84-594: The Wil–Ebnat-Kappel railway is a single-track standard-gauge line that runs through the Toggenburg region of Switzerland. It was built by the Toggenburgerbahn (Toggenburg Railway; TB ). Its 25 kilometre-long, standard gauge line from Wil via Wattwil to Ebnat-Kappel was opened on 24 June 1870. The TB was nationalised as of 1 July 1902 and became part of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). After
168-413: A block and tackle arrangement. Lines are divided into sections to limit the scope of an outage and to allow maintenance. To allow maintenance to the overhead line without having to turn off the entire system, the line is broken into electrically separated portions known as "sections". Sections often correspond with tension lengths. The transition from section to section is known as a "section break" and
252-419: A swing bridge . The catenary wire typically comprises messenger wire (also called catenary wire) and a contact wire where it meets the pantograph. The messenger wire is terminated at the portal, while the contact wire runs into the overhead conductor rail profile at the transition end section before it is terminated at the portal. There is a gap between the overhead conductor rail at the transition end section and
336-476: A "Backdoor" connection between different parts, resulting in, amongst other things, a section of the grid de-energised for maintenance being re-energised from the railway substation creating danger. For these reasons, Neutral sections are placed in the electrification between the sections fed from different points in a national grid, or different phases, or grids that are not synchronized. It is highly undesirable to connect unsynchronized grids. A simple section break
420-602: A concession for this in 1890, but it could not finance the planned Ricken Tunnel . The canton of St. Gallen acquired the TB for CHF 2.75 million in 1901 and transferred it at no cost to the VSB. With the nationalisation of the VSB in 1902, the TB was integrated into the SBB. This virtually free transfer of the TB to the Federal Government was the financial contribution of the canton of St. Gallen to
504-500: A couple (married or otherwise committed) without children, and 27,097 (or 59.0%) who were part of a couple with children. There were 2,202 (or 4.8%) people who lived in single parent home, while there are 318 persons who were adult children living with one or both parents, 165 persons who lived in a household made up of relatives, 198 people who lived in a household made up of unrelated persons, and 2,050 who are either institutionalized or lived in another type of collective housing. Out of
588-663: A federal state . In the Helvetic Republic , the Toggenburg was divided between the cantons of Säntis and Linth . The parts were re-united as part of the canton of St. Gallen in 1803. Schüblig , a type of sausage is a tradition in the area. The Toggenburg Wahlkreis has a population of 46,954 (as of 31 December 2020). Of the foreign population, (as of 2000 ), 584 are from Germany , 952 are from Italy , 3,124 are from ex- Yugoslavia , 167 are from Austria , 1,137 are from Turkey , and 1,123 are from another country. Of
672-411: A fixed centre point, with the two half-tension lengths expanding and contracting with temperature. Most systems include a brake to stop the wires from unravelling completely if a wire breaks or tension is lost. German systems usually use a single large tensioning pulley (basically a ratchet mechanism) with a toothed rim, mounted on an arm hinged to the mast. Normally the downward pull of the weights and
756-485: A high electrical potential by connection to feeder stations at regularly spaced intervals along the track. The feeder stations are usually fed from a high-voltage electrical grid . Electric trains that collect their current from overhead lines use a device such as a pantograph , bow collector or trolley pole . It presses against the underside of the lowest overhead wire, the contact wire. Current collectors are electrically conductive and allow current to flow through to
840-484: A level crossing with the 1,200 V DC Uetliberg railway line ; at many places, trolleybus lines cross the tramway. In some cities, trolleybuses and trams shared a positive (feed) wire. In such cases, a normal trolleybus frog can be used. Alternatively, section breaks can be sited at the crossing point, so that the crossing is electrically dead. Many cities had trams and trolleybuses using trolley poles. They used insulated crossovers, which required tram drivers to put
