Often overlooked by glass purists, porcelain insulators (like the U-198A or the "Spool") are rising in value. The handbook covers glaze types (brown, white, gray, sea foam) and markings from manufacturers like Thomas, Locke, and Ohio Brass.
The Buckaroos Insulators Handbook wasn't printed by IEEE, OSHA, or any utility conglomerate. Instead, it was a — allegedly compiled by a crew of journeyman linemen working the rugged high-desert and mountain routes of the Western United States in the 1960s and 70s.
The name "Buckaroos" derives from the informal nickname given to members of the . Based primarily in the western United States (where "buckaroo" is a regional variation of "vaquero" or cowboy), this club took it upon themselves to organize the chaos of the insulator market in the late 20th century.
These are the small, often oddly shaped pieces used for telegraph crossings and semaphore signals. The handbook shows how a CD 106 "Signal" differs from a CD 106.5 "Minor Signal."