How to Electrify a railroad

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Hi
let me intruduce in a short way.....
I`am Elmar, and we are four guys, trying to model the NE Corridor and some near Diesel roads beside.

Oh Cool! I've seen that video, and I had tried to find you, but i couldn't seem to track down any contact information. I'm guessing you are modeling the area around Union Interlocking in Rahway New Jersey, which I also wish to model. I've collected many of the Arrow and Silverliner Multiple Units, as well as a few E44 electric freight engines. Still need more GG1s, i wish i had the Conrail units i can see in your picture and video! They've long sold out here. Your layout is right up my Alley!

We have an transportable layout with working prr catenary (means, the loco`s pantos really run on wire).

While on my layout, the catenary will be more or less permanent, A few of us isolated NEC modelers here have been trying to find a way to build a Modular Set-up. I'd definitely love to hear your method for making clean joints, as running with our pantographs up is one of the main goals. Its been difficult trying to establish standards to make the modules match, and we know the catenary has to be perfect to work.

As bass for starting, we use the model memories catenaries poles with high voltage lines, the wires are from vissmann (strong enough, solderable), the pull off poles are from sommerfeldt (by using the poles from the french/belgian catenary system), the nj transit catenary poles are a modified french one.

I've been using Brass structural shapes, PRR catenary plans and a Three Part article by Andy Rubbo, who has also built a nice large section of HO model railroad between Elizabeth New Jersey and elsewhere. Its really an excellent article, and if you don't have them, i can send them to you.

As insulators we use the model memories ones ( the bigger ones), the smaller ones are from sommerfeldt. The high voltage insulators are green glass pearls ( you can find it in hobby stores for girls), 10 or 12 on top of each other.

A company here now sells PRR catenary insulators as a separate detail part. They are made by Tichy Train Group, and they come in a 4 "petticoat" configuration. These were used for the Pull offs on turnouts and such. 3 petticoat versions were used everywhere else, and all you have to do is cut off the bottom petticoat, and you're set. I use the extras for the Signal Transmission arms, which are mounted between the horizontal crossbeam and the Sag Brace.

Actually, for the Transmission lines up top (The High Voltage wires), They are actually not green, but are in fact the same kind of brown as the other insulators, and the standard amount of petticoats is 11.

The height from the tracks to the wire are 8.5 cm ( we used for this an modfied marklin x995-those engine has the lowest rise of the pantho, but much enough for the bli gg1)
Please fell free to ask me, what you want, i try to give an answer....
enjoy the pics

Wire height is always something that concerns me. the Prototype's height was 21 feet off the top of the rail (though it can vary from 19 feet in low areas to VERY high in some yards). Converting it down to centimeters, that's about 7.35 CM, and that's where I'm THOUGHT i was going to be building my wire at. However, in practice, the pantographs don't seem nearly as extended as they do in the photographs, so i''m willing to bet that your 8.5 CM height is much better appearance wise. I'll have to figure out something there. I have a couple wood blocks I'm using to test wire height.

As it turns out, Bachmann's Amtrak HHP-8 electric has a perfect height of 21 feet off the rails with it's pantographs extended, which is probably what will keep my wires hanging low. It frustrates me, since the pantographs on all my other electrics seem almost folded at that height.

Actually, i am curious, Are Scharfenberg couplers readily available over there? I've been searching for operating versions of that MU coupler, but they do not sell anything like it in the US. I've heard that a company called Signalmeister Modellbau carries them, but i'm not sure how to order from them. here is a link- <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.signalmeister.at/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=63&lang=en">http://www.signalmeister.at/cms/index.p ... 63&lang=en</a><!-- m -->


Here is a Photo of some of Andy Rubbo's Catenary with some of my E44A Electrics underneath. My catenary is built to just about the same specifications, with a little different methods of construction. Photos of my progress are all through this thread!

Thanks for your assistance! I would love to see more of your NEC set up!