Re: Near miss at Victoria (London)

[Ray McDermott <raymcd@ozemail.com.au>]

AC systems can make impressive arcs.  I recall riding a sleeper behind a GG-1 on
the Pennsylvania RR at 90 mph; the countryside seemed to be contiuously lit up
by the arcing.  The traction equipment was pre-WW2; maybe 15kV 16 2/3 hz  fed to
commutator motors.

Ray

Aus Visitor wrote:

> Arcing is less in AC systems as the arc is self extinguising and the current
> per pantograph is less when the volts are 25 kV.  Multiple Electric units
> often have two pans so current draw is shared, so even less current per pan.
>
> An AC Loco, on the UK system travelling at 125 MPH, is drawing all current
> through a single pan so losts to spark.  Biggest impact is frost & ice in
> the catenary wire.  I remember some IC225 test runs we did in middle winter
> at 5am.  Running out of Kings Cross & up to Peterborough was like travelling
> with our own ARC lights!!!!
>
> AV
>
> >