The catenary wire is 20" long so poles are 20" on the straight sections. Poles are closer together on curves. Because the bridge you see is a lift bridge the catenary through the bridge is made from 1/16" welding rod with 1/4" brass for the supports. The catenary can be powered however, that is not an option if you are using a VL GG1. Geometry of the curves is extremely important. Because our curves are much sharper than the prototype the pantograph will extend over the center line of the rails. Bend and fit your catenary wire BEFORE you anchor the poles. Use your locomotive as a gauge and keep the wire as close to the center of the sliders as possible. One last thing, the VL GG1 pan is more scale size than most others so it is a little more narrow. It is also bolted to the body so, unlike most other pans that will just pop off in an accident, any accident involving the pan is sure to cause damage to the pan. At $80 a pop for a new pan, you will want to be careful.
Thanks for the comments, everyone. The poles were painted with a leather brown to look like they been there a long time. The catenary wire is painted with sea glass green to duplicate the green patina of copper. If you are going to power the catenary don't paint it, or dry brush it after installation or you will have conductivity problems.
