Contact wire wear

CONTACT wire wear is important to the operator of an electric railroad, primarily because it contributes to the maintenance cost of the catenary system. The prudent operator will, therefore, periodically check the condition of the wire so that replacements may be planned in an orderly manner before breaks occur. The data presented here are based largely on results of such a survey, made on The Pennsylvania Railroad in 1958, which covers approximately 94% of the electrified road track miles. Yard tracks were not included.