Passenger Trains > NEC Catenary height....

Anyone know how tall the catenary is above the rail in the NEC? Thanks in advance!

It varies throughout the line. Superliners and double-stackers fit under some segments, others not so much.

Here's a good discussion from a few years ago-- http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,2661222

Well it sure doesn't like 18" antennas in Penn Station, blew every one of them off the top of the bunk car on the American Freedom Train.

I have a metal tape measure here. Oh, wait, maybe not. 

SP4360 Wrote:
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> Well it sure doesn't like 18" antennas in Penn
> Station, blew every one of them off the top of the
> bunk car on the American Freedom Train.

AFAIR clearance is 14'6" through the New York tunnels.

PRR Pantographs lock down at 15'

Jishnu Wrote:
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> SP4360 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Well it sure doesn't like 18" antennas in Penn
> > Station, blew every one of them off the top of
> the
> > bunk car on the American Freedom Train.
>
> AFAIR clearance is 14'6" through the New York
> tunnels.

14'-8"

mbrotzman Wrote:
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> PRR Pantographs lock down at 15'

A little lower.  There is 15' wire out there in many places.  No lockdowns, obviously.

Txhighballer Wrote:
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> Anyone know how tall the catenary is above the
> rail in the NEC? Thanks in advance!

Anywhere from 15'-0" to a nominal 22'-0".

Do you have a particular area in mind?

abyler Wrote:
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> Txhighballer Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Anyone know how tall the catenary is above the
> > rail in the NEC? Thanks in advance!
>
> Anywhere from 15'-0" to a nominal 22'-0".
>
> Do you have a particular area in mind?


West of Baltimore, Philadelphia west....

Posted from Android

Enclosed multilevels (19'0 ATR) can operate from Ragan, DE to Bay View Yard, but that might be track specific. Not sure what the safe distance is from roof to wire, looks like a foot. At Ragan, the wire is not that much above the roof of the ML's.

i don't remember the exact height but i believe clearances into Suburban Station (now Septa) were as low as 13' X";and GG1s use to take trains in and out of there ... #1 station track in 30th St Station is the only track through the station that Superliners can fit under the wire and i believe onluy on the north end ... the south end of #1 station is restricted through South Penn ... when PRR/PC/CR ran TV trains, #2 track between N. Philly and Zoo was the ONLY track that could handle Truc Trains being undercut lower than the reast of the tracks ...

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
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> i don't remember the exact height but i believe
> clearances into Suburban Station (now Septa) were
> as low as 13' X";and GG1s use to take trains in
> and out of there ... #1 station track in 30th St
> Station is the only track through the station that
> Superliners can fit under the wire and i believe
> onluy on the north end ... the south end of #1
> station is restricted through South Penn ...

Thanks for that info.  Are there any restrictions on the NJ Transit multilevels at 30th street?  And, could they operate through Suburban station if that became necessary?

Lackawanna484 Wrote:

> Thanks for that info.  Are there any restrictions
> on the NJ Transit multilevels at 30th street? 
> And, could they operate through Suburban station
> if that became necessary?

SEPTA is looking purchase up to 55 multilevel cars:

  http://septa.org/rebuilding/vehicles/multi-level.html

Brian

 

choodude Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
>
> > Thanks for that info.  Are there any
> restrictions
> > on the NJ Transit multilevels at 30th street? 
> > And, could they operate through Suburban
> station
> > if that became necessary?
>
> SEPTA is looking purchase up to 55 multilevel
> cars:
>
>   http://septa.org/rebuilding/vehicles/multi-lev
> el.html
>
> Brian
>
>  

Thanks.  I know the NJ MLV are able to pass through the North River tunnels, but I understood some of the 30th street clearances were even more restrictive.

http://www.basiccarpentrytechniques.com/Technology%203/New%20York%20Tunnel%20Extension%20Pennsylvania%20Railroad%20North%20River%20Division/images/plate8.png

Wire height in Penn Station NY is between 15' and 15' 6" depending.  This is the same for Suburban Station in Philly.  Wire in Baltimore Penn Station and 30th Street lower level  is around 16' to 16' 6" and can accommodate Plate C sized things.  A couple of tracks at 30th street can accommodate superliners but the power has to be turned off as there is not enough arc distance to protect against a strike.

Going west from Zoo to Glen will accommodate superliners no problem but not much higher.  Going west from Glen to State the line is cleared for TV trains and not much better.

Thanks for the info, very helpful.

MW4man Wrote:
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> Wire height in Penn Station NY is between 15' and
> 15' 6" depending.  This is the same for Suburban
> Station in Philly.  Wire in Baltimore Penn
> Station and 30th Street lower level  is around
> 16' to 16' 6" and can accommodate Plate C sized
> things.  A couple of tracks at 30th street can
> accommodate superliners but the power has to be
> turned off as there is not enough arc distance to
> protect against a strike.
>
> Going west from Zoo to Glen will accommodate
> superliners no problem but not much higher. 
> Going west from Glen to State the line is cleared
> for TV trains and not much better.

thx for the correct info ... where the hell did i get 13' from ... and the real kicker is we discussed this same subject in the past 2 years and i think i said the same stupid thing about the height of wire in Sub Station in that thread too ... something in there is 13' and i keep mixing up with wire height 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/16 20:58 by Out_Of_Service.

So given that minimum wire height is 15' in Penn Station, and the permitted loading gauge height is 14'8", one would surmise that the safe arcing clearance is 4"? Isn't that kind of low for 12kV (or 11kV)?