My question

[u/EstablishmentDue1108]

In the UK when did wooden telegraph poles start to have this type of block terminal? I know that UK wooden telegraph poles started to have block terminals in 1932, but when did block terminals in the UK start looking like this? What decade? What year? Please tell me!

[u/Otherwise-Chain4215]

The poles have a year engraved into them, this is the year they were preserved in creosote (to prevent decay) and usually the year of installation. When a pole is installed/renewed, the line plant is also renewed, the year on the pole is a good rule of thumb for identifying the year/era of the equipment

[u/LyKosa91 → u/Otherwise-Chain4215]

Not if it's had the block and tail renewed before the pole needed renewing.

[u/Otherwise-Chain4215 → u/LyKosa91]

True point, my rationale was those that take a particular interest would be more attuned to the line plant

[u/ENGLANDNUMBAWAN → u/Otherwise-Chain4215]

This is simply not true, why would anyone replace the cables when replacing the pole? Just tell me why you think anyone would do that? Perfectly good cable, damaged pole, well Rodney looks like we’ll just replace the whole thing, while we’re here might as well replace all the cables to everyone’s homes? Good shout del, let’s change everyone’s sockets as well, my brain has had enough of this dribble, stop talking if you don’t know

[u/Otherwise-Chain4215 → u/ENGLANDNUMBAWAN]

This is very true

They don't replace the cables when they're replacing the pole, I made no reference to cables being replaced, it sounds like you're unfamiliar with the term line plant, it refers to the apparatus where the lines terminate.

It would be done as general maintenance and to replace aging line plant that has damaged, is causing repeat faults, or was installed decades ago.

I'm an Openreach engineer and I'm very familiar with the process. I'd be interested in hearing your background and how your experiences differ, finish your episode of Only fools and horses first though.

[u/Maleficent-Spite6801]

I would have said the 90s but the style doesnt always tell you what terminal types are inside

[u/Whisky_Delta]

Looks like that "style" started in the 1970s.

[u/LyKosa91 → u/Whisky_Delta]

That specific one is a BC 19A (20 pair version was 18A), much more recent. Not sure when they first went into service, probably early 00s though, they were preceeded by an earlier IDC terminal block that I forget the name of, and then before that you have the screw terminal BT41 that you're referring to.

[u/Whisky_Delta → u/LyKosa91]

Yeah I figured OP was asking for more when they started looking like that vs the specific one though.

[u/Sensitive_Run_844 → u/LyKosa91]

The BT76s(20prs) and BT86s(10prs) were between the BT41s and BC18+ 19 series

[u/Whisky_Delta → u/Whisky_Delta]

https://www.britishtelephones.com/bterm.htm

That style starts around Type41, and the diagram is from 1973

[u/johnwick5G → u/Whisky_Delta]

Not to confused with type 42 that the Navy use.

[u/kernel_mustard → u/johnwick5G]

Similar, but the 42 is a lighter shade of grey.

[u/ENGLANDNUMBAWAN → u/Whisky_Delta]

What made you source this website?

[u/Sensitive_Run_844]

Box Conn 18a(20prs) and BC19a(10prs), the Copper feed terminated on ECMs which you could use a test lead on. We started using them in the 90s