924-569: A multiple unit passes over them. In the United Kingdom equipment similar to Automatic Warning System (AWS) is used, but with pairs of magnets placed outside the running rails (as opposed to the AWS magnets placed midway between the rails). Lineside signs on the approach to the neutral section warn the driver to shut off traction power and coast through the dead section. A neutral section or phase break consists of two insulated breaks back-to-back with
SECTION 10
#17328696122581008-670: A northwestern direction from the watershed between the Rhine and the Thur, and is enclosed on the northeast by the chain of the Säntis (8,216 ft [2,504 m]) and on the southwest by that of the Churfirsten (7,566 ft [2,306 m]) and of the Speer (6,411 ft [1,954 m]). It is a fertile valley of about 45 kilometres (28 mi) in length from the source of the river to Wil . At Wildhaus ,
1092-404: A pneumatic servo pantograph with only 3 g acceleration. An electrical circuit requires at least two conductors. Trams and railways use the overhead line as one side of the circuit and the steel rails as the other side of the circuit. For a trolleybus or a trolleytruck , no rails are available for the return current, as the vehicles use rubber tyres on the road surface. Trolleybuses use
1176-415: A return path for the current through their wheels, and must instead use a pair of overhead wires to provide both the current and its return path. To achieve good high-speed current collection, it is necessary to keep the contact wire geometry within defined limits. This is usually achieved by supporting the contact wire from a second wire known as the messenger wire or catenary . This wire approximates
1260-414: A rigid overhead wire in their tunnels, while using normal overhead wires in their above ground sections. In a movable bridge that uses a rigid overhead rail, there is a need to transition from the catenary wire system into an overhead conductor rail at the bridge portal (the last traction current pylon before the movable bridge). For example, the power supply can be done through a catenary wire system near
1344-462: A second parallel overhead line for the return, and two trolley poles , one contacting each overhead wire. ( Pantographs are generally incompatible with parallel overhead lines.) The circuit is completed by using both wires. Parallel overhead wires are also used on the rare railways with three-phase AC railway electrification . In the Soviet Union the following types of wires/cables were used. For
1428-467: A short section of line that belongs to neither grid. Some systems increase the level of safety by the midpoint of the neutral section being earthed. The presence of the earthed section in the middle is to ensure that should the transducer controlled apparatus fail, and the driver also fail to shut off power, the energy in the arc struck by the pantograph as it passes to the neutral section is conducted to earth, operating substation circuit breakers, rather than
1512-530: A simpler alternative for moveable overhead power rails. Electric trains coast across the gaps. To prevent arcing, power must be switched off before reaching the gap and usually the pantograph would be lowered. Given limited clearance such as in tunnels , the overhead wire may be replaced by a rigid overhead rail. An early example was in the tunnels of the Baltimore Belt Line , where a Π section bar (fabricated from three strips of iron and mounted on wood)
1596-471: A tilted position into the horizontal position, connecting the conductor rails at the transition end section and the bridge together to supply power. Short overhead conductor rails are installed at tram stops as for the Combino Supra . Trams draw their power from a single overhead wire at about 500 to 750 V DC. Trolleybuses draw from two overhead wires at a similar voltage, and at least one of
1680-519: A tradition of co-existence. In 1707, the Toggenburg again declared its independence of St. Gall, in reaction to the Abbey's plans to build a road across the Ricken Pass , which was seen as a strategic arrangement towards a Catholic military alliance. The ensuing Toggenburg war of 1712 resulted in a balance of power between Catholic and Protestant cantons, ultimately leading to the formation of Switzerland as
1764-689: A tramway. The tramway operated on 600–700 V DC and the railway on 15 kV AC . In the Swiss village of Oberentfelden , the Menziken–Aarau–Schöftland line operating at 750 V DC crosses the SBB line at 15 kV AC; there used to be a similar crossing between the two lines at Suhr but this was replaced by an underpass in 2010. Some crossings between tramway/light rail and railways are extant in Germany. In Zürich , Switzerland, VBZ trolleybus line 32 has
SECTION 20
