As always, you can find out more about discontinuous electrification by downloading my book from https://ocs4rail.com/downloads. Section 7.6 refers.

You can also buy the physical book here: https://www.thepwi.org/product/overhead-line-electrification-for-railways

Finally, you can read my other #RailwaysExplained threads here: https://mas.to/@25kV/110644720069392183

/thread ends

Welcome to another #RailwaysExplained thread… this is my first completely new thread on Mastodon, and boy is it going to be an epic one.

HOW IT WORKS (AND WHEN IT DOESN’T) – DISCONTINUOUS ELECTRIFICATION

Something I get asked about A LOT is discontinuous electrification. A typical comment on social media will be something like “well with battery technology so readily available we can just electrify the easy bits and run on battery in between…”

#railways #OLE #OCS #OverheadLine

Railfans and railway professionals of Mastodon:
If you want to learn fascinating stuff about overhead line equipment and traction current ⚡ - a field of the railway system I don't know much about - do follow @25kV and make sure not to miss his excellent #RailwaysExplained threads he's gradually bringing to Mastodon: 👇
https://mas.to/@25kV/110962276174171304

RSCs are now the standard immunisation mechanism for new electrification in the UK; this will be the case until copper signalling cables are replaced with fibre optics at some point in the future.

As always, you can find out more about RCs, ATFs and OLE by downloading my book from https://ocs4rail.com/downloads. Section 10.4 refers.

You can also buy the physical book here: https://www.thepwi.org/product/overhead-line-electrification-for-railways

Finally, you can read my other #RailwaysExplained threads here: https://mas.to/@25kV/110644720069392183

Welcome to another #RailwaysExplained thread... this one is another port over from the Site We Don't Mention. More to come!

HOW IT WORKS - RETURN CONDUCTORS (RCS) AND AUTO TRANSFORMER FEEDERS (ATFS)

This is a #railwaysExplained thread on Return Conductors (RCs) and Auto Transformer Feeders (ATFs). As part of that I'll be attempting to explain how immunisation works. HEALTH WARNING: this will involve electromagnetism. Apologies in advance!

#railways #OLE #OCS #OverheadLine

As always, you can find out more about neutral sections and OLE by downloading my book from https://ocs4rail.com/downloads. Sections 10.1.3 and 12.6.3 refer.

You can also buy the physical book here: https://www.thepwi.org/product/overhead-line-electrification-for-railways

Finally, you can read my other #RailwaysExplained threads here: https://mas.to/@25kV/110644720069392183

Welcome to another #RailwaysExplained thread... this one is another port over from the Site We Don't Mention. More to come!

HOW IT WORKS - NEUTRAL SECTIONS

Back in 2020 @driverbod125 asked: "I was hurtling along in my 125mph diesel train earlier & started thinking about Neutral Sections...

When designing OLE do you take into account locations of signals? I mean you wouldn’t want a train stopped in a section unable to draw any juice?"

So lets answer that!

#railways #OLE #OCS #OverheadLine

Anyway I hope you enjoyed this unusually personal thread... as always, you can find out more about test trains and OLE by downloading my book from https://ocs4rail.com/downloads. Section 21 refers.

You can also buy the physical book here: https://www.thepwi.org/product/overhead-line-electrification-for-railways

Finally, you can read my other #RailwaysExplained threads here: https://mas.to/@25kV/110644720069392183

/thread ends

Welcome to another #RailwaysExplained thread... this one is another port over from the Site We Don't Mention. More to come!

HOW IT WORKS - TEST TRAINS (with some indulgent personal experience)

Back in 2019 a colleague posted this video. This innocent post started me on an odyssey which ultimately ended with me blagging my way into the cab of said train. Want to know more? Read on

#railways #OLE #OCS #OverheadLine

As always, you can find out more about pantograph horns and OLE by downloading my book from https://ocs4rail.com/downloads. Section 12.1 refers.

You can also buy the physical book here: https://www.thepwi.org/product/overhead-line-electrification-for-railways

Finally, you can read my other #RailwaysExplained threads here: https://mas.to/@25kV/110644720069392183

/thread ends

Welcome to another #RailwaysExplained thread... this one is another port over from the Site We Don't Mention. More to come!

HOW IT WORKS - INSULATED PANTOGRAPH HORNS

Back in 2022 I posted this photo of the pantograph of GWR class 387 EMU no 387144. At that time it was entirely unique on the GB mainline, and even now it is a member of a very exclusive club. Can you guess how?

#railways #OLE #OCS #OverheadLine

As always, you can find out more about trolley systems and OLE by downloading my book from https://ocs4rail.com/downloads. Section 15 refers.

You can also buy the physical book here: https://www.thepwi.org/product/overhead-line-electrification-for-railways

Finally, you can read my other #RailwaysExplained threads here: https://mas.to/@25kV/110644720069392183

/thread ends

Welcome to another #RailwaysExplained thread... this one is another port over from the Site We Don't Mention. More to come!

HOW IT WORKS - TROLLEY OVERHEAD LINE

Back in 2019 I visited
Beamish Museum, and used what I learned there to write about Trolley #OLE for the #OLEbook 6th edition.

#railways #OLE #OCS #OverheadLine

Finally, you can read my other #RailwaysExplained threads here: https://mas.to/@25kV/110644720069392183

/thread ends

As always, you can find out more about OLE structures by downloading my book from https://ocs4rail.com/downloads. Section 12.10 refers.

You can also buy the physical book here: https://www.thepwi.org/product/overhead-line-electrification-for-railways

Finally, you can read my other #RailwaysExplained threads here: https://mas.to/@25kV/110644720069392183

/thread ends

Finally, you can read my other #RailwaysExplained threads here: https://mas.to/@25kV/110644720069392183

/thread ends

As always, you can find out more about spark gaps, surge arresters and OLE by downloading my book from https://ocs4rail.com/downloads. Sections 10.8.1 and 10.11.3 refer.

You can also buy the physical book here: https://www.thepwi.org/product/overhead-line-electrification-for-railways

Finally, you can read my other #RailwaysExplained threads here: https://mas.to/@25kV/110644720069392183

/thread ends

Another #RailwaysExplained thread... this one is another port over from the Site We Don't Mention. More to come!

HOW IT WORKS - SPARK GAPS AND SURGE ARRESTERS

One of the things that I spent a lot of time on back in 2019 was sourcing good quality images for the #OLEbook - getting the more obscure stuff from publicly accessible places was quite hard.

That's why I had to go all the way to North East England to hunt down this Spark Gap on the Tyne & Wear Metro

#railways #OLE #OCS #OverheadLine

Time for another #RailwaysExplained thread, ported over from Whatever The Site Is Called This Week. More to come!

HOW IT WORKS - OPEN AIR RIGID BAR OVERHEAD LINE

Back in 2019 it was a nice sunny day, so off we went to a local(ish) garden centre. What's that you say? The UK's only open air section of Rigid Overhead Conductor Line (ROCL) is just down the road, between Patchway Old and Short Tunnels? Oh go on then.

#railways #OLE #OCS #OverheadLine

@25kV I love your #RailwaysExplained.
But but but…why does a saggy wire help at high speeds?