe get one tomorrow. Since this cabinet is receiving FTTC in the next few months, do you reckon that they will build a new pcp then?

Thanks

This the type of pillar you are talking about? If so, then they are much still in use as this is my SCP which the engineer was working on saturday.

In reply to a post by FredTheB:

Ok, its definitely still live, its definitely BT, there is no other 'replacement' cabinets and it actually serves pretty decent speeds for that half of the village. I will see what I can do for a picture, maybe get one tomorrow. Since this cabinet is receiving FTTC in the next few months, do you reckon that they will build a new pcp then?

Thanks

I'm not the perfect person to ask - but unless that picture has been squeezed by Google, I assume they might "re-shell" it - it will need extra "verticals" for the tie-ins to its new fibre twin cabinet. But again, others (i.e. actual OR engineers here) may know differently.

In reply to a post by WelshWArrior:

This the type of pillar you are talking about? If so, then they are much still in use as this is my SCP which the engineer was working on saturday.

Wow, yes. I didn't know they still used them! Just because of what's around here I suppose. The remaining ones are all abandoned and full of earwigs.

Edited by deleted (Tue 05-May-15 12:42:18)

Not sure why this one's still in use to be honest - probably just one they forgot about! The BT Engineer was very surprised when he saw it still being used - he assumed when he saw it on his paperwork that it was a mistake!!

In reply to a post by FredTheB:

This has been on my mind for quite some time. Why do bt have different type of copper cable cabs. Why couldn't they all be the same? Were they released in phases or did BT just want different types everywhere.

would be interested to know

fred

BT have different types of traditional PCPs because they have been installed all at different times. For instance new housing estates providing they are large enough will usually warrant a new PCP being installed.

Also if cabinets are knocked down by vehicles they are replaced with the newer design.

The old looking one next to 'Lucas Farm' in your third link is usually referred to as the old design; a cast iron shell - Pre 70s as far as I know. Despite what some people have said over the years on various forums, these are still used with FTTC in most areas I've seen. They are definitely built the best; if you tap one on the top you'll feel just how well it's built.

The plastic looking one is one of the designs that succeeded the cast iron cabinet.

And the current 'new' design is the one you first linked and as far as I know is built of very thin metal. It has existed since the late 80s/early 90s from what I've seen.

I guess it comes down to cost; it would be very expensive to produce the older cast-iron ones which have stood the test of time both materials wise and transportation wise - They are VERY heavy!

So yeah, basically it's because the copper local loop has been expanded over the years and new cabinets have also been designed to make it easier and more cost effective to install.

First picture is a Cabinet Cross Connection 6 - 1990s and 2000s
Second picture is a Cabinet Cross Connection 2 - 1960s and 1970s
Third one is a Cabinet Cross Connection 4 - 1980s

>>On the old cast iron one there, which does look rather unusual (it's thin) - what is spraypaint-stencilled on it? And is the apparent "thinness" just a quirk of Google Maps and their car's view of it?

It's a Cabinet Cross Connection 2, a smaller cast iron one than the classic CCC3.

The single door cast iron one is a CCC1

The Post Office Engineering Chief was persuaded to introduce cabinets in 1945.

Prior to that cables were all E0 and wall mounted cast iron and glanded plates called 'cable distribution heads' were used to divert pairs. Basicly a joint that you could access. Cable joints in those days were lead plumbed and labour intensive to re-enter.

These heads got into a mess as the wires were paper insulated and the paper fractured and wound itself through heavy intervention.

By 1965 70% of MDF pairs were connected to cabinets and it was easier to divert large main cables around cabinets than continually pulling cables out of the exchange to DPs. DP growth is notoriously unpredictable. In 1965 25% of residences had the phone and they were predicting 60% would have the phone by 1990.

So cabinets were all about flexibility, growth and labour efficiency.

So cabinets were all about flexibility,

Yep.

When I started, on the very first day, I was told by the trainer that the inbuilt flexibility of the BT (as was) network was one of its greatest assets.