MTH has offered non-operating catenary systems for awhile. They come in 4 or 8 per pack, and are relatively reasonably priced, thought they're not exactly the most common things out there.

Loose Ties Model Railroad Club in central PA built a working catenary. Below it are my RMT streamliners painted to match my 2348 M&StL GP9 by CJB Cstom Painting & designs.

Mikado 4501 posted:

MTH has offered non-operating catenary systems for awhile.

I believe these are operating catenary and can be used to provide power to equipped engines instead of through the center rail.

I would be really nice if someone produced nicely detailed catenary (better than MTH's).  I would buy it, and I don't need it to be operational.

Andrew at Cherry Valley in Merchantville, NJ has been scratch building some for years.  Really awesome work.

Thank you for the information! What type of overhead wire is used/recommended?

Dave Hikel (Hikel O Gauge Layouts, a forum sponsor) makes exquisitely prototypical catenary modeled after the Milwaukee Road.  

I would say that an electric engine like the GG1 or Rectifier looks so much more realistic running on a layout with a catenary system. I've wanted to add one but things like available real estate, tunnels, sidings, switches, close track side clearances , and bridges are often hard to navigate around.  I would venture to say, that to use a working catenary system, ideally, it should be installed at the time the layout is being built.. From those that I have seen, the system was carefully constructed as to provide continuity all along the route.  With powered tracks all you really need is a non-functioning catenary.

I built a catenary system to an existing layout.  It was a huge job but operates perfect.

All of the negative attributes concerning installation and adaptation to an existing layout probably keep mass produced catenary from being widespread and economical.  Certainly, the market is limited because of the added cost incurred to a layout that would otherwise operate just fine without it.

The jury is still out on whether to add catenary to the new layout or not.  I'm leaning more towards the installation now that there's an understanding of the limitations, or lack thereof, found on the completed sections.   The roster continues to grow with scale PRR electrics so it's almost a given.   Like Marty, I'll take a whack at building my own.

Bruce

Running electric locomotives off live catenary has been lots of fun.  If you are going to build a system, make it live and do it right.  My layout is a toy train layout.  I wanted everything to look like something that Lionel might have made in the 50's.

Thanks Marty, WOW

Can you give any guidelines on how the overhead catenary cables were built, including the suspension design?  

I have no desire to have live catenary.  What I would want is a decent looking system, either built towers (preferred) or in kit form, that will give my electrics a finished look.  The MTH system is too basic, and I do not want to spend the time scratch building a system -  too many other things in life I want to do.  About a third of my lower level will be in "tunnels", so the catenary would go between the tunnel portals.

This catenary should have the capability to be live, but that would probably require oversized posts, increased complexity, and higher cost.  I personally would be happy if, say, Menards did a decent looking non-operating system.  I think there is a market for it. 

Ron, the reward in operation outweighs your reasons for not wanting a system.  To build an operation catenary system requires a bit of skill and ability.  Mike Wolf came to my house to look at my system before he built his.  I have seen some floating wire systems  and it does not appeal to me to see wire being pushed upward under the pantograph.  You are a lucky guy to have no desire for a system.  Think of all the work you saved yourself.  Nothing looks any more bogus to me than an electric locomotive running with pans down or pans in the air not touching wire.  

I had to build into 6 existing tunnel entrances, two elevated stations, and countless platform situations.  Yes it was a lot of work.  The upside is it works and works perfect the way I designed it.  I also had to build on three hinged bridges.  One of the bridges was on a curve.   I have several feet of catenary wire in tunnels.  My wire is Marklin HO wire from Germany.  It is oversized for HO gauge and great for O gauge.  All my poles are 1/4 inch steel squared key stock welded to inch and a quarter steel bases.  Lots of work and lots of reward.  Anyone who wants a catenary system bad enough will get it done.  

We all build what we want and what we are capable of.   Whatever anyone wants he/she should go after it.   I have had a large number of OGR Forum people at my home and they have all told me they enjoyed the operating catenary.  I have had people challange me and accuse me of having rollers under the locomotives.  I would stop the locomotive, remove it from the track and show them the absence of pick up rollers.

JR,

This thread may provide some help. Notice that Alan says "With some recent topics about catenary being posted here on the forum, I was inspired to finish a project I had planned several years ago....to bring catenary into the great train shed on my Twin Lakes Central railroad."

You may do a search before that thread's date, and find additional information.

Good luck!

Alex

Marty Fitzhenry posted:

Ron, the reward in operation outweighs your reasons for not wanting a system.  

I never said I did not want a system, I just don't want to take the time away from my other activities to scratch build it.  That is why it would be nice to be able to buy a system.  I just don't need an operating system. 

You are a lucky guy to have no desire for a system.  Think of all the work you saved yourself.  Nothing looks any more bogus to me than an electric locomotive running with pans down or pans in the air not touching wire.  

As I said before: "What I would want is a decent looking system, either built towers (preferred) or in kit form, that will give my electrics a finished look".  Maybe it should have added the words from one of the manufacturers.

Anyone who wants a catenary system bad enough will get it done.  Also: Whatever anyone wants he/she should go after it.

You are right.  We all have different goals in life.  I'm not willing to give up my time with my family, doing community service and the other things I enjoy (Nordic/alpine skiing, hiking, kayaking, running, biking, running trains) to scratch build a catenary system.  That is why I would like a realistic, commercially available system that I can install without taking a lot of time and worrying about getting just right to be operational.

I have had a large number of OGR Forum people at my home and they have all told me they enjoyed the operating catenary.  

