Electrification on Drawbridges

[battalion51]

Last night I got to thinking about the Northeast and the couple of drawbridges it has. Well obviously electrification is needed on these bridges so that the electrics can get over them. Does anyone know about the mechanics of how the catenary system works on the bridges with transitioning from land to the bridge structure itself?

 

[AMTRAK-P42]

This is slightly off topic, but ironicly, while on board the Crescent, we had to stop at a draw bridge near philidelphia for 15 minutes waiting for it to be closed. It caused us to loose alot of time, and it back logged the NEC for a short time.

 

[Amfleet]

Last night I got to thinking about the Northeast and the couple of drawbridges it has. Well obviously electrification is needed on these bridges so that the electrics can get over them. Does anyone know about the mechanics of how the catenary system works on the bridges with transitioning from land to the bridge structure itself?

Though I'm not positive, but I remember reading this in an issue of TRAINS a few years back. What happens is the once the catenary wire reaches the edge of the bridge it transitoons into a connector peice that moves with the bridge as it goes up and down (like a hinge). Spanning the bridge, the cat wire is more of a electrified metal pole. On the other end of the bridge where the bridge is not attached to land there is a transition peice into wich the catenary wire connects to both bridge and land. Sorry if I'm not so clear, but this is the best I can describe it.

 

[AlanB]

This is slightly off topic, but ironicly, while on board the Crescent, we had to stop at a draw bridge near philidelphia for 15 minutes waiting for it to be closed. It caused us to loose alot of time, and it back logged the NEC for a short time.

To my knowledge, the nearest drawbridge to Philly is about 50 to 60 miles away.

Where was this bridge, north or south of Philly? :unsure:

 

[AMTRAK-P42]

This is slightly off topic, but ironicly, while on board the Crescent, we had to stop at a draw bridge near philidelphia for 15 minutes waiting for it to be closed. It caused us to loose alot of time, and it back logged the NEC for a short time.

To my knowledge, the nearest drawbridge to Philly is about 50 to 60 miles away.

Where was this bridge, north or south of Philly? :unsure:

I believe it was towards the Wilmington, DE area, so id say South.

 

[AlanB]

Though I'm not positive, but I remember reading this in an issue of TRAINS a few years back. What happens is the once the catenary wire reaches the edge of the bridge it transitoons into a connector peice that moves with the bridge as it goes up and down (like a hinge). Spanning the bridge, the cat wire is more of a electrified metal pole. On the other end of the bridge where the bridge is not attached to land there is a transition peice into wich the catenary wire connects to both bridge and land. Sorry if I'm not so clear, but this is the best I can describe it.

From what I understand, and I don't pretend to be an expert, this is how it works. Amfleet is largely correct.

There is indeed an a section of wire on the bridge the moves up and down with the bridge. Right at the connection with the fixed portion of the bridge there is what can best be described as two long metal bars. Think swords without the handles, but not as sharp. The catenary lead right up to the edge of the sword.

One sword is on the bridge side, the other is on the shore side. When the bridge is closed the two swords are almost touching one another and the overlap. That means that the shore sword extends out slightly over the bridge section, while the bridge sword extends slightly over the shore. This way as the pantagraph moves along it passes from the shore sword to the bridge sword and then to the catenary on the bridge. Then it repeats the process on the other side.

Again it's not really a sword, but it is a thin metal bar much like the blade of a sword.

 

[AlanB]

To my knowledge, the nearest drawbridge to Philly is about 50 to 60 miles away.

Where was this bridge, north or south of Philly?   :unsure:

I believe it was towards the Wilmington, DE area, so id say South.

As far as I know, that would have to be south of Wilmington then. The only bridges that I'm aware of that open on the NEC south of NYP are in NJ close to NY and in Maryland south of Wilmington.

 

[battalion51]

The only one the Employee Timetable shows is the Sesquehana Draw Bridge which is 60.2 miles from Philadelphia. IT is in the stat of Maryland just south of Perryville. North of Philly you have to go north of Newark 8.5 miles south of New York to hit a draw bridge.

 

[AlanB]

The only one the Employee Timetable shows is the Sesquehana Draw Bridge which is 60.2 miles from Philadelphia. IT is in the stat of Maryland just south of Perryville. North of Philly you have to go north of Newark 8.5 miles south of New York to hit a draw bridge.

That jives with what my memory said. I knew that Newark was the first moveable bridge north of Philly and I was pretty sure that going south it was indeed in Maryland. There are however a few bridges down there in Maryland and I wasn't sure which were fixed vs. moveable.