Catenary making

I'm sure if anyone had watched me make this they'd have been laughing rather a lot (until I sent them for tea that is).  I made some catenary masts the other day, simple things from K&S brass tube and rod.  These were set into holes drilled in the baseboard and a wire fed from the base of one of them, this formed the power supply. 

I then turned to getting the wires up.  This sort of follows the Sommerfeldt system.  They advocate putting a loop at one end of the wire and doing the same at the other end.  I decided I'd do that at one end and solder the other end.  The loop helped keep the thing up while I did the other end, and the small 3D printed boxcab was shuttling up and down the wire finding all the bugs.  I learned two things:

1) Don't try and make a curve that follows the track, it doesn't work like that.

2) Don't get any solder under the wire, the loco will find it and be merrily tossed off the rails.

3) It is best to follow American practice (good job I model American then) and have the wire sag.

All in all, a good hour spent soldering (and swearing).  Below is a little drawing I did of a catenary post, more for my memories sake than anything!

Much to my delight it all works, with a good healthy voltage being delivered to the motor.  I will admit the track also supplies the power, but the pantograph does work and provides a more reliable pick up.  I was most delighted that none of the steam locos ripped it all down, not sure what the clearance is supposed to be in American narrow gauge, but it looks far enough!