Utility pole spacing in HO - Model Railroader Magazine

Telephone Pole Spacing
by
Roger Hensley

Q) This has to be a strange question. I have these telephone poles that I wanted to string out on the layout, and then it hit me, just how far apart are these usually, and in scale inches?  

A) Bell Common Practices

City poles telephone:
75 ft on street 40 foot poles 6 feet in the ground. Telephone cable 18 feet off of the ground with additional 40 inches minimum clearance to electric lines.

Rear yards: 30 foot light duty poles. Usually every other yard.  Cable height varies 12-18 feet above the ground depending on power share requirements.

Rural: 75-100 feet. Telephone cable 18 feet off of the ground  40 inch clearance to electric lines.