I been thinking how other members here on the forum run electric locos and units. Personaly I would prefer run
my trains with pantos up, but I don't in most cases. Afraid of breaking them, especialy the modern single arm types.

I would interessting to hear your comments.

The last option "secured" refers to locking below the wires to protect the pantos.

Edited by moderator 30 January 2011 22:45:11(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I took the liberty of answering in the way I plan to run my layout - not connected, pantos up.

I had a layout together with my brother (he has it now) which was analogue and there we had operating catenary and it looks so much better when electric locos run with their pantos up and with a properly built catenary the cost of replacing broken pantos "won't kill you", since it doesn't happen very often. Based on this I plan on having a catenary on all visible sections and at all not visible at places with low clearance.

Hi Kenneth,

I have never user catenary, but like Stephen I might get it in the future.

Cheers,
Ranjit

Good point, Dale. I didn't think of that . Can this be added to the poll? please. I think this very common for Z scalers.

It's possibly the next big project for me. The realism it adds is tremendous and I have spent time at a local store experimenting with the Viessmann system and it doesn't seem that difficult.

I use the Viessmann system in my visible areas. I had originally built my layout with continuous powered catenary, using the Noch tunnel catenary in the hidden areas, but the upkeep got to be just too much, so I switched the power feed on my e-loks back to track and removed the hidden portions, adding catch and release sections when the track entered the hidden areas. True there is a bit of upkeep for the catenary, but I feel it is worth it for the realism imparted. One thing you have to be careful of, is to make sure that you have sufficient clearance in your hidden areas for the fully extended pantos. In a few areas, I took the metal bands from the Noch catenary and turned it on it's side and attached it to the overhead in the hidden areas to allow the pantos to pass some obstructions.

You can even run a mixed digital/analog layout by having digital in the catenary and analog on the tracks or vice versa...

You are right, catenary cost alot. I only have it on my main lines, but not for branch lines. Not only for cost reasons, but because I feel that is more protypical for my layout, and justifies the use of diesel and steam locos.

My M track is about 80% wired with catenary. I only power restaurant cars from it. All the locomotives are digital, so there is no need to run them from the catenary.

In my analog days I ran all the electrics from the catenary.I liked seeing the sparks produced by the catenary in a darkend room.

Marklin do not recommend this because of the small contact patch between the overheads wires and the pantographs, but many members here have tried it and run it without issues.

Thanks David

I use a full operational catenary, digital, self made in the invisible part of my layout, including the shadow stations. Add it to the poll, please.

Jan

I would say this statement will fit your case, Kimball: "Catenary not connected, I run with pantos up"

When I was a lad the slipper on my only engine (E44) broke and so it left me no choice but to always use the catenary.

Nowadays, I always use the overhead powered but do mainly stick to mainline and limited sidings, thus justifying diesel and steam, like others.

Hi Kenneth,

Thankyou, I have voted.

Perhaps you could change the word "connected" to "connected/powered". I think I understood the word "connected" to mean "installed". So in that light, "not connected" might mean "not installed".

regards
Kimball

99% of my masts and about 60% of my overhead wires are Electrotren. Unfortunately, you can no longer get the old style wires from Electrotren, but the masts are still available, about $1.50 USD each.

Electroten old wires were Marklin under licence and cheaper than oriiginal Marklin

Hi Rob,

You say
This year I completed the overhead wiring on my C track layout, using new Marklin components. It was not cheap, but I must say it has not given me any grief. Overall there is about 30 metres of wire.

I followed Marklin instructions pretty carefully, used their jigs and guides. I didn't find the installation easy, quite time consuming. I used more masts on curves than recommended, so that gave less room for error in the wire being misplaced over the track. For example, on Radius 5 they say you can use 70253 wire, but I used 70228 (also 70253 in some places). I allowed for plenty of 70231 (the adaptor wire that allows you to make a custom length). There was always adjustments required to mast arms (a couple needed bending so as not to foul the panto), but once done, the engines run perfectly with panto up. My layout is digital, so I did not need to power the catenary.

In my tunnels (about 5 metres), I also used the Marklin stuff, as it was easier for me than designing and building my own, supposedly cheaper solution.

I hope my experience might be of help to someone.

regards
Kimball

This topic is very usefull, Can you run your layout with digital wires and the track All at the same time!! is it possible i mean! cheers Dan

Yes you can. You could feed both track and catenary from the same controller, or from different controllers. If using different controllers, just make sure that there is no way the catenary wire can come into contact with the centre rail of the track - either through a deliberate permanent connection, or an accidental one such as a live catenary wire knocked or dropped onto the track.

Yes Juhan, I agree, I have noted it before as an excellent idea.

However, I could never figure on an easy suitable system to suspend it over the track, and my hidden spaces are curved track as well.
Perhaps in some layouts, the framework for the hidden areas might offer suitable attachment points.
regards
Kimball

I don't have catenary, don't run electric locomotives and don't have any near-term plans for either, but I do try to build my layout to have space for catenary if at one time I decide to set some up.

I am thinking of getting catenary soon because I find it 's more realistic with catenary.

Wiring live catenary is an unnecessary complication in a digital environment. The locos look the same whether the current comes from above or below.

However, if you enjoy doing it, then go ahead and knock yourself out!

I dont have catenary yet, but I have so many electric locos that I just have to buy and install it soon for my parallel main lines and one siding. As wroted before in digital layout it dont have to be in use (operating electrically) and only for looks and realism if wanted.

But by installing powered catenary I could then run all of my nice analog electric locos without to have convert them into digital (as I dont even want to convert many of them to digital). How the new Märklin catenary and older pantographs work together (Typ 6 = like in 3015, 3018, 3019, 3024... or Typ 7 = like in 3035 and other 1960 => with chromed pantograph slider part but red plastic "feets")? I would really like more from grey catenary masts than green. I have Märklin My World signals also because of this. Digital signals are also much more expensive, but I like also more the looks of Märklin My World grey signals.

I have not made much scenery yet as I know that I have to install first the catenary (masts supports goes under C-track). Therefore no track ballast near tracks yet. I have also started to install some backdrops. I have three walls where they come. One is ready and two other will be attached soon when I go and buy more double-sided tape (that's right, I dont attach them like usually is done as it is not possible with my layout been built to this stage). This way with double sided tape I get almost as good results and with much less time and effort .

If I would install catenary first it would be difficult to install backdrops. So this is good order to do these things.

I would need some advices how to install catenary over my four quite long bridges that are installed close to each other? Each bridge has two of those longer 360 mm lenght sections and in the end of each bridge there is higher and then lower wall straight 180 mm lenght sections. So every of my four bridges are 1440 mm (144 cm) long and run as close to each other than they can. The last bridge (closest to wall) runs very close to wall, but maybe some masts can be installed. Any good ideas are very welcome! Thanks in advance very much from any help with this one .

Best regards,
Janne