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Catenary Wire on Modular Layout?

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  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Sunday, May 19, 2019 12:23 AM

OldEngineman
The catenary on the NEC isn't the same height everywhere.

 

 PRR_CT-290_0001 by Edmund, on Flickr

 

 PRR_CT-290-crop by Edmund, on Flickr

Excellent view showing clearance above Superliner equipment:

https://tinyurl.com/y2zzkwxf

 

Cheers, Ed

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Sunday, May 19, 2019 1:28 PM

I have not built any yet, but have modeled heavier constant-tension cat designs and have a couple of potential suggestions:

Model the catenary as actual constant'tension with weights and use 'scale' thin material like Vicryl for the actual 'tensioned' member in the wire, with formed stiffness in the hangers and catenary curve.  Arrange some kind of anchor or signal bridge at the edges of the module if you plan on displaying it 'alone'; otherwise arrange for one unhook able cat span between hard points on adjacent modules, with tension connections to each end of the trolley wire so the constant-tension when weighted pulls the whole shebang straight.

Study what you have for the construction of pull offs, which enable the side-to-side 'wiggle' of the tensioned trolley wire.  That may not show at the scale of one module, but should be mimicked in the 'span' across several.

  • Member since
    April 2014
  • 29 posts
Posted by Rick Abramson on Thursday, May 23, 2019 7:03 AM

When I built my HO NYNH&H layout with NH style catenary in 1997, I had no clue that we would be moving 22 years later. We cut the layout into 8 sections including the Model Memories catenary. It faired far better than I thought it would.  I tried to add a photo; doesn't work.

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