I am interesting in modeling m.u. train operations under catenary, so I need information as to how to do that. I have a couple of m.u. car kits to use. Now, I need to know how to wire the cars and the catenary.
I would strongly advise you to use two rail pickup just like your other engines. Maintaining Cat is diificult enough without making it functioning Cat. Basically there are two ways Freelance and following a prototype. One of my PRR railroads had freelance Cat on it and it was acceptable to me any way. You need to get your hands on some Phospher bronze wire in the right dimension. I got mine at a Chicago area wire distributor many years ago and have a lifetime supply for $20.00. I gave them the size and they said they had a $20.00 minimum order so I asked for 400’. Then I got smart and asked how many feet there were in a pound and how much a pound cost so instead of 400’ I got eleventy seven million feet! the coil was 2" in thickness and a foot in diameter so it is a lot. As far as the Cat I used staples from one of the little pocket staplers as pull offs. I fastened one end of the wire to the base and started pulling the wire tight. i used Plastruct I beams for Cat support and drilled a hole through the web to hold the top wire. Unless all your pantographs are in the same place you will have to make sure none ride off the side of the wire on curves. Bigger curves are better. If you want to follow a prototype it is a lot more work and you need to study a lot of pictures as to how they did things. I will soon be starting my prototypical PRR Cat on my Philadelphia area corridor railroad with six tracks having wires.
I, too, am interested in modeling catenary - not only EMU, but locomotive-hauled passenger, through freight, local freight and even unit coal trains. Early on, I determined that the overhead would be purely cosmetic. Part of the reason is that the same tracks also have to support DMU and diesel-hydraulic locomotives, so using both running rails as common rail for the catenary roster was not an option. The rest of the reason is that the main operation around which all of my layout planning revolves is the engine change facility at Tomikawa, where the catenary ends but the railroad goes on. It is much simpler to control locomotives the same way, no matter whether they are catenary motors, diesel-hydraulics or coal-burning steam.
Now another bit of reality is starting to intrude on my dream world. Part of the railroad that has to support catenary motors and EMU is a puzzle palace of a station throat with, among other trackwork issues, multiple slip switches. I may end up taking a hint from some of my fellow Japanese-prototype modelers - put up the catenary bridges, substation and other infrastructure, with ample overhead clearance, but leave the sky uncluttered with wire. Fasten the pantographs at a uniform, low level position - low enough to clear all of the structures that would normally support wire. It will always be possible to install that spider web once I’ve operated over that throat for a couple of years and a couple of full thirty day timetable cycles without a single tracking problem.
Chuck (1500VDC catenary supported at 45 meter intervals, JNR standard)
Three quick links may be of help…
“Catenary lines” http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/849706/ShowPost.aspx was a recent topic under this forums prototype area.
Trolleyville’s Schoolhouse http://www.trolleyville.com/school.shtml provides some good direction.
You may find something useful at http://www.eastpenn.org/links.html page of East Penn Traction.
If you’re looking for catenary, try Model Memories at http://www.info-4u.com/modelmemories/[](http://www.modelmemories.com)
They have both PRR and NH style catenary towers in pre-built or kit form.
Personally, I’d power my catenary if I planned to use it. In my experience at my club’s trolley layout, if the pan falls off the wire and keeps going at speed, it’ll get damaged and sometimes mangled. If you use powered overhead, you stand the chance of it coming to a stop before any damage is done. Just IMHO.
For a lot of experience with catenary, ask Dave Harrison over on the Atlas Forum. He has a very nice Amtrak Acela portable layout that he takes to a couple train shows a year that uses dead catenary.
Paul A. Cutler III
Weather Or No Go New Haven
If your not fussy about the prototype for your catenary Viessmann do both N and HO cat - based on German practice. (www.viessmann-modell.de)
I use this on my German N scale layout - watch out it isn’t cheap even in Europe - so I hate to think what it would cost by the time it crosses the pond.
hi,
nice to see some interest in catenary operation on this side of the Atlantic[:D]
check this club for instance http://club.ccac.free.fr/index05.html and the photo galery.The catenary has been handbuildt by a single man!
love to see some NE corrido with PRR roaster under wire!
but my favorite goes to Milwaukee electrified division and those mighty Box-cab.
http://www.eurorailhobbies.com/erh/eurorailhobbieslist.asp?mn=24&sc=HO&ca=32
http://www.lineamodel.it/benvenuti_in_lineamodel.htm
and more…
And if you don’t like catenary,you can still go for the 3rd rail system.
http://www.info-4u.com/modelmemories/thirdpic.htm
or http://www.imagesreplicas.com/accessories.htm
rgds,
nick