Electric Locomotive/Pantograph Overhead Clearance

I found the scale electrics with scale pantographs to be the highest. If MTH's bipolar clears you should be good to go. Don

Justin

Not sure how it lines up compared to an engine with pantos but consider large cars as well - schnable cars (SP?), Husky stacks, etc.  

I was always told 7" from track was the clearance needed.  That is what I put on my layout and I have no problems with my GG1, Interurbans, or double stacks.  

Cars like double stacks and Schnabels don't need to be considered here as they're all under 6". 

Don, Do you have a measurement on the bi-polar? It goes without saying that the tallest one clearing makes us good to go, its a matter of determining what that number is.

I do not have any electric motors out now I can measure, but I have worked on many real pantographs.  On a large pantograph like an S-514, it is about 18 inches tall when it is hooked down, depending on the style of mounting insulator.  Fully raised, I can not touch the top of it standing inside the pan.  I would guess it is about 12 feet tall.  On top of a typical locomotive, maybe 16 feet, plus the 12 feet, would be 28 feet or about 7 inches in O scale. The equipment running with pans, but with no overhead, would look better if the pan height was limited to about 23 feet of about 6 inches.  This would be a typical wire height for a typical older style freight railroad. Modern systems are higher, maybe 26 feet or higher when running 25,000 or 50,000 volt trolley wire.

I agree with David that pans fully extended look awkward and unrealistic. IMO they would look better all the way down rather than fully extended.

I have used a short, thin piece of brass wire painted black to hold them them at a realistic, half-extended height. Of course, do this only with any automatic pantograph-raising system turned off.

Jim