Around here the wooden poles are loaded down, to the > extent that some poles are "doubled", there is a second > pole alongside, apparently to help with the weight.
A more common reason for poles being "doubled" is unfinished pole transfers. When a pole owner (typically power) replaces a pole, it sets a new pole next to the old one; transfers its facilities to the new pole; "tops" the old pole (cuts the top off above the highest communications cable); and notifies the communications companies (CATV, telco, whatever). The comm companies are supposed to transfer their facilities to the new pole, then notify power so it can come back and remove the old pole.
This process frequently breaks down, and you can probably guess why.
Historically around here the lines were--top electric, > middle phone, lower cable.
Actually, it's top electric, middle cable TV, and phone in the lowest position.
That's the standard arrangement for joint poles everywhere in the United States. See "Joint Pole" in any recent edition of Newton's Telecom Dictionary. An expanded (if somewhat obsolete) version of the same definition is at
Multi-pair telco cables are indeed heavy. To keep them from sagging, the supporting strand is placed under tension, sometimes several hundred pounds.
CATV cables aren't as heavy, so strand tensions can be lower. But they're usually placed under high tension ("fiddle-string tight") anyway to prevent sag.
They've also added buried FIOS cable.
Many polelines also support fiber-optic cables. Since all fiber cables have the same general appearance, they're usually labeled by a red plastic sleeve at each pole. The label indicates the owner and provides a contact number.
Fiber cables are usually placed above copper telco cables on poles.
Despite the load, it's still relatively easy to carry > phone and cable since they're low voltage.
It's not as easy as it looks.
Strands supporting phone and CATV cables have to be placed under tension so that they don't contact each other under extreme weather conditions. A severe ice storm, combining heavy icing and heavy wind, greatly increases the tension on the strands. But the strands still have to be placed under sufficient tension that they don't sag on hot summer days when high ambient temperatures and direct sunlight combine to heat them.
Electrical conductors have an even bigger hot-summer-day problem: high I-squared-R losses (all those air conditioners draw a lot of current). But that 30-inch-at- midspan spec shown in Newton's book still applies.
Sag calculations can be extremely complicated.
But there is a > big shortage of carrying capacity for very high voltage > power lines that interconnect generating stations. > Neighbors fight those lines out of health worries.
I think you mean substations.
Neal McLain