What did you use for the poles and wire?
I cannot scratch build the system so I'm looking for ready made poles and wire. I have looked at the latest system from Marklin and it looks nice. Of course not prototypical to American railroads but it looks right.
what are your thoughts?
Dave
Dave, if you plan on installing a catenary system, going for a proven and tested manufacturer is a good choice.
There are several different makes available. Best known appears to be Marklin, but it is actually designed to be used with Marklin´s C-Gleis track system. While it could certainly be adapted for use with other track, it is also one of the more expensive systems.
Viessmann is nearly the same as Marklin, equally elaborate, designed for 2-rail track systems, and a little cheaper. Viessmann products are available from Reynold´s and other sources.
Peco from UK has just recently released their own catenary system, which is based on UK prototype. I have not found a source in the US other than Walthers, but they are quite a few online shops in the UK happy to do business with US customers.
Last but not least there is Sommerfeldt - the most delicate and difficult to install catenary system with a great variety of different European prototypes. Sommerfeldt is really a chore to install and extremely pricey. Available from eurailhobbies and other US sources.
There is a hitch to all of these systems. Based on European prototypes with a much lower clearing profile than US railroads have, they look out of place and prohibit the use of bi-level equipment. You would have to fashion your own masts to bring the the wires up to a more correct height.
Model Memories has a catenary system based on the N.Y., N.H. & H. RR - worth taking a look at. It may be a little old fashioned, but it is much closer to the real thing in your country, than any of the European brands.
You might try Alpine Division Scale Railroad.
I have built model catenary for a model railroad here in the UK.
The blog explains how it was built and the problems created, together with solutions to the problems.
https://roundtreessidings.wordpress.com/catenary/
Trevor
DAVID FORTNEY I cannot scratch build the system so I'm looking for ready made poles and wire.
Shapeways to the rescue!
Part of my roster includes GG1s, E-33s, Metroliners, AEM-7s etc. and when I do photo shoots I like to have a representation of catenary supports.
Here's examples of two that represent the simplest (upper tracks) to a more elaborate "anchor" support.
Ultimately, my plan is to sink small neodium magnets into the scenery base and have small strips of ferrous metal glued to the support bases. That way if I bump one or have to remove it to work on scenery I can just pop them off.
In my opinion these are very reasonably priced and fit the bill nicely. The designer has a very large selection of configurations available.
https://www.shapeways.com/shops/designdyne
I recently wrote to this fellow PRR fan and asked if he could make up a PRR style railing for me and I provided a drawing. A few weeks ago he wrote back saying my railings were available!
Sometimes you have a choice of material when ordering from Shapeways. At the time I bought these supports the only choice was "White, strong & flexible" which is pretty good but the surface is just a bit fuzzy. Actually, for a rusty-look catenary support thet might be OK.
If I recall, these tall, two-track supports were somewhere around $15 to $18. ea. You could hardly scratch build them for that price. I don't intend to string wire over the entire layout. I'll probably install the steady and body span wires to dress-up the look of these supports but trying to work around all the other necessary wire is not in my future.
Have you looked at the system built by Andy Rubbo?
http://mrr.trains.com/videos/user-videos/2012/10/andy-rubbos-ho-scale-pennsylvania-rr-new-york-division
Good Luck, Ed
Looks terrific, Ed!
Is it possible to string wires without them snapping?
Sir Madog Looks terrific, Ed! Is it possible to string wires without them snapping?
Hi, Ulrich.
The tensile strength of the eyes "molded" onto the insulators is suprisingly good. Any off-axis pull would probably snap the insulator or eye off. The solution, I believe, would be to drill through the web of the upright and thread a length of bronze wire through it and use the eyes and insulators for the cross-ties, steady wires and pull-offs. Also, as the electrification engineers are aware, there's strength in numbers. So on the layout it would probably help to have a closer spacing of the supports so the stresses are more divided.
Of course, ANY catenary system is going to be relatively fragile. I could just picture my shirt sleeve snagging a wire and pulling the whole mess down .
Perhaps it would be possible to request the designer to make some up in a stronger material?
https://www.shapeways.com/materials/
Fun Stuff!
Ed
David I live in the Philadelphia area and near me there are about 6 HO scale railroads with PRR style catenary. All are scratchbuilt. The early ones used some code 148 O scale rail for support towers with code 100 rail for the cross spans. The cat wire is piano wire anywhere from .020 to .032. This does require a good bit of soldering and work but these systems are pretty much human proof for damage. Some of the later ones use K&S tube for the round poles or H beams for the more modern poles. Andy Rubbo mentioned in a earlier post uses I believe .010 piano wire which is more to scale and more fragile. He modifys his pantographs to accommodate the scale size contact wire.
I have a friend who is a Milwaukee modeler and he uses welding rod to simulate the wooden cat poles piano wire for the pole standoffs and cross spans and the older Marklin stamped cat wire. He paints the wire and while it's way too big it stands up to use and model pan pressure and when painted blends in. All the systems in this area are dead systems meaning the wire does not provide power to the locos. If you are using DCC it is not recommended to do so. Catenary does look neat just be sure before you hang the wire that the track under it has been well tested. Access under wire can be a pain !!
One method I would consider would be one where the pans ride about 1/8'' belowthe contact wire . No snagging problems and no contact wire deflection from pans with stiff springs. It would give the look but with less of the hassles. ---Ken
Thanks for all the info guys. Never knew there was so many building and selling catenary. I will have to check out all the sites everybody gave me.
Thanks again for all your help.
Brother Fortney,
My 'to be erected' catenary will have 'concrete' poles (possibly made from white knitting needles) and virtual wire. The alternative would have me hanging a spiderweb over a puzzle palace of double slip switches. Our Japanese brethren usually use virtual wire for three reasons:
About that last. I figured out that scale contactor wire would be about #30. Just as I wouldn't consider a #30 track feeder, I also wouldn't consider powering an EF-motor* with two old amp-hog vertical traction motors through a #30 wire overhead. Fortunately, the need for a consistent control/occupancy circuit pattern excuses me from any wish to build 'hot' catenary.
* Translation - Electric locomotive with six powered axles. I own several classes, of 2-Co+Co-2, Co-Co and Bo-Bo-Bo wheel arrangement.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with lots of virtual catenary in the netherworld)
If you are going to install a catenary, you may want to avoid truss bridges. I converted an old IHC GG1 to DCC and ran it around with the pantograph up. That is how I found out truss bridges won't work.
Ken Vandevoort
CRIP 4376 If you are going to install a catenary, you may want to avoid truss bridges. I converted an old IHC GG1 to DCC and ran it around with the pantograph up. That is how I found out truss bridges won't work. Ken Vandevoort
Ken, the real catenary would have compressed the pans, allowing plenty of clearance. I get the same result by using a bit of black thread to hold the pan to the level of the lowest point the contactor would reach. In your case, that's an insulator-length below the bridge portal. In mine, I just use 2 1/4 inches, slightly less than JNR standard catenary height in 1:80 scale.
There were plenty of through trusses on Pennsy catenary routes.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)