#17328696122581848-433: Is 3,773 people or 8.2% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 3,269 people or 7.1% are between 70 and 79, there are 1,652 people or 3.6% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 326 people or 0.7% who are between 90 and 99, and 1 person who is 100 or more. In 2000 there were 4,967 persons (or 10.8% of the population) who were living alone in a private dwelling. There were 8,910 (or 19.4%) persons who were part of
1932-721: Is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives , electric multiple units , trolleybuses or trams . The generic term used by the International Union of Railways for the technology is overhead line . It is known variously as overhead catenary , overhead contact line ( OCL ), overhead contact system ( OCS ), overhead equipment ( OHE ), overhead line equipment ( OLE or OHLE ), overhead lines ( OHL ), overhead wiring ( OHW ), traction wire , and trolley wire . An overhead line consists of one or more wires (or rails , particularly in tunnels) situated over rail tracks , raised to
2016-422: Is briefly in contact with both wires). In normal service, the two sections are electrically connected; depending on the system this might be an isolator, fixed contact or a Booster Transformer. The isolator allows the current to the section to be interrupted for maintenance. On overhead wires designed for trolley poles, this is done by having a neutral section between the wires, requiring an insulator. The driver of
2100-422: Is in use, standard sizes for contact wire are 100 and 150 mm . The catenary wire is made of copper or copper alloys of 70, 120 or 150 mm . The smaller cross sections are made of 19 strands, whereas the bigger has 37 strands. Two standard configurations for main lines consist of two contact wires of 100 mm and one or two catenary wires of 120 mm , totaling 320 or 440 mm . Only one contact wire
2184-415: Is insufficient to guard against this as the pantograph briefly connects both sections. In countries such as France, South Africa, Australia and the United Kingdom, a pair of permanent magnets beside the rails at either side of the neutral section operate a bogie-mounted transducer on the train which causes a large electrical circuit-breaker to open and close when the locomotive or the pantograph vehicle of
2268-447: Is often used for side tracks. In the UK and EU countries , the contact wire is typically made from copper alloyed with other metals. Sizes include cross-sectional areas of 80, 100, 107, 120, and 150 mm . Common materials include normal and high strength copper, copper-silver, copper-cadmium, copper-magnesium, and copper-tin, with each being identifiable by distinct identification grooves along
2352-421: Is set up so that the vehicle's pantograph is in continuous contact with one wire or the other. For bow collectors and pantographs, this is done by having two contact wires run side by side over the length between 2 or 4 wire supports. A new one drops down and the old one rises up, allowing the pantograph to smoothly transfer from one to the other. The two wires do not touch (although the bow collector or pantograph
2436-981: Is used only on the Gornergrat Railway and Jungfrau Railway in Switzerland, the Petit train de la Rhune in France, and the Corcovado Rack Railway in Brazil. Until 1976, it was widely used in Italy. On these railways, the two conductors are used for two different phases of the three-phase AC, while the rail was used for the third phase. The neutral was not used. Some three-phase AC railways used three overhead wires. These were an experimental railway line of Siemens in Berlin-Lichtenberg in 1898 (length 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi)),
2520-684: The InterRegio Voralpen-Express provides long-distance services, from Wattwil to St. Gallen and to Arth-Goldau and Luzern , bypassing Zürich. The BLWE provides bus services between Lichtensteig, Wattwil and Ebnat-Kappel. PostBus Switzerland provides bus services to the upper part of the valley (e.g. to Unterwasser or Wildhaus). From Unterwasser, the Iltiosbahn , a funicular railway, takes passengers to Iltios, from where an aerial tram continues to Chäserrugg ( Churfirsten ). Overhead line An overhead line or overhead wire
2604-593: The Linth Plain via the Ricken Tunnel . Wattwil station is the major hub for train and bus services in the Toggenburg. The lines are operated by regional trains of St. Gallen S-Bahn . The S2 and S4 operate on the Bodensee–Toggenburg railway, with the latter diverting from it at Wattwil and continuing to Uznach / Rapperswil . The S9 links Wattwil with the lower part of the valley. Additionally,
Wil–Ebnat-Kappel railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-501: The Roman era , and was reached by Alemannic-speaking settlers only in the early medieval period. This is evidenced by a substantial substrate of Romance toponyms in the upper Toggenburg (upstream of Stein ). The name of the region is derived from that of the House of Toggenburg (named for their castle near Kirchberg ) who ruled over parts of the Toggenburg region since the 12th century, in
