Milwaukee Catenary
Author: Dick Seelye
Date: 08-08-2007 - 16:43
Last time I toured the south end of the International District Station (in line of duty) a Milwaukee insulator was still firmly bolted to the underside of Airport Way.
It's height above the roadway, and guard service for the tunnel approach, make it relatively safe.
Technical note: The upper cable, from which the contact wire is supported, forms a catenary curve. The catenary cable, plus the hangers, plus the contact wire make up what used to be called "catenary". For rail transit lines, such catenary is used when vertical clearance allows. When passing under structures, such as tunnels, the contact wire may be directly connected to insulators which are in turn bolted to the ceiling. Thus a trolley wire. The term "overhead contact system" is commonly used to cover both types of systems.
The upper / catenary cable is usually considerably heavier than the contact wire; thus it is the electrical feeder.