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Moderator: lensovet

 #1554661  by nomis
 
There is a pulley and weight visible on the left-most catenary pole in the photo above by rohr turbo. Typically an motor's roof is too busy for monitoring gear, but SEPTA and AMTRAK have no issues placing the equipment on an 85ft long roof of a coach, in revenue service or otherwise.
 #1554893  by lensovet
 
even LR lines here use constant tension cat, which is pretty hilarious.

the reason these look so diminutive is because there are only two tracks. there are much bigger poles around 4-track sections. still waiting for any wire to be strung up there though.
 #1556810  by SRich
 
rohr turbo wrote: Sat Sep 26, 2020 12:51 pm Image
More progress on the peninsula. Clearer skies finally.
Nice picture, so is possible that double stack trains can pass under this catenary
 #1556841  by RRspatch
 
SRich wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 2:11 pm
rohr turbo wrote: Sat Sep 26, 2020 12:51 pm Image
More progress on the peninsula. Clearer skies finally.
Nice picture, so is possible that double stack trains can pass under this catenary
I'm going to guess NO, double stacks will not fit under that catenary. The catenary needs to be higher to clear them as seen below.

https://youtu.be/zD27XOiSoMI

I will admit it looks like Indian Railways is using standard flat cars instead of "well cars" which probably adds 12 to 18 inches to the height of the containers.
 #1556842  by rohr turbo
 
I think I read that catenary height varies from 18 to 23 ft over the whole route. The section in my photo is in Palo Alto and does not see double stacks. But the section between tamien and Santa Clara is a major UP route that probably does see them and needs higher clearance.
 #1562214  by electricron
 
Per Wiki,
"Contact wire height is planned to vary between 16 to 23 feet (4.9 to 7.0 m), depending on overhead clearance required, with the messenger wire another 2 to 5 feet (0.61 to 1.52 m) above that, and pole height will vary between 30 to 50 feet (9.1 to 15.2 m). Nominal clearance under the contact wire will be 23 feet (7.0 m) to accommodate freight and non-electrified passenger rail service."
Another Wiki,
"CSX lists three clearance heights above top of rail for double stack service:[6]
Doublestack 1 — 18 ft 2 in (5.54 m)
Doublestack 2 — 19 ft 2 in (5.84 m)
Doublestack 3 — 20 ft 2 in (6.15 m)
The last clearance offers the most flexibility, allowing two high cube containers to be stacked."

A nominal 23 feet clearance under the contact wire is plenty for most double stack containers.
I'm assuming the shorter 16 feet clearances for Caltrain are in the tunnels entering south San Francisco, where there are few if any freight trains customers north of them. There are few freight customers north of the wye tracks that head to the rail bridge across the south bay. And I do not see any intermodal yards using Google Earth where containers trains can load or unload north of that wye.
 #1562285  by west point
 
Those CSX clearances are for
1. 2 international containers
2. one international container and 1 domestic container.
3. 2 domestic containers.
 #1562382  by David Benton
 
west point wrote: Wed Nov 18, 2020 9:48 pm 2 points Not well cars and the containers are all international which are shorter than US domestic.
I don't know how high USA domestic boxes are , but international boxes can be 9' 6 " high , only the width and lenght are ISO standard.
 #1562897  by electricron
 
ExCon90 wrote: Tue May 10, 2016 1:34 pm Might there still be a problem between Coast and Cahill? And will wires reach Gilroy, and if not, will Caltrain need dual-mode locomotives?
Excellent question I also would like an answer to. I was thinking they will keep the 6 newer MP-36 diesel locomotives and the 26 Bombardier cars to service San Jose to Gilroy until the new HSR tracks are laid between San Jose and Gilroy. The UP will not allow electrification over their tracks, hence why CHSR will be laying new tracks. ;)
 #1563053  by andrewjw
 
electricron wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 2:58 am
ExCon90 wrote: Tue May 10, 2016 1:34 pm Might there still be a problem between Coast and Cahill? And will wires reach Gilroy, and if not, will Caltrain need dual-mode locomotives?
Excellent question I also would like an answer to. I was thinking they will keep the 6 newer MP-36 diesel locomotives and the 26 Bombardier cars to service San Jose to Gilroy until the new HSR tracks are laid between San Jose and Gilroy. The UP will not allow electrification over their tracks, hence why CHSR will be laying new tracks. ;)
You replied to a post from 2016. They will not have dual modes - they will run diesel under wire for Gilroy through services, which will terminate at the ground level 4th and King station even once the tunnel to the Transbay basement train station opens.
 #1567460  by electricron
 
ExCon90 wrote: Tue May 10, 2016 1:34 pm Might there still be a problem between Coast and Cahill? And will wires reach Gilroy, and if not, will Caltrain need dual-mode locomotives?
Wires will reach Gilroy on CHSR dedicated tracks, but not on the UP tracks Caltrain will continue to use.
Whether CalTrain uses dual mode locomotives or contunue to use diesel power locomotives under the wires for the Gilroy trains does not matter. The Gilroy trains will continue on as before, either way. There is no law preventing the use of diesel locomotives under the wires.
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