>Hey Mr. Refugee... As usual, you're wrong again. You made the following rebuttal statement, to wit: "The south end (ex-OA&E) was 1500v" !! True, but only as far as 42nd Street and Shafter Avenue in Oakland. Plus, the original OA&E voltage was 1200 volts,dc but was increased to 1500 vdc with the opening of the "Holland Branch" from Riverview to Oxford. And naturally, on the Bridge Railway, the SN voltage was only 1200 volts (actually more like 1325vdc).. So DO tell me more about your 1500vdc theorems..

Yes, Ken, Yes, Ken, the South End was 1500v in the latter years. At each end it was 600v where it ran in city streets and 1200 v on the SFOBB. The point of this discussion was the relationship between authenticity and the "proper voltage" in the Rio Vista Junction area, which was 1500v. The earlier 1200 v for all intents and purposes is 1500v. If it wasn't, there would be insulation breakdowns and excessive current draw in the equipment when operated at the 1500v. The GE steeplecabs, BTW, were built as 1500/600 dual voltage locomotives.

That 1325v on the bridge was the unloaded voltage of the mercury arc rectifiers, just like the voltage on the former BARTD test track solid state sub at RVJ is upwards of 750. As soon as a load develops, like an air compressor or two starting or a car beginning to run, the voltage goes right down to its nominal voltage. The lightbulbs in the cars usually aren't a sufficient enough load to depress the voltage towards its nominal value.

My point is that if they can use the "wrong voltage" in the RVJ area, let alone run foreign equipment on the line, the purists have no leg to stand on when they make the "not prototypical" argument to sandbag the installation of a loop at Molena.

What's your point??

(PCCs, BTW, aren't designed for extended running on open track, neither the trucks nor the electrical system.)