2772-596: The Swiss Reformed Church . Of the rest of the population, there are 29 individuals (or about 0.06% of the population) who belong to the Christian Catholic denomination, there are 939 individuals (or about 2.05% of the population) who belong to the Orthodox Church, and there are 1,033 individuals (or about 2.25% of the population) who belong to another denomination. There are 11 individuals (or about 0.02% of
2856-512: The abbot of St. Gall in 1468. Part of the Toggenburg followed the Swiss Reformation led by Zwingli, and the valley declared itself independent in 1530, but was forced to re-submit to the Abbot of St. Gall in 1538. The Abbot was, however, pressured into toleration of either confession, so that the Toggenburg became one of the few regions of Switzerland , where Catholicism and Protestantism have
2940-463: The tram or trolleybus must temporarily reduce the power draw before the trolley pole passes through, to prevent arc damage to the insulator. Pantograph-equipped locomotives must not run through a section break when one side is de-energized. The locomotive would become trapped, but as it passes the section break the pantograph briefly shorts the two catenary lines. If the opposite line is de-energized, this voltage transient may trip supply breakers. If
3024-510: The 13th century taking the title of counts ( comes ) and extending their domain to include all of the upper Thur valley. The extinction of the main line of the counts of Toggenburg (1436) led to the Old Zürich War (1440–46) ultimately resulting in the temporary expulsion of Zürich from the Swiss confederacy. Eventually, the Toggenburg passed to the lord of Raron (in Valais ), who sold it to
3108-492: The 1500 V DC overhead of the railway and the 650 V DC of the trams, called a Tram Square. Several such crossings have been grade separated in recent years as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project . Athens has two crossings of tram and trolleybus wires, at Vas. Amalias Avenue and Vas. Olgas Avenue, and at Ardittou Street and Athanasiou Diakou Street. They use the above-mentioned solution. In Rome , at
3192-457: The BT, the SBB retired from the operation of Ebnat-Kappel station at the same time. Steam traction lasted for twelve years on the remaining 20 km of the Toggenburg railway between Wil and Wattwil before electrical operations also started there on 12 December 1943. This removed the curiosity that only the BT track was electrified between Wattwil and Lichtensteig, while the SBB track was not. As part of
3276-544: The BT. In addition, there was a false double track between the two stations, as the lines of the SBB and the BT were laid next to each other. Functionally, the Toggenburg Railway was extended on 1 October 1912 by the BT line from Ebnat-Kappel to Nesslau-Neu St. Johann , which also meant that Ebnat-Kappel became a joint station. On 4 October 1926, there was an accident in the Ricken Tunnel (carbon monoxide poisoning of
3360-517: The Hell's Gate Bridge boundary between Amtrak and Metro North 's electrifications) that would never be in-phase. Since a dead section is always dead, no special signal aspect was developed to warn drivers of its presence, and a metal sign with "DS" in drilled-hole letters was hung from the catenary supports. Occasionally gaps may be present in the overhead lines, when switching from one voltage to another or to provide clearance for ships at moveable bridges, as
3444-567: The SBB. The contractually regulated use of the rail systems since the opening of BT was replaced in the Rail Reform 1 program by the so-called open-access network. In the course of 2005, SBB and SOB finally agreed on an adjustment of the ownership structure: the SBB ceded its share of Lichtensteig and Wattwil stations, terminated its lease of the Wattwil–Ebnat section and ceded the second track between Lichtensteig and Wattwil. In return, it received
Wil–Ebnat-Kappel railway - Misplaced Pages Continue
3528-584: The SOB share of St. Gallen station . With the transfers completed in 2006, the SBB now only retains the Wil–Lichtensteig section of the former Toggenburg Railway. From the electrification of the line until the commencement of the 2013 timetable, operations on the Wil–Nesslau-Neu St. Johann route were operated end to end. Rolling stock from the SBB and the BT was used. The SBB considered abandoning operations on
