[milwaukee-electric] Re: Theory on the Fond du Lac Training Loop

[Ken and Tracie]

Probably. But assuming the bonds were good, I still believe (without knowing 
the facts behind the decision), the least expensive option was to run an 
insulated cable from the rails up a line pole, under sheathing, to the 
return cables for the trolley buses.

BTW, study some color pictures of trackless trolley overhead construction in 
Milwaukee. Positive feeder cables usually used brown insulators. Negative 
cables usually used white insulators.

TM seemed to make every effort possible to make things "idiot-proof." ;-)

K.




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Scott Greig" <sbgreig_m1 at yahoo.com>
To: <milwaukee-electric at lists.dementia.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 6:07 AM
Subject: [milwaukee-electric] Re: Theory on the Fond du Lac Training Loop


> Wouldn't the expense of shifting one existing wire, hanging another, and 
> modifying three cars have been greater than sending two guys in a truck 
> with a welder and a bucket of bonds to upgrade the loop?
> --- On Thu, 11/19/09, Ken and Tracie <ktjosephson at embarqmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> From: Ken and Tracie <ktjosephson at embarqmail.com>
> Subject: [milwaukee-electric] Theory on the Fond du Lac Training Loop
> To: milwaukee-electric at lists.dementia.org
> Date: Thursday, November 19, 2009, 6:54 AM
>
>
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> Okay, we all know the cars on the training loop used a negative return =
> wire like trackless trolleys and Cincinnati/Havana/Merrill streetcars =
> after the loop was isolated from the remainder of the rail system.
>
> I still do not understand why a jumper cable could not have been run =
> from the rails of the loop to the trackless trolleys' negative return =
> feeders.
>
> Does anybody know the reason the loop was converted to twin wires? =
> Safety concerns? Bad rail bonds on the loop?=20
>
> I remember visiting Orange Empire during the 1990s. There was a bad rail =
> bond by the depot which would shoot sparks if a nearby car was drawing =
> power.=20
>
> I am wondering if the rail bonds were bad and M&ST decided twin wires =
> was a more economical solution than restoring bonds on training trackage =
> which was going to be redundant within a decade?=20
>
> Any thoughts on this?
>
> K.
>
>
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