PRR Catenary

[peteski]

Very impressive John.

Why not also make the cross-arms from brass? They would be much less prone to breaking during handling or operation.  The magnet idea is also clever, but wouldn't a simple 3-D printed socket which would accept a longer brass post (protruding from the bottom of the base) be just as effective (and probably cheaper and also have lower parts count)?  I imagine a socket as a cylindrical piece with the opening in the middle shaped like the H-channel.  It would be easy to drill a hole in the layout and install the cylindrical socket.

[Lemosteam]

@peteski The cross brace is stronger than you might think.  I am coming to find that Fud or FXD is more flexible and stronger than I thought.

No holes in my layout. I am burying screws under the ballast, so I can use my lift out section with or without cats.

The bases are designed with a 1/8" dia pocket, so you could add a pin instead of the magnet.

[jmlaboda]

I'm gonna use the stretchy telephone wire stuff I think.

If I ever get far enough along to build a module that is what I am thinking about using as well... while you would have to be creative as far as taking photographs of the catenary with equipment underneath a slight angle should help to hide the fact that the pantograph isn't touching it the wire... would hate to have one drag down the lines I would string.  Having a fine wire drop down from the catenary cross bars painted medium gray should help to hide the support for the lower wire.  Its a thought anyways.

[Hiroe]

Too bad you guys weren't into this stuff five years ago, I'd have been all over this like a donkey on a waffle.

In the meantime, I've started adapting my technique to HO cat:





--Drew

[Cajonpassfan]

Drew, I can't see any of your photos without signing into Google...
Otto K.

[nkalanaga]

I can't even see a link to them.

[Hiroe]

Alright, let me try something different.
https://goo.gl/photos/3hcqV2kNb8PSaBu69
https://goo.gl/photos/1PjmwANT3fB4K6cr5

Do these links work?

[Philip H]

Alright, let me try something different.
https://goo.gl/photos/3hcqV2kNb8PSaBu69
https://goo.gl/photos/1PjmwANT3fB4K6cr5

Do these links work?

They did for me, but we use google for mail at work, so its open all the time during the day.

[Hiroe]

Third time hopefully the charm.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Damn Drew, you've been busy man.

[Hiroe]

[Hiroe]

We'll regularly be set up with Capitol Free-Mo at the Timonium shows, and it looks like some of the other HO clubs in the North Hall might end up working together with us to build a larger joint layout.

The track off the bottom edge is our Free-Mo connection; and the tracks to the bottom left will also connect to Free-Mo.






The wires are coming.

[Lemosteam]

How many have you made that way already?  I assume these pics are old based on the pics that @Ed Kapuscinski  posted,,,  Ed will have pics of his own to share soon right?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Yep. Although, while progress is still progressing, the photos won't do them justice.