How to Electrify a railroad

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Green_Elite-Cab,
i admire your skills of scratchbuilding catenary poles and to raise catenary wire.
On German layouts catenary is not uncommon. There are two manufacturers which sell catenary compoments.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.sommerfeldt.de/">http://www.sommerfeldt.de/</a><!-- m -->
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.viessmann-modell.com/index.php?show=shop&cPath=32&lang=en&cat=c29_Catenary%20H0.html">http://www.viessmann-modell.com/index.p ... %20H0.html</a><!-- m -->
I know that is not exactly what you want, but there may be some interesting parts.
The Sommerfeldt catalogue is online as pdf and there are some parts e.g. prefabricated catenary wire, insulators, hangers etc.
In former times i built catenary on layouts too and i knew about the problems of raising a correct lined overhead wire in relativy tight radii. And to make the pantographs properly work in this curves.

Lutz

Thank you!

I am interested in how their wires are joined together. I was looking at making a modular catenary set up, and very few people around here have ever attempted such a thing. A lot of the prefabricated wire and insulators can be purchased from manufacturers here in the US that match the Pennsylvania Railroad prototype, but they are expensive, and i think it may be better to produce some of these things customized to match my particular set up.

What should i be concerned with on a tight curve? I think my wire can hold it's shape, but you'd know better than me.