Place Wire Run

Places one wire run or more between the selected reference lines.

Workflow

Select geometry or select geometry sections.
- Select geometry method creates a wire path that runs through whole geometry ignoring turnouts.
- Select geometry sections method is user-selected geometry sections that are divided based on turnout locations. When a section is selected, this section is highlighted up to next turnout location. At this location a fork selection is requested from the user (similar to complex geometry command). Right click to finish selection. The final path highlights, left click to accept.
Select start reference line or overlap.
- If a reference line is selected wire starts from this reference line.
- If an overlap is selected, wire starts from the beginning of this overlap. In this case, the existing wire that is after the overlap is replaced with the new wire run. This is needed to continue placing wires.
Select the end reference line or overlap
- If a reference line is selected wire ends at this reference line.
- If an overlap is selected, wire ends at the end of this overlap. In this case the existing wire that is before the overlap is replaced with the new wire run. This is needed to continue placing wires.

Standards used while placing the wire is read from the reference lines. If there are multiple standards read from the reference lines, then the tool asks for user to select which standard to be used.

Wire placement automatically creates overlaps based on the maximum wire length or maximum number of spans defined in the standards.

Wire stagger, contact wire height, encumbrance, when to use stitch wires, etcetera, is read from related tables in the standards except overlaps. On overlap areas those values are read from related overlap tables.

Wire stagger is defined as negative or positive. Negative is to the left of rotated axis, and positive is to the right of rotated axis.

Wire alternates (zigzag) between left and right stagger on a straight geometry, to even out pantograph wear. On the curves stagger is always to the outside of the curve. That is on a left-hand curve stagger is to the right.

Type of the overlap to be used is defined in the selected standards. Normally on straight portions of the geometry 3 span overlaps are used, and on curves 4 or 5 span overlaps are used. Selection of the overlap type is based on radius and speed.

Note: On the overlap areas, having structures on the left or right hand side normally does not affect overlap stagger values. The only exception is end of the wire, as end of the wire should be connected to the structure. In this workflow, when the wires are calculated, structure placement is not done. This means, end of the wire stagger values should be updated after structures are placed. Doing it this way prevents triggering an update of whole wire run.

Wire Run Manipulation

Manipulators at the start and end of wire runs allow selecting the end of a wire and dragging it to next/previous reference line.