I read that to mean you are one of a very few modelers that have catenary, even fewer with a live one.  That is why I think there is a market for a commercially available non-operating system.

Marty, I think your layout and catenary system are great.  You obviously have spent a lot of time on it to get it right.  Just not what I want.

Here's a recent article from the TCA website called Catenary System for “O” Gauge Model Railroads.

Ron,  when you stated " I have no desire to have live catenary".    I got confused when you later stated you would like the following system  " This catenary should have the capability to be live"

BTW, I have had many goals in my life and completed them.  I admire you for reaching to complete yours.  I took over a year to build my system and I did it while working two jobs.   

I would love to see a system that guys can buy.  It is a tough thing working with curves.  I experimented with N gauge rail, HO rail, O gauge rail, welding rod, and spring wire for contact wire.    I am a fan of HO rail when it is properly done.

Thanks Alex. Can you still purchase MTH catenary wire? The pictures depict them as a suspension system with 2 runs of wire with cross supports in between. I could not find this wire in the 2016 catalog.

I did an article on building your own overhead wire system that's easy and inexpensive. I think it ran last year in OGR. The short line overhead is a work in progress. Wires are not adjusted for height yet.  Don

For me,  I would go the easy route with the MTH system along with a loop of realtrax    Easy installation, the poles are spaced and aligned perfectly as they clip on to the track and sit straight, and its designed to work with DCS..    All the guess work is done.   Its expensive but a no brainer.

You could paint the poles for a better look.

Joe 

JR...I will put my two cents in.  While the MTH system is not perfect, it is nice enough that one can make it look good.  I have used it on my layout and you can see in this video that the Lionel Acela runs under it.  The MTH system is designed to be powered but you don't have to do so.  Clicking on the YouTube link in the video will take you to the ability to view it full screen...

Alan

There's a previous post on the German company Sommerfeldt producing an O scale catenary line:

https://ogrforum.com/t...486#3400749716086486

Sommerfeldt O scale: pantographs on p. 54, poles for Om (meter gauge) on p. 4  Limited selection for poles, and no wire product. Pricing seems a little eye-popping, even in Euros. Might be worth checking with American importers.

http://www.sommerfeldt.de/data...ldt-katalog-2009.pdf

http://www.sommerfeldt.de/data/preise2015_spur0.pdf

To build a system like Marty's it takes time and patience. Marty completed a monster job but it is done right and works absolutely flawless!  Craftsmanship at it's best! 

The use of a centenary is intriguing and I have had and ideas of doing a smallish straight section with maybe 5 to 6 fastrack long straights mounted on wood and just playing with building a wiring system. I've copied and pasted Barry's how to will give it a little study. Being in CA it's a little bleak on visiting one.

Make your own posts for O scale and then use Marklin HO overhead wire sections #7019 , these are 14" long I used these before ,looks good for O scale , Eckert Engineering ,Concord NC , specializes in Marklin , I found them on the auction site   #   251548129952

The most prototypical catenary I have seen for sale is built by Don at Model Memories. I have had Don build towers and wire that I will try to install myself in a twelve - fourteen foot long diorama. I will not try to make my catenary live in that section. My goal is to have the trains come through looking as it would in real life. The sections Don builds are expensive.

I'm currently fabricating catenary wire sections about 17" in length.  I'm using 1/16" diameter brass rod along with 1/32" diameter brass rod for the contact wire supports.  I haven't yet decided on how I'll build the support masts.  On a past layout I used 1/2" diameter wood dowels, but I would like to make something a bit more prototypical this time around.  I like Marty's system.  

I built my non-operating system based on Scale Rails plans, it is very easy to do, looks good and could be powered up, if you run TMCC then it is another ball game.

I'd like to see a nice overhead wire system......modular so it can be customized.  I hope to have wire over one loop so I can run my electrics with the pantagraphs up. 

If you want to build your own catenary bridges (poles) we offer the following: http://www.scalecitydesigns.co...DE-DETAILS_c_28.html this is on page 4 of the lineside details.

the masters for this was done by the late Dave West a noted Pennsy modeler while he was in O Scale. They were made to use with 1/4" Plastruct H beams. The parts pack includes 2 pole bases and caps, insulators and turnbuckles, you supply the H beams and the wire.

FYI, the MTH catenary is made to be powered.

Martin Derouin posted:

I built my non-operating system based on Scale Rails plans, it is very easy to do, looks good and could be powered up, if you run TMCC then it is another ball game.

Martin, that's an excellent looking system.  It appears that most support masts are dowels and I also see some brass structural shapes on a couple.  

I should have posted these in my reply above, but here are two photos of my catenary system under construction.  I am building it on the work bench in 17" +/- lengths.  

I did start off with brass, way too much work, I used HO rail connected with track clips soldered to the supports,  with the dowels, I could do 5 at once on a jig...Then used  the Marklin wire...

Marty

Scratchbuilder1-48 posted:

Make your own posts for O scale and then use Marklin HO overhead wire sections #7019 , these are 14" long I used these before ,looks good for O scale , Eckert Engineering ,Concord NC , specializes in Marklin , I found them on the auction site   #   251548129952

 

This looks great. Thank you.

Scale Rail,

You mention that you wrote an article on catenary in an early issue of OGR .  I have checked back several years of OGR and cannot locate that article.  Do you, or anyone else, know what issue it is in?

Thanks in advance,

Steve

Contact Scalerail,  I believe he wrote the article, I made mine based on this article...

Marty

This has been a great thread and inspiration for some to implement their own system. Thanks to all.

June/July of 2013, if I have the correct article

great article, I saved it with plans of building the same cat system.  I have the poles and marklin wire ready to go