I've always avoided electric locomotives because I didn't want to deal with the Wires which seem very complicated and very delicate, but was wondering if certain electronic locos look "okay" running on a layout without?
Anyone do this?
Yes, 99% of people running electric (not electronic!) locos do so without OHLE. Some fit masts, but no wires.
Ultimately it's your layout, do what makes you happy. Only you can say if they look ok.
I would say that the majority of N-gauge layouts at exhibitions that represent Electrified lines have the masts, but no wires.
They would be so fine as to be almost invisible and on a portable layout there is the practicality of how to deal with board joins...
Ideally the pans need to be fixed in a mid-position, at the height the wire should be.
Quote from: njee20 on April 10, 2026, 11:48:24 PMYes, 99% of people running electric (not electronic!) locos do so without OHLE. Some fit masts, but no wires.
Ultimately it's your layout, do what makes you happy. Only you can say if they look ok.
Auto correct!! :D
Interesting! Guess I never thought they would.
Here's a couple of N gauge or 2mmFS layout that do:-
Of course, it makes track cleaning a bit of a PITA!!
Kinlet Wharf and Maid's Morton both did as well, and (IMO) look immeasurably better for it. Our own ntpntpntp has them fitted too, to excellent effect.
Drem and Dallas Sidings spring to mind as superb layouts that only have the portals, with no wires.
Personally I prefer having wires, I do accept that at X distance they tend not to be visible on the real thing, but for me they add to the scene.
Yes, track cleaning and come to that, placing stock on rails would be problematic, I suspect.
Kinlet Wharf and Maid's Morton both did as well, and (IMO) look immeasurably better for it. Our own ntpntpntp has them fitted too, to excellent effect.
Drem and Dallam Sidings spring to mind as superb layouts that only have the portals, with no wires.
Personally I prefer having wires, I do accept that at X distance they tend not to be visible on the real thing, but for me they add to the scene.
This is a good question I grapple with too. I have both at the moment, I've always loved layouts with catenary. There are a couple of considerations for me.
1. How much do you take stock on and off the rails where there is catenary as it is awkward (its a pain on Bad Katsberg .. my little test layout)
2. Can you put up with the overscale nature of most (I can, I'm more a coarse modeller than a fine one)
3. Cost, I find the cost eye-watering for the continental stuff, luckily for me I managed to score hundreds of old veissmann masts and wires for $10CDN
4. Cleaning the track is a pain in the butt, but is possible, just be aware
5. Do you want the pantographs riding the wire or not? I know a lot of people with wires don't have pantos up, as stringing wire Vs stringing wire that works are two totally different skills (I've done both, haven't quite got it working on bad Katsberg, but damn does is look amazing when it does!!)
For me as I go forward with my new layout, I think I will have wires for part of it, but not worry about the panto's riding it. I thought stringing them would be a nightmare, but I found it surprisingly relaxing and I enjoyed it a lot.
Don't forget you have the option of very reasonable Japanese (Kato and Tomix etc) masts, the won't easily take wires but they look great and are actually affordable
Graham
Here's a short video of my tests off Bad Katsberg with an E18 riding the wires
If you have a fiddle yard then you don't need the OHLE there, and that's where you place/remove stock
I don't like to see electric locos running without some representation of catenary, even if it's just the masts.
My European N layouts since the mid 1980s have always had catenary masts and wires, using the old Vollmer system (also sold by Minitrix). It's overscale but robust enough for exhibition use and can withstand being pushed slightly aside for track cleaning etc. The pantographs "ride the wire" but don't pick up power, hence there's no need for "knitting" in tunnels or over the fiddleyard., just lead-in and lead-out slopes at the end of the wire runs.
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/77/medium_5885-100519223417.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=77281)
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/120/medium_5885-160322191517.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=120577)
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/125/medium_5885-150822131505.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=125068)
Apparently it was seeing my layout running this way at an N Gauge Society show in 2002 which prompted the German N-Club International guys to invite it over to Stuttgart for 2003 :) Since then it's been to the European N Scale Convention three times and has participated in modular layouts NCI have brought over to the UK for TINGS and The Chatham Show.
The only compromise I have to accept is when participating in modular systems which have a mix of modules with and without catenary it's inevitable that electric locos have to run with pantos down to avoid problems with wire height (or lack of).
Another forum member has
https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=54494.0
Trinity Road
@OneTrackMind
I'm going to make myself unpopular and say that I much prefer to have masts but no wires. In most of the photos and videos I've seen I think the wires are far too visible, and if they wobble about as a loco passes it looks even worse.
Yes the wires are overscale, but I know there should be something present and I prefer overscale to having nothing at all :) Seeing the panto float up and down as the loco progresses along the track is the thing that I love to see. Just like the real thing :)
My German friends tend to go for very fine representation of the wire which looks lovely, but with the pantos left down or artificially set low and not touching the wire.
(https://www.n-club-international.de/images/sige/module-modulliste/175/005.jpg)
https://www.n-club-international.de/de/module/modulliste/modul-175-klamm.html (https://www.n-club-international.de/de/module/modulliste/modul-175-klamm.html)
Quote from: Jim Easterbrook on April 11, 2026, 05:25:31 PMI'm going to make myself unpopular and say that I much prefer to have masts but no wires. In most of the photos and videos I've seen I think the wires are far too visible, and if they wobble about as a loco passes it looks even worse.
I'm with Jim on this one.
My first Swiss layout had Vollmer posts and wires and I did like to see the pans riding them but it was quite a basic trackplan and fairly small. My current layout has much more trackwork and although I originally planned to have a wired system I found that it looked far too congested.
I think you can get away with a wired system on a medium to large exhibition layout but on a smallish home layout the wires start to dominate.
Because of this I am happy with just posts and cross-spans and I think it still gives a reasonable impression.
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/159/medium_193-110426182030.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=159199)
My electric locos have their pantographs set at a suitable height either by friction or secured with very fine fishing line.
Well that is very sharp!!
I'm in the 'masts but no wires' camp. Wires do look superb when present, but it's way beyond me to install them!
Kev E.
we did consider wires on Mid Albion, but decided against, mainly for robustness, but also for ease of set up at an exhibition.