Older train track poles seem to appear more bent and crooked.
There are often many more separate wires on the crossarms of the train track poles, as compared to poles that follow the roads.
Train track poles also seem to have more than one crossarm on them more often than the road ones do.
Train track poles also tend to be shorter.
Train track poles always seem to have crossarms fastened in the middle. Very rare are there any poles with alley arm constructions, or non-crossarm constructions.
Train track poles and their wires seem to be taken down in more recent years. My guess is that, from looking at warning signs near some train tracks, it may have something to do with fiber optic cable buried into the ground.