Hello people,
Please help me out .... where can I find information relating to construction and working of a pantograph and the catenary... the entire electrification system using pantograph. Also how and upto what degree do CAD models help in the design process...? Please share any information you know.
Thanks :)
sachin
1st of all Welcome to the forum. 2nd, in the words of my old drill sergeant, we need to tighten up this shot group. Pantograph and catenary, need a bit more info to be able to help out. Pantograph, are you talking pole? sprung or un-sprung lever? compound lever? hydraulic lift? mechanical lift? electrical lift? 1900? 1950? 1970? U.S.? British? French? German? Since there are many different styles if you will tell us the time period and location (world) you are looking at, then maybe one of the folks here can give specific guidance. Have you tried Google? Or Wicopedia?
Tom Trigg
I don't believe it... It is OK, but I have just had an article that I have written rejected because no-one would need it -on the subject of Pantographs.
As ttrigg pointed out -it does help to tell us what era and type you are looking for. All my Gauge 3 Models have pantographs based on early UK 1,500 Volt DC and US 660 Volt DC systems. In the UK a report called "The Pierce Report" recommended that all UK (and The Empire) use 1,500 Volt DC systems. Thus UK and Empire locomotives look very similar.
The NER EE-1
The GIPR EA/1
Both of these were designed as mainline express locomotives of the 1920's. Note the "diamond" pantograph and double bow collector -typical of a DC loco. It was also usual for a DC loco to run with both pantographs raised.
Here is my working model of it.
The BR class 89
Note the Z arm pantograph and glass insulators typical of a modern 25,000 Volt AC loco
If you are interested then there is a book "on-line" that can be read. It is "Railway Electric Traction (1922)" by F.W.Carter. I have a copy printed by Kessinger Publishing.
CAD systems are no real use in this regard -I should know as I have and use an £8 million pound one... The design aspects required for a Diamond or Z pantograph can be worked out on a sheet of A4 graph paper. Early AC designs (such as those of the swiss BLS) are not really "do-able" in a model -even the original broke!!! The Kando design could be done -but it would be fiddly!!!
There is no "fixed rule" for the design of Catenary. UK has a suspended wire from "standoffs". Eurostars (in mainland Europe) operate from over head lines that flop or are fixed. The Thalys locos all seem to use wire from V wires. The only common thing is that the overhead cable wipes across the collector from left to right and back again. This cleans the collector.
I hope this has helped.
regards
ralph
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