Subject:
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Re: Metroliner question
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Thu, 21 Feb 2002 14:28:02 GMT
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Viewed:
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736 times
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In lugnet.trains, Lindsay Frederick Braun writes:
> In lugnet.trains, Adam Murtha writes:
> > Since I'm train illiterate, I have a question about the Metroliner. What is
> > the purpose of this piece (http://peeron.com/inv/parts/2881) the cantenary?
> > And I've been browsing amtrak.com to find some pictures of the real
> > Metroliner, but the best I've found thus far is this:
> > http://www.amtrak.com/trains/metroliner.html
> > I'm sure there are better pictures around, can a real train head help a
> > rookie out? :)
>
> It doesn't take a real train-head to answer that. It's the
> conductor for electric power--raised to contact with the overhead
> lines. We don't use a third rail in *every* situation. ;)
>
> (Added factlet: Boston still has power lines up for *buses*, though
> they're being phased out now.)
Tranna has these too, as does SF. Electric buses are cool, especially the
articulated ones. They can sneak up on pedestrians, you have to be on your
toes!!!
Of course buses use trolley poles and single wire (per pickup), rather than
pantographs and catenary carrier/power wire pairs... but they have two
trolley poles, drawing from two different wires, feeding both sides of the
circuit, since it's a bit harder to return current through rubber tires than
through steel wheels.
I never figured out if they have a reverse loop problem or not, though.
And it's spelled catenary, after the geometric term for the curve, rather
than caNtenary... (that incorrectly spelled part name sure does propagate,
doesn't it?)
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Message has 5 Replies:
 | | Re: Metroliner question
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| (...) When I was oh so muchh younger than I am now, the city busses in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, used the double pole thing for electric feed. THose were phased out years ago. I don't know how they overcame the loop thing but hey did, since the bus (...) (23 years ago, 21-Feb-02, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: Metroliner question
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| Larry Pieniazek wrote in message ... (...) Vancouver still has electric buses too, though for how much longer, who knows. Some city streets still have the trolley lines embedded too (and they are a ^%#%$#^ to drive over!), although the trolleys have (...) (23 years ago, 21-Feb-02, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: Metroliner question
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| <snip> (...) </snip> Lar, I would imagine that the busses are using A/C power which wouldn't require an abrupt change in current flow as a DC circuit would in the reversing loop (as long as phase A and phase B are open in the same exact place). That (...) (23 years ago, 21-Feb-02, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: Metroliner question
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| (...) That's really interesting--because I found a ton of information on catenaries (spelt correctly now, heh) by typing in that incorrect name in Google/Yahoo. Apparently it's not a LEGO-based flub, but it must predate the part. best LFB (23 years ago, 21-Feb-02, to lugnet.trains)
| | | Re: Metroliner question
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| (...) Assuming you mean Toronto, they don't any more, and haven't for 6(?) or more years. I can remember seeing the Edmonton busses arriving at Hillcrest yard, just before they got stupid and deenergized the system (yes, I do know that it was hard (...) (23 years ago, 23-Feb-02, to lugnet.trains)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Metroliner question
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| (...) It doesn't take a real train-head to answer that. It's the conductor for electric power--raised to contact with the overhead lines. We don't use a third rail in *every* situation. ;) (Added factlet: Boston still has power lines up for *buses*, (...) (23 years ago, 21-Feb-02, to lugnet.trains)
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