3612-590: The Swiss national languages (as of 2000 ), 41,718 speak German , 107 people speak French , 673 people speak Italian , and 47 people speak Romansh . The age distribution, as of 2000 , is; 6,296 children or 13.7% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 7,444 teenagers or 16.2% are between 10 and 19. Of the adult population, 5,046 people or 11.0% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 6,784 people or 14.8% are between 30 and 39, 6,390 people or 13.9% are between 40 and 49, and 4,926 people or 10.7% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution
3696-574: The Toggenburg district has consisted of ten municipalities: The Toggenburg is traversed by the southern section of the Bodensee–Toggenburg railway line between Mogelsberg and Nesslau-Neu St. Johann , while the Wil–Ebnat-Kappel railway line runs through the lower part of the valley between Lütisburg and Ebnat-Kappel . In addition, the Uznach–Wattwil railway line links Wattwil with
3780-556: The arc either bridging the insulators into a section made dead for maintenance, a section fed from a different phase, or setting up a Backdoor connection between different parts of the country's national grid. On the Pennsylvania Railroad , phase breaks were indicated by a position light signal face with all eight radial positions with lenses and no center light. When the phase break was active (the catenary sections out of phase), all lights were lit. The position light signal aspect
3864-657: The construction company agreed to build the railway together with all of the buildings on the line within two years for CHF 3 million. Three E 3/3 locomotives were built by Krauss & Co. The official opening of the TB took place on 23 June 1870. The company was particularly proud of the 54.5 metre-high Guggenloch Bridge near Lütisburg. The operation of the TB was carried out by the United Swiss Railways ( Vereinigte Schweizerbahnen , VSB) until its nationalisation. Initially, four trains, later five, ran daily between Wil and Ebnat. The income from passenger and freight traffic
3948-563: The construction of the CHF 12 million Ricken Tunnel. The Uznach–Wattwil railway (Ricken Railway) from Wattwil to Uznach and connecting to the existing railway to Rapperswil was opened on 1 October 1910. The direct connection from Wattwil to St. Gallen was opened two days later by the Bodensee-Toggenburg-Bahn (BT). Even then, the former TB and the BT had several points of contact, so Lichtensteig and Wattwil stations were shared with
4032-612: The contact wire, cold drawn solid copper was used to ensure good conductivity . The wire is not round but has grooves at the sides to allow the hangers to attach to it. Sizes were (in cross-sectional area) 85, 100, or 150 mm . To make the wire stronger, 0.04% tin might be added. The wire must resist the heat generated by arcing and thus such wires should never be spliced by thermal means. The messenger (or catenary) wire needs to be both strong and have good conductivity. They used multi-strand wires (or cables) with 19 strands in each cable (or wire). Copper, aluminum, and/or steel were used for
4116-476: The controller into neutral and coast through. Trolleybus drivers had to either lift off the accelerator or switch to auxiliary power. In Melbourne , Victoria, tram drivers put the controller into neutral and coast through section insulators, indicated by insulator markings between the rails. Melbourne has several remaining level crossings between electrified suburban railways and tram lines. They have mechanical switching arrangements (changeover switch) to switch
4200-526: The crossing between Viale Regina Margherita and Via Nomentana, tram and trolleybus lines cross: tram on Viale Regina Margherita and trolleybus on Via Nomentana. The crossing is orthogonal, therefore the typical arrangement was not available. In Milan , most tram lines cross its circular trolleybus line once or twice. Trolleybus and tram wires run parallel in streets such as viale Stelvio, viale Umbria and viale Tibaldi. Some railways used two or three overhead lines, usually to carry three-phase current. This
4284-604: The electrification, the Bazenheid and Dietfurt bridges were rebuilt in 1943. The new Guggenloch Bridge was opened in 1945. Limited double-track operations became possible on the Wattwil–Lichtensteig section after limited infrastructure adjustments in 1977/1978. With the merger of BT and the Schweizerischen Südostbahn (SOB) on 1 January 2001—while maintaining the latter name—the SOB became a contractual partner of
SECTION 50
#17328696122584368-648: The highest village (3,632 ft [1,107 m]), the house wherein Huldrych Zwingli , the Swiss Reformer, was born in 1484, is still shown. Other villages are Lichtensteig , Kirchberg and Wattwil . There are traces of the paleolithic Mousterian Industry throughout the Appenzell Alps , in the Toggenburg notably in Wildenmannlisloch cave. The upper Thur valley was part of the province of Raetia in
