GEC's Scratchbuild Summer '09 Challenge

[Green_Elite_Cab]

if you need any pictures of the "real Cantenary" - i have a few

First of all, thank you for the pictures, they were helpful.


even though i do not have the H columns, insulators, and things i need to make truly PRR style catenary, i did have loads of code 100 rail and some wire to thick for the catenary to look accurate. With this, i made some mock ups in different configurations.

I first tried to make a K-brace catenary bridge with the hangers configured for tight curves, but this did not work out to well. The "V" part of the K brace would not solder at all (so much for scrap brazing rod), and I need to rework the hangers to be more steady (though it probably just needed some extra bracing, which can be done to match prototype practices). i think i have it covered, but i'll come back with pictures of it when i get it working.

I also built a double track single poled catenary tower to hold the wires across from American Hardware supply. Its nto totally perfect, since while i thought i saw a pole configured like this, most of the pictures in my books have just longer "v" shaped hanger rods instead of a cross wire, though the "L" shape to the cross beam appears to be accurate. One major issue though, is that in order to tension the wire properly, the single pole catenary installation need to be anchored even MORE into the ground, since it tends to pivot when the wire is pulling on it, and sagging wires are BAD!

because of the track arrangement there, there would not be any realistic way to install a double pole catenary tower or a K brace bridge, unless i planned to span across the whole industrial area (my main is two tracks, but there is an industrial siding in the way of the pole's placement). While i'm thinking of doing using the single pole, I haven't yet decided. Also, because of the impending changes to my layout (american hardware will fall to Magic Pan), i'm not even sure i need the track that is currently in the way of me installing a more conventional kind of catenary structures.

With the construction of both sturctures, i used some new techniques i've read, as well as some new tools, to make things go a LOT faster, and cleaner. I've learned to let the solder flow and clean the joints better. This way i don't end up with excessive blobs like i did with the first structure i made last year. building both was pretty easy. I installed some brads on a scrap piece of wood so that it would hold my rails at 90 degree angles, and then fluxed and soldered. I used both a solder gun and an soldering iron. the gun is good for fast stuff, but most of the time i found an 40 watt iron would do the job. any wires that would be supporting anything were anchored in by drilling holes in the rails with a dremel drill press, then creating small hooks in the wire, and finally soldering it. where wire to wire connections were made, i used a solder gun and cleaned the wires as best i could, since i think if the connection is good, it won't need me to make hooks to hold them together. so far its working. the rails themselves and wires not holding anything were just soldered in and i'm banking that these connections are good as well.

Here are some pictures.

TO bad this picture has my basement for a background, i bet this photo could have one a picture contest!



Decided to take some of my lesser seen electrics out.



In this somewhat ugly photo, you can see the connections and things that went into the single pole. to bad the picutre was so fuzzy. don't ask what that white blobby thing is, because I don't know what it is, lol it wasn't there when i re took the picture, but this one better shows the pole.



Here is my old Crosswire pan. you can see how far i've come!



thats it for now. I should be getting the PRR insulators details in by tonight, unless fedex gives me another delivery exception (they need to get their act together, lol).