Promise not to laugh....

after installing about 40 of the Dapol catenary masts I have only just realised that there are two types....
I can't find anything suggesting how to deploy them, should they alternate? Or use the 'longer' ones round the corners... I'm confushed...

They should alternate so that the contact wire (if there was one!) zigzags, thus spreading the wear across the pantograph head.

Pete @ EGLM

Lol
I did the same with mine.
The should alternate long arm, short arm and so on.

Alternating on straight track. On curves the long ones should go inside the curve and short ones outside as the straightness of the wire (if there was one) above the curved track would provide the same zigzag pattern necessary for even pantograph wear


Paul

I see.... that does make sense...
At least they're easy to unscrew...
And if no one looks too closely, they probably won't notice if they are actually over the track or not... 

I ended up making a cardboard drill jig that you placed against the rail and drilled through the hole marked in it. After that they were not too hard to fit.

Alan

A good source of information on catenary is Sommefeldt's Instructions Booklet.  It is written in German/English and whilst based on European practice it is basically the same worldwide.

Kind regards

Geoff

There once was a web site with good information about OLE. I think this is gone and will be rebuild with threads on RMweb.
Plain track: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/71391-british-railways-ole-part-one-plain-track/
Curved track: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/71591-british-railways-ole-part-two-curved-track/

Smashing... although I think I need to redo some of my masts again  :'(