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Offline Mr. Ron  
#1 Posted : 16 October 2020 00:33:57(UTC)
Mr. Ron

United States   
Joined: 05/07/2020(UTC)
Posts: 311
Location: Mississippi, Vancleave
I have been watching many model railroad videos on you tube, especially the ones by Pentium. In most of the videos of European layouts, they have catenary systems installed, but I see electrics running without any cat contact. I'm guessing that is because of the switch from analog to digital control. Does going to DCC make catenary operation unusable?
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Offline river6109  
#2 Posted : 16 October 2020 02:28:45(UTC)
river6109

Australia   
Joined: 22/01/2009(UTC)
Posts: 14,636
Location: On 1965 Märklin Boulevard just around from Roco Square
Originally Posted by: Mr. Ron Go to Quoted Post
I have been watching many model railroad videos on you tube, especially the ones by Pentium. In most of the videos of European layouts, they have catenary systems installed, but I see electrics running without any cat contact. I'm guessing that is because of the switch from analog to digital control. Does going to DCC make catenary operation unusable?


In my case not at all, I've used catenary (Sommerfeldt) for over 30 years successfully, you need the right approach to make it work, if you watch my videos with the overhead system installed you will see all my electric locos have their pantographs up and its not just the pantographs are up they also get their electricity from the overhead system

John



https://www.youtube.com/river6109
https://www.youtube.com/6109river
5 years in Destruction mode
50 years in Repairing mode
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Online TrainIride  
#3 Posted : 16 October 2020 16:39:28(UTC)
TrainIride

France   
Joined: 23/10/2010(UTC)
Posts: 1,906
Location: FRANCE
Hi,

Much much more modestly than John, I use the old Märklin catenary.

My layout is switchable,
either analog with power supply for the catenary,
or digital without power supply for the catenary.

In all cases the pantographs are up.

I noticed that now, on new locos, reducing the playability, the pantographs are closer to reality,
and in particular for their width.

So I always select the wider one.

Depending on the European country, the pantographs are more or less wide.

For example:
France, Switzerland, Netherlands => narrow
Germany, Belgium => wide
(hoping there is no mistake)

This can be seen clearly on my 36625 (the prototype is used to cross different countries).

The wider is the pantograph,
the greater are the tolerances for placing the catenary,
especially on tight curves.

So some people prefer to leave the pantographs down,
and forget the catenary in the tunnels, whatever digital or not.

mn36625i.jpg


Best Regards
Joël
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Offline 1borna  
#4 Posted : 16 October 2020 20:27:34(UTC)
1borna

Croatia   
Joined: 21/12/2012(UTC)
Posts: 1,340
Location: Hrvatska
With large layouts, it is harder to control if everything is OK with catenary and pantographs, it is about hundreds of meters and even kilometers!
In addition the pantographs are worn and eventually cut from the catenary after hundreds of hours of scraping and their price is not very small.
On the Gotthart layout at the Traffic Museum in Switzerland, they placed the upper parts of the pantograph made of particularly durable materials,
but they still gave up on the raised pantographs.
I think it is best to fix the pantographs 1 mm below the catenary which is not visible from afar?
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