| Catenary (railways) |
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Information AboutCatenary (railways) |
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A catenary is a system of overhead Wire s used to supply Electricity to a Locomotive , Streetcar , or Light Rail vehicle which is equipped with a Pantograph . See also Overhead Lines Unlike simple Overhead Wire s, in which the uninsulated wire or Cable is attached by clamps to closely spaced crosswires, themselves supported by line poles, catenery system use at least two wires. One wire, called the catenary wire or the messenger wire, is hung at a specific tension value in the shape of a mathematical Catenary between line structures. A second wire is held in Tension by the messenger wire, to which it is attached at frequent intervals by Clamp s and connecting wires. The second wire is straight and level, parallel to the Rail Track s, suspended over it as the roadway of a Suspension Bridge is over water. Simple wire installations are common in light rail applications, especially on City Street s, while more expensive catenery systems are especially suited to high-speed operations. The Northeast Corridor in the United States features electrified catenary over a 600-mile or nearly 1000km distance between Boston , Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. , providing power for Amtrak 's high-speed Acela Express and other trains. Several Commuter Rail agencies, including MARC , SEPTA , NJ Transit , Metro-North , and Connecticut DOT 's Shore Line East utilize the catenary to provide local service along the Northeast Corridor. For a more complete discussion of overhead wiring system for Railway s, see Overhead Lines . |