here are some photos from the newly designed overhead system.

it is much more time consuming as I go back to the old system by using the green isolators, inserting a mm of thin insulator into the isolator to make sure there is no contact between the 2 wires and use super glue to hold them together.
for the vertical supports (Cross members) I use thinner brown isolators.
I also produce my own support arm which is soldered to the bottom wire.

on some spots it gets quite complicated because of wires coming or crossing over from another track because they have to be isolated from each other and every time you cut a wire you have to wait until the superglue sets in between wire and isolator.

I have already treated some of the solder spots with nail polish

John

Edited by user 22 April 2013 12:28:50(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

thanks Peter,

I was given a couple of websites regarding the DR - DB Overhead system from the early days 1910= to current state and of course it has changed considerable in small details.

For me to reconstruct these changes I would have to either re consider which Era I'm modelling or b.) do the later or latest examples.

My main aim is to produce something that looks authentic enough and on the other hand serves the purpose I'm trying to achieve and this is power my locos from the catanary and this includes isolating wires where applicable. Some stretches of my tracks don't need isolation but the moment you have 3 or 4 tracks with a curved track section your wires will cross or you have braking sections which need to be constructed with isolated sections.
The Cross spans are again more difficult or it takes more time to get them right.
What I'm pleased with what I'm doing now is by creating or constructing my own wires if I do something wrong with bottom wire all I have to do unsolder it from the support arm and correct it, where as with a factory finished wire I may not able to use it again for the same section.

If I wouldn't need all the isolated sections it would be an easy breeze. I'm not going to correct or reconstruct what I've already done, It may look a bit bulky for some purists, in the end I'm not going for an Olympic medal.

John

Hi,

Overhead system: some more photos

it shows you certain details of how to isolate the wires, other pictures show the addition of trees and the catanary

Ian,

thank you for your patronage

It may not be totally prototypical but this is the best choice I've chosen without going into a specific Era or railway company, e.g. SBB, ÖBB, SNCF or FS
it is based on the DB system.


through this construction I'm trying to find ways of simplifying the process.

John

Excellent work, John.

Hi,

Here are a few pictures to show you how I make up a vertical support arm for the Cross span. I think it was 35 in total.

Nice video, John. The ICE runs great on the Oberleitung. Great job putting the catenary

in order. Sehr profi! Peter

Hi John,

A very nice video and a wonderful work on the catenary wires!
Great !

Best regards
Joël

added more detail to my layout