4452-510: The line from Wil to Nesslau-Neu St. Johann are set out in the Swiss timetable as table 853. Toggenburg Toggenburg is a region of Switzerland . It corresponds to the upper valley of the River Thur and that of the Necker , one of its afluents. Since 1 January 2003, Toggenburg has been a constituency ( Wahlkreis ) of the canton of St. Gallen ( SFOS number 1727). The valley descends in
4536-497: The line in the 1970s. The line has been operated as line S9 of the St. Gallen S-Bahn since 2009. In preparation, the platforms at the stations of Bazenheid, Bütschwil and Dietfurt were raised and extended. An outer platform was built with a pedestrian underpass in Bütschwil, where the half-hourly trains cross. Bazenheid received a covered passenger shelter. A new computer-based interlocking
4620-451: The line is under maintenance, an injury may occur as the catenary is suddenly energized. Even if the catenary is properly grounded to protect the personnel, the arc generated across the pantograph can damage the pantograph, the catenary insulator or both. Sometimes on a larger electrified railway, tramway or trolleybus system, it is necessary to power different areas of track from different power grids, without guaranteeing synchronisation of
4704-478: The military railway between Marienfelde and Zossen between 1901 and 1904 (length 23.4 kilometres (14.5 mi)) and an 800-metre (2,600 ft)-long section of a coal railway near Cologne between 1940 and 1949. On DC systems, bipolar overhead lines were sometimes used to avoid galvanic corrosion of metallic parts near the railway, such as on the Chemin de fer de la Mure . All systems with multiple overhead lines have
4788-409: The natural path of a wire strung between two points, a catenary curve , thus the use of "catenary" to describe this wire or sometimes the whole system. This wire is attached to the contact wire at regular intervals by vertical wires known as "droppers" or "drop wires". It is supported regularly at structures, by a pulley , link or clamp . The whole system is then subjected to mechanical tension . As
4872-471: The opening of the St. Gallen–Winterthur railway there were strong demands for a railway in the Toggenburg . As early as 1856, a planning commission founded on the initiative of industrialists led by Johann Rudolf Raschle commissioned a design for a Wil– Ebnat railway. An option that would have run from Lütisburg to Uzwil or Flawil was rejected for topographical and financial reasons. A detailed financial estimate amounting to Swiss francs (CHF) 6 million
4956-402: The overhead conductor rail that runs across the entire span of the swing bridge. The gap is required for the swing bridge to be opened and closed. To connect the conductor rails together when the bridge is closed, there is another conductor rail section called "rotary overlap" that is equipped with a motor. When the bridge is fully closed, the motor of the rotary overlap is operated to turn it from
5040-480: The overhead line is limited due to the change in the height of the weights as the overhead line expands and contracts with temperature changes. This movement is proportional to the distance between anchors. Tension length has a maximum. For most 25 kV OHL equipment in the UK, the maximum tension length is 1,970 m (6,460 ft). An additional issue with AT equipment is that, if balance weights are attached to both ends,
5124-455: The pantograph as the train travels around the curve. The movement of the contact wire across the head of the pantograph is called the "sweep". The zigzagging of the overhead line is not required for trolley poles. For tramways , a contact wire without a messenger wire is used. Depot areas tend to have only a single wire and are known as "simple equipment" or "trolley wire". When overhead line systems were first conceived, good current collection
SECTION 60
#17328696122585208-457: The pantograph causes mechanical oscillations in the wire. The waves must travel faster than the train to avoid producing standing waves , which could break the wire. Tensioning the line makes waves travel faster, and also reduces sag from gravity. For medium and high speeds, the wires are generally tensioned by weights or occasionally by hydraulic tensioners. Either method is known as "auto-tensioning" (AT) or "constant tension" and ensures that
5292-411: The pantograph moves along under the contact wire, the carbon insert on top of the pantograph becomes worn with time. On straight track, the contact wire is zigzagged slightly to the left and right of the centre from each support to the next so that the insert wears evenly, thus preventing any notches. On curves, the "straight" wire between the supports causes the contact point to cross over the surface of
