Modelling overhead catenary - the basics

[@richardswiderski4985]

Great video gosh they are fiddly plus don't think my eyes could cope.I suppose you could leave rhe wires off .Thank you Dave very enjoyable.

[@djwarren5081]

Well done Dave. Not an easy demonstration. 👏

[@roymedic28jones71]

I'm modelling a test track for my railway technical center layouts. It's a short length of track with overhead live wires. I'm going to put the step up transformer at one end, the wire starts off on a building and I'm unsure how to terminate the wire at the end. This is non powered system for use by the apt and class 81 rtc loco. Any help would be appreciated. . Best regards Roy Jones

[@keith6054]

It's a shame they are so expensive for what you get in a box. Another case of pricing people out of the hobby.

[@GDGRailway47712]

Just looked it up, the minimum curve radius for the Peco system is 803mm. So if you have setrack, the answer is no chance. Peco Streamline medium radius points are the minimum.

[@PaulSmith-pl7fo]

Hi Dave. This was a very useful video. However, I was a little confused. You mentioned that in the real world, the overhead wires would zigzag between masts to even out the wear on the pantographs, but on the model, the upper wires are fixed to the upper arms of the mast in exactly the same place; so how do you get the zigzag effect?

[@dylanheaton6037]

Good day to you, I would like to find out if Peco has or will release the, 2 or 4 line portals masts? Please can you let me know what and whenever thay are coming up? Thanks!

[@andrewdarley8988]

I spoke to Peco at the Warley exhibition and they said this one was on the backburner possibly Q2 2023. When I pointed out the futility of having a system that didn't allow you to wire up stations they merely shrugged, which is pretty much the reaction I get from the otherwise extremely helpful guys in the Peco shop at Beer. They don't seem to make the connection that releasing this product will also help sales of the single mast system, so don't hold your breath.

[@111greatbear3]

Would it be possible to have a electric locomotive run on power from overhead wires rather than the track

[@henrybest4057]

Only if the loco is able to collect power from the OLE . IE, it has a metal pantograph that can be connected to one side of the motor supply. One of the rails will still be used as the (common) return.

[@111greatbear3]

@@henrybest4057 I presume they are not very common

[@johnd8892]

Triang used this overhead current collection option feature starting about 1958 until about 1970. This also enabled two trains to be controlled independently on the same track. Trix similar but with three trains. There are Oscar Paisley vids on KZbin demonstrating this working well, but later Hornby versions not so well.

[@GDGRailway47712]

@@111greatbear3 All of the old Hornby Electric locos used to come with a switch on the top to allow them to collect from track or OHLE. Hornby used to do a working OHLE set but it wasn't very realistic. The wire was quite thick and could be bent between masts so it would work with setrack radius curves.

[@111greatbear3]

@@GDGRailway47712 would that include the old Hornby class 225

[@fatwalletboy2]

Not an easy subject to demo on the livestream but good effort. I hope PECO launch more masts to build the range up more......so many new overhead AC electrics now in 00 such as the 85 86 87 90 and 91 and an 89 pkus the 350 and APt coming

[@sapphirejunction8993]

...and the forthcoming Class 92 from Accurascale.

[@kaustubhponkshe6186]

where can I purchase mast?

[@jimross623]

“Take the washer and the screw off the mast”? It appears you don’t know the difference between a nut and a screw Dave! Apart from that it was both an interesting and helpful video. Thanks.

[@henrybest4057]

I'm looking for a detailed picture of the masts and catenary used in some Southern Region goods yards (750volts DC) , for use by class 71s, etc. As the catenary was only used at slow shunting speeds and carried a much lower voltage (similar to tramway voltage) they would have been very different to the modern 25KV ones.

[@HattonsModelRailways]

Hi Henry, I haven't got a detailed photo to hand, but from memory the masts had far more in common with traditional tramway equipment and poles than they did with other overhead systems used in the UK and beyond.

[@henrybest4057]

@@HattonsModelRailways Yes, I suspect that they used tubular poles with a similar catenary system to that used by trams and trolleybuses. One specific question I have is... did the poles have finials and, if so, what did they look like?

[@HattonsModelRailways]

@@henrybest4057 there's a photo on this page showing finials on the top of the poles, although I imagine there was some variation within these - sremg.org.uk/electric/class70.shtml

[@henrybest4057]

@@HattonsModelRailways Thanks for that. The photo also has good detail of the catenary.

[@matthewhoyland4617]

I bought the Busch model layout boxset from you , do some boxsets, they are great for starters :)

[@andrewdarley8988]

Yeah, fine for single or double track line but what you do when you get to a station? Stations never use standard catenary masts because they would have to be right at the edge of the platform and get in the way. As far as I can see they always use overhead gantries. So please explain how this system can be used for a whole layout if any stations are involved. Yet they and you blatantly ignore this extremely serious drawback.

[@prasenjitdey4222]

👍👏👏

[@andylaws4247]

In real life the top catenary wire does NOT go over the top of the upper arm. So this is prototypically incorrect. The Dapol overhead system is more prototypical.

[@bennickss]

The Peco ones are so expensive. £10 a mast, while the Dapol ones are about £12 for 10. Ridiculous.

[@macinfloydvolk]

Honestly this doesn’t see that difficult and I consider myself a beginner

[@richardwarren4830]

Too fiddly for me. I will stick to Viessmann.

[@datalasse]

Too much focus on 00! Where is the 0 gauge??

[@fatwalletboy2]

No 0 gauge electric locos and no catenary either

[@HattonsModelRailways]

Check out our channel for more videos covering O gauge releases - here's an example covering the latest news on forthcoming O gauge diesel releases: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b561q2iJmtadp8k