BR RESEARCH CATENARY 'DOUBLES' TRAIN-SPEEDS

Diesel-hauled laboratory coaches travelling at 75 mph under a specially designed catenary system are reproducing the conditions produced by an electric train travelling at 150 mph on existing electrified lines. The system, designed by scientists and engineers of British Rail's Research Division and believed to be unique, is a vital part of investigations into the problems of power collection by high-speed electric trains of the future. Erected on a 1 3/4-mile section of the 13-mile Research Division test track near Nottingham, the physical characteristics, spacings, dimensions, etc, of the catenary and its supports have been carefully worked out to produce an overall system whose behaviour is that of a system being used by trains running at twice the speed of the test vehicles. The facility is being used to extend analysis of the performance and limitations of conventional catenary systems and current-collection equipment before moving on to the development of new designs of train-mounted equipment which will enable future electric vehicles to obtain efficient and reliable current collection. The test programme will also include investigations into problems which might arise when two or more pantographs on a train are required to collect current at high speeds from a catenary whose equilibrium has been disturbed by the passage of the leading pantograph.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00268356
• Corporate Authors:

  Ian Allan Limited

  Terminal House
  Shepperton, Middlesex  England  TW17 8AS
• Publication Date: 1973-7

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 269-271
• Serial:
  • MODERN RAILWAYS
  • Volume: 30
  • Issue Number: 298
  • Publisher: Ian Allan Publishing, Limited
  • ISSN: 0026-8356

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Catenaries (Railroads); Electrical conductivity; Pantographs; Railroad electrification
• Old TRIS Terms: Conductor collector dynamics
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00048187
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 4 1974 12:00AM