METROLINER highspeed line for Allegheny & Western

@paigetrain posted:

one of the projects for my layout is to build an isolated high speed metroliner service using a williams metroliner fed through a realtrax catenary system

the line will be isolated from my freight service and have o-72 curves so i can run the metroliner as fast as possible and use realtrax and fast trak on the same layout

i need to draw my track plan for a shelf layout the runs all four walls of whatever place i decide to build and it will also be point to point

the metro liner service will be single track and the freight line will be single with a passing loop at both ends allowing the locomotive to disconnect switch and connect to the other end sort of like how Strasburg or New hope does their operations.

One spur will be Allegheny city and the other spur being Aurora city with a station for Willow Point about 2/3rds down the line from Allegheny City.

i do have a few questions regarding the Williams metroliner.

is the metroliner expensive and hard to find?

can the metroliner be powered from overhead catenary?

this metroliner project may be my most ambitious project and i really hope i can get done

I have two sets of them, the paragraph is not isolated from the aluminum shell.

@ThatGuy posted:

I have two sets of them, the paragraph is not isolated from the aluminum shell.

oh

but could you modify it so it could work ?

The challenge with the Williams pantograph design in general is that it is stamped metal and not really designed for actual operation.  It certainly could be insulated from the aluminum shells of the body.  I would question though how well the pantograph would make continuous contact with the trolley wire.

Unfortunately, there isn't really a good commonly available Faively pantograph which is what the Metroliners utilized in O scale.  MTH offered them with the E44 and the Elliot Welz Metroliners have decent ones but finding them is another question. 

However, your concept of being able to have a separate hot for separate control is right on.  You could take the third rail pickups off all together.

@GG1 4877 posted:

The challenge with the Williams pantograph design in general is that it is stamped metal and not really designed for actual operation.  It certainly could be insulated from the aluminum shells of the body.  I would question though how well the pantograph would make continuous contact with the trolley wire.

Unfortunately, there isn't really a good commonly available Faively pantograph which is what the Metroliners utilized in O scale.  MTH offered them with the E44 and the Elliot Welz Metroliners have decent ones but finding them is another question.

However, your concept of being able to have a separate hot for separate control is right on.  You could take the third rail pickups off all together.

I thought about this, it could be done the contact bar at the top would have to be insulated from the paragraph. Also the springs would have to be adjusted as they are very strong.

@paigetrain posted:

oh

but could you modify it so it could work ?

I think they could, insulate the contact bar at the go , latter today I will dig out one set and take some photos and then let’s barn storm.

@ThatGuy posted:

I think they could, insulate the contact bar at the go , latter today I will dig out one set and take some photos and then let’s barn storm.

Ok I pulled them out, there is no way to make these work. They are so cheaply made it would rip down the pantograph wire.