# Electrifying Developments...in Olive Oil Distribution



## Chops (Dec 6, 2018)

Well, if you hated my last video, wait 'till you get a load of this whopper. Clearly, you haven't suffered enough yet. 






Sam's Train Review analyzed this generic Lima, and at $25 plus $8 in shipping, I had to have it. If this thing was a woman, I'd marry it. Love this piece, she is a gem. Anything that runs under wire lights me up. Ever since I saw one of the last G's pounding down the Northeast Corridor at Run 8.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

If those are dual bar pans, only the rear pan will be up for operation. That is a safety action in case the front pan would get hung on the cat it won't take out the rear pan too. But from an operational standpoint, both pans up on a dual bar pan is not neccessary.

Instances where the front pan would be used and the rear pan lowered would be for an open air wagon carrying flammable material such as coal or lumber that is following the locomotive, or an open air passenger excursion wagon. It would also be used if an auto carrier without the vehicles being covered is following the locomotive, or the rear pan has damage such as its carbon strip lost or worn past limits.


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

MichaelE said:


> If those are dual bar pans, only the rear pan will be up for operation. That is a safety action in case the front pan would get hung on the cat it won't take out the rear pan too. But from an operational standpoint, both pans up on a dual bar pan is not neccessary.
> 
> Instances where the front pan would be used and the rear pan lowered would be for an open air wagon carrying flammable material such as coal or lumber that is following the locomotive, or an open air passenger excursion wagon. It would also be used if an auto carrier without the vehicles being covered is following the locomotive, or the rear pan has damage such as its carbon strip lost or worn past limits.


In his defence, his pans, like mine, are Greta Thunberg certified open air electrical generation devices that need no power from unsustainable coal fired or nuclear sources, drawing necessary power ex nihilo from otherwise unused unicorn farts, stardust and rainbows.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

They just sort of suck the electricity out of the atmosphere?


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## Jscullans (Jul 8, 2019)

This is an energetic post ha...ha...ha... I love my stupid humor lmao


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## kilowatt62 (Aug 18, 2019)

Curious mind wants to know, if you please: What is a "dual bar" pantograph? Adantages?
Not looking to hijack the OP, just easiier to ask here since Michael E and other electric modelers are here now. 
I am primarily steam. Have a handful of diesel and two very old 'American' GG1s. Both of which are in a state repair/remodel/rebuild. Just want to make sure the pans end up correct. 
TIA.

Scott


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

A dual bar pantograph has two electrical pickups for the wire. The older pans only had one and you will see them with both pans up to collect electricity.

Locomotives using the dual bar pan only need one pan on the wire.

On the below example, the carbon contact strips can be clearly seen on the contact bars:


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## kilowatt62 (Aug 18, 2019)

MichaelE said:


> A dual bar pantograph has two electrical pickups for the wire. The older pans only had one and you will see them with both pans up to collect electricity.
> 
> Locomotives using the dual bar pan only need one pan on the wire.
> 
> On the below example, the carbon contact strips can be clearly seen on the contact bars:


Thank You MichaelE


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Those are graphite strips, not carbon. Sorry for the inaccuracy.


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## Chops124 (Dec 23, 2015)

Graphite, how dare you. Also, the locomotive is an Italian State Railways unit, which is towing my treasured Renfe Operadora wagos by Electrotren. You will note a dearth of rivets. None the less, North Americans don't know any better, so I get away with blue murder and enjoy myself.

I have forgotten, how did Her Glowership Miss Thunderburn get to the United Nations, again? By clipper ship, or something? No, wait, she swam, didn't she?

To my great regret, this is air caternary. Like an air guitar. No copper was abused in the making of this video. Well, not much at least. Although I do receive complaints of bleeding ear drums. I thought 16th century Italian folk music and Richard DB was quite a nice touch. 

True story: a convenience store operator was troubled by teenagers loitering outside his store, leaving candy wrappers and so on. He cured the problem by piping classical music outside. Worked like a charm driving the miscreants off. 

Britain is so timeless, or generally broke, that to wind the clock back to 1827 or 1967, all I have to do is remove the buses and run the period correct head end power. Unlucky for me, electricity had not yet been commercially invented, yet, as of Stephenson's time.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

My catenary is not yet completed either. No worries.

But, the unwritten operating rules for pantographs still apply.


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## Jscullans (Jul 8, 2019)

In theory graphite and carbon are the exact same thing. I forget what else is mixed in with the graphite to make pencil lead but it’s mostly carbon


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## Chops124 (Dec 23, 2015)

And another thing, the PRR, at least, did run both pantographs up in icy weather, on the G's, the purpose being that the lead pantograph would scrape the ice off. They also had some bizarre issue with air intakes for cooling the traction motors being too low, or something, and they got clogged with ice one day causing a massive outage. So, apparently all the air intakes on the G's were moved up towards the top. I have no recollection of how that height difference solved the issue. 

Another bit of useless information, is that some sort of magnetic material was used in pantographs to reduce arcing. And graphite is a allotrope of carbon.


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