Contact with overhead wires

[Velex]

Another noob question guys (I'm using Trainz 2009)...

Are electric trains supposed to have contact with the overhead
wiring system?

Mine don't and it's very obvious there's no contact between the pantograph
(I think that's what you call it) and the wire above.

Is this the way it has always been with Trainz or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks

 

[Ronayne]

What do you mean by theres no contact?
And yes its called a pantograph.

 

[whistlehead]

Nothing wrong, it's just that different trainz may have different pantograph heights. It's a real problem with trams as well.

 

[Ronayne]

Tell me about it.

 

[rweber95]

Haven't you guys ever heard of virtual contact :hehe: ?

Bob

 

[Euphod]

Didn't someone make a sparking pantograph for an earlier version? I remember seeing it before, and it was awesome!:udrool:

 

[gp792]

In TS2009, one of the european locos has a sparking panto.

 

[S301]

Unfortunately, Trainz models generally can't 'follow' the overhead wires height. Sometimes the panto will be too high, sometimes it will be too low. Best bet is to find items that use the same height as the wire you have. Also, make sure the wire is set to the same 'height' as the track, so it follows grades correctly.
Zec

 

[martinvk]

As astute observers will have noted, both catenary wires and rails are virtual in Trainz maps which is why both pantographs and wheels sometimes seem to float above or sink below their surface. Without bounding boxes, there is no way for the objects to know that they are not in proper contact. In Trainz the bogie wheels actual follow the invisble track defined by the config file. The visible mesh is only for our benefit so that we have something to look at.

 

[Ronayne]

Didn't someone make a sparking pantograph for an earlier version? I remember seeing it before, and it was awesome!:udrool:

Theres a sparking trolley pole for the Brisbane trams, available from the DLS