Stretchy catenary wires?

[MK]

What is the company that produces this by the roll in a few colors?  It stretches a lot before breaking.  Name escapes me!

[garethashenden]

EZ-Line
https://berkshirejunction.website/ez-line/

[MK]

YES!  Thank you!  Old age!   

[peteski]

Just make sure your sprung pantograph is  not extended to touch the "wire" becuase bad things will happen when it gets to the next support hanger.   

[nkalanaga]

I believe it was Arnold/Rapido who had something similar way back in the 60s.

[peteski]

I believe it was Arnold/Rapido who had something similar way back in the 60s.

Hmm, while at the same time most (of not all) European N scale models of electric locos had a capability to pick up power through the metal sprung pantograph.  That feature was not used by modelers very often.

[spookshow]

My unhappy experience with EZ-Line is that it has tendency to become brittle and fall apart after a few years. I've given up trying to replace it.

-Mark

[randgust]

Wow, I always liked that stuff until about this minute.

When I was in HO I strung black thread for the entire layout on Atlas phone poles.   Good God what a mess that was.  One clumsy move and it all came apart and broke the poles off.    I've always liked the idea of stringing wire though.  Didn't know it deteriorated.

I am looking at a display module for a trolley and seriously considering real wire, it's a pretty small module.  But just wire, not hot wire.  Still track power. And I can solder with the best of them.

[Lemosteam]

My unhappy experience with EZ-Line is that it has tendency to become brittle and fall apart after a few years. I've given up trying to replace it.

-Mark

Thanks for the heads up on this @spookshow , I am hoping that does not happen to the telephone wires on my layout. 

[randgust]

Those of you that have seen my Jamison Ttrak modules at Altoona with all the working 'rod jerker' oil wells, there are .010 wire rods across the track in two places.  The only work to pull in tension, not push, the wells from the working powerhouse, gravity return.  But still, .010 tiny wire in harms way across the track.   I have warning signs to 'do not clean track - overhead wires' but it still gets hit.  At least once a show.
So when I designed it, I just accepted that.  Crap was going to happen. I did the wires with phosphor bronze, and put in tiny 'hooks' bent on both ends, hooked together.  If you hit it with a hand, it was breakaway before it would damage anything.  It may bend, but other than really annoying, I can usually put it back together with a pair of tweezers in the time it takes the person that seemingly can't read to repeatedly apologize.   
That may be one approach if you aren't actually powering the wire.

[arbomambo]

My unhappy experience with EZ-Line is that it has tendency to become brittle and fall apart after a few years. I've given up trying to replace it.

-Mark

I’ve been using Berkshire EZ-line for over 10 years (originally for model aircraft radio aerial wire… never have had a deterioration issue. Trick is to stretch it ‘just enough’ to appear taut. Don’t overstretch.
Works great and I highly recommend it!

[spookshow]

Don’t overstretch.

It looks most realistic with a discernible sag in the middle, so I don't stretch it at all. Didn't stop mine from falling apart though. YMMV.

-Mark

[peteski]

I'm also surprised about the deterioration.  I inherited couple of NTRAK modules from a friend where he strung bunch of EZ Line between Atlas telephone poles the length of both modules (8 feet).   I think there are about 12 insulators per pole, so he strung all 12 wires (I would have never had the patience to do that).  He did this at least 10 years ago (likely longer) and the EZ Line is just as flexible and stretchy as it was right after installation.

Maybe the Spandex fibers (or whatever this stuff is) deteriorates from exposure to light (UV?) because the modules were in stored in dimly lit area and only shown in indoor venues.  Or maybe the color of EZ Line makes a difference? He used black.

[MK]

Probably environmental issues.  If in the basement, maybe the mechanicals, especially blower motors for the heat if you have central air, put out ozone or other "gases" that can break down plastic/nylon over time.  Heck, what about radon gas?

[spookshow]

I'm fairly certain that my house is haunted, so that probably has something to do with it 

-Mark