5376-424: The phases. Long lines may be connected to the country's national grid at various points and different phases. (Sometimes the sections are powered with different voltages or frequencies.) The grids may be synchronised on a normal basis, but events may interrupt synchronisation. This is not a problem for DC systems. AC systems have a particular safety implication in that the railway electrification system would act as
5460-417: The population) who are Jewish , and 2,889 (or about 6.29% of the population) who are Islamic . There are 245 individuals (or about 0.53% of the population) who belong to another church (not listed on the census), 2,183 (or about 4.76% of the population) belong to no church, are agnostic or atheist , and 1,410 individuals (or about 3.07% of the population) did not answer the question. Since 1 January 2013,
5544-519: The reactive upward pull of the tensioned wires lift the pulley so its teeth are well clear of a stop on the mast. The pulley can turn freely while the weights move up or down as the wires contract or expand. If tension is lost the pulley falls back toward the mast, and one of its teeth jams against the stop. This stops further rotation, limits the damage, and keeps the undamaged part of the wire intact until it can be repaired. Other systems use various braking mechanisms, usually with multiple smaller pulleys in
5628-420: The stiffness of the spring for ease of maintenance. For low speeds and in tunnels where temperatures are constant, fixed termination (FT) equipment may be used, with the wires terminated directly on structures at each end of the overhead line. The tension is generally about 10 kN (2,200 lbf). This type of equipment sags in hot conditions and is taut in cold conditions. With AT, the continuous length of
5712-488: The strands. All 19 strands could be made of the same metal or a mix of metals based on the required properties. For example, steel wires were used for strength, while aluminium or copper wires were used for conductivity. Another type looked like it had all copper wires but inside each wire was a steel core for strength. The steel strands were galvanized but for better corrosion protection they could be coated with an anti-corrosion substance. In Slovenia , where 3 kV system
5796-514: The tension is virtually independent of temperature. Tensions are typically between 9 and 20 kN (2,000 and 4,500 lbf ) per wire. Where weights are used, they slide up and down on a rod or tube attached to the mast, to prevent them from swaying. Recently, spring tensioners have started to be used. These devices contain a torsional spring with a cam arrangement to ensure a constant applied tension (instead of varying proportionally with extension). Some devices also include mechanisms for adjusting
5880-487: The total population in the region, as of 2000 , the highest education level completed by 11,393 people (24.8% of the population) was Primary , while 15,123 (32.9%) have completed Secondary , 3,627 (7.9%) have attended a Tertiary school, and 2,291 (5.0%) are not in school. The remainder did not answer this question. As of October 2009 the average unemployment rate was 2.9%. From the 2000 census , 21,238 or 46.3% are Roman Catholic , while 15,930 or 34.7% belonged to
5964-425: The train crew of a stopped freight train), which forced the SBB to electrify the tunnel immediately at 15 kV/16⅔ (now 16.7) Hz AC and steam operation in the tunnel was prohibited as of 15 May 1927. The BT was thus also forced to electrify its line to restore through operations. Although the SBB did not prioritise the electrification of the Toggenburg Railway, BT wanted to switch completely to electric operation, but it
6048-494: The train or tram and back to the feeder station through the steel wheels on one or both running rails. Non-electric locomotives (such as diesels ) may pass along these tracks without affecting the overhead line, although there may be difficulties with overhead clearance . Alternative electrical power transmission schemes for trains include third rail , ground-level power supply , batteries and electromagnetic induction . Vehicles like buses that have rubber tyres cannot provide
6132-465: The tram wire. The tram's pantograph bridges the gap between the different conductors, providing it with a continuous pickup. Where the tram wire crosses, the trolleybus wires are protected by an inverted trough of insulating material extending 20 or 30 mm (0.79 or 1.18 in) below. Until 1946, a level crossing in Stockholm , Sweden connected the railway south of Stockholm Central Station and
