by trainbrain
In one video that was taken during an ice storm, I saw that most NJT and Amtrak trains on the NEC were running with both pantographs up on the locomotive. What is the reason this is done sometimes?
Railroad Forums
Moderators: lensovet, Kaback9, nick11a
DutchRailnut wrote:Due to Ice hanging from wire a single pantograph would bounce and arc damaging the wire.Thanks for the reason. I know they do it but didn't know the reason why.
Using the front pantograph as ice scraper now leaves clean wire for second pantograph to pull power.
Tadman wrote:Dutch, they isolate the lead pan in that situation, correct?Yes sir, when the engine is at the head end of the equipment.
Tadman wrote:Dutch, they isolate the lead pan in that situation, correct?I don't know if you would need to. If the pans are electrically connected the first shouldn't strike an arc if it loses contact as the second pan will have much less resistance and the current will choose that path. Anyone who had been to a trolley museum knows you put the second pole up before dropping the first.
DutchRailnut wrote:The pantograph is not raised by air, its raised and pressure maintained by springs, it unlatches with air and forced down with air.Sorry. I rode with a Pennsy motorman for many years in the South Amboy local (Train #3615) and had many talks with him. As a long time employee of the Pennsy (this was before the PC merge) Russ explained to me the difference between a motorman and an engineer.
Also both Pennsy and NJT employ Locomotive Engineers, motorman run in subways and trolleys.
DutchRailnut wrote:If air raised and held the pantograph up, it would be impossible to liven up a train that lost the air.MILW electrics had air-raised pans. When the train had lost all air and had no power to recharge, a tiny pan-trolley (IE steel rod like a trolley pole with a rudimentary pantograph shoe) was raised to the wire just to gather enough juice to power a compressor and recharge the air. Once the air was recharged, the operating pan was raised to power up the entire locomotive.
Unlatching can be done with pantograph pole on dead train, but it would be impossible to keep pantograph against wire without burning the wire.
as for Engineer part, what do I know after being one for 30 years.