6216-444: The trolleybus wires must be insulated from tram wires. This is usually done by the trolleybus wires running continuously through the crossing, with the tram conductors a few centimetres lower. Close to the junction on each side, the tram wire turns into a solid bar running parallel to the trolleybus wires for about half a metre. Another bar similarly angled at its ends is hung between the trolleybus wires, electrically connected above to
6300-406: The upper lobe of the contact wire. These grooves vary in number and location on the arc of the upper section. Copper is chosen for its excellent conductivity, with other metals added to increase tensile strength. The choice of material is chosen based on the needs of the particular system, balancing the need for conductivity and tensile strength. Catenary wires are kept in mechanical tension because
6384-496: The whole tension length is free to move along the track. To avoid this a midpoint anchor (MPA), close to the centre of the tension length, restricts movement of the messenger/catenary wire by anchoring it; the contact wire and its suspension hangers can move only within the constraints of the MPA. MPAs are sometimes fixed to low bridges, or otherwise anchored to vertical catenary poles or portal catenary supports. A tension length can be seen as
6468-450: Was compiled at the end of 1858. For a long time nothing was heard about the project. In 1864, the Bern construction company Wieland, Gubser & Cie. expressed interest in it. The railway committee provided the company with all of its documents. The canton of St. Gallen acquired shares worth CHF 2.5 million and CHF 1.5 million was subscribed by municipalities and private individuals. In 1868,
6552-510: Was forced to lease the Wattwil–Ebnat section from the SBB to provide a continuous overhead line on its Ebnat-Kappel–Nesslau-Neu St. Johann section. Electrical operations on the St. Gallen–Wattwil–Nesslau-Neu St. Johann line commenced on 4 October 1931, which also meant that through trains could through the Ricken Tunnel. With the permanent lease of the Wattwil–Ebnat-Kappel section to
6636-513: Was initially remotely controlled from St. Gallen. Since the commencement of the 2013 timetable, Thurbo trains have run on the Wil–Wattwil section as line S9 of the St. Gallen S-Bahn at half-hour intervals. Some trains continue as line S10 to Weinfelden , but this is shown neither in the timetable nor on the platform displays . Thurbo trains run as line S8 from Nesslau-Neu St. Johann via St. Gallen and Kreuzlingen to Schaffhausen . Services on
6720-715: Was originally devised by the Pennsylvania Railroad and was continued by Amtrak and adopted by Metro North . Metal signs were hung from the catenary supports with the letters "PB" created by a pattern of drilled holes. A special category of phase break was developed in America, primarily by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Since its traction power network was centrally supplied and only segmented by abnormal conditions, normal phase breaks were generally not active. Phase breaks that were always activated were known as "Dead Sections": they were often used to separate power systems (for example,
6804-429: Was possible only at low speeds, using a single wire. To enable higher speeds, two additional types of equipment were developed: Earlier dropper wires provided physical support of the contact wire without joining the catenary and contact wires electrically. Modern systems use current-carrying droppers, eliminating the need for separate wires. The present transmission system originated about 100 years ago. A simpler system
6888-476: Was proposed in the 1970s by the Pirelli Construction Company, consisting of a single wire embedded at each support for 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) of its length in a clipped, extruded aluminum beam with the wire contact face exposed. A somewhat higher tension than used before clipping the beam yielded a deflected profile for the wire that could be easily handled at 400 km/h (250 mph) by
6972-499: Was roughly in balance. The TB was a financially sound company and was able to pay dividends practically every year. In the run-up to nationalisation , projects were underway that provided for a connection between St. Gallen and the St. Gallen peninsula . The St. Gallen–Zug railway committee chose a route through the Toggenburg, which would also later allow direct access to the Gotthard Railway . The committee had already received
7056-461: Was used, with the brass contact running inside the groove. When the overhead line was raised in the Simplon Tunnel to accommodate taller rolling stock, a rail was used. A rigid overhead rail may also be used in places where tensioning the wires is impractical, for example on moveable bridges . In modern uses, it is very common for underground sections of trams, metros, and mainline railways to use
#257742