Headspans¶
Headspans are complex wire structures designed to support multiple catenary wires across a larger distance. They serve as an alternative connection point to cantilevers and are primarily used in cases where placing masts with cantilevers is difficult or impossible.
Usage¶
Create a headspan structure¶
To create a headspan, you need to select four connection points:
- Point A of the span (like other wires)
- Point B of the span (like other wires)
- The height of the second support wire (can also be set on the opposite side)
- The height of the upper tension wire (can also be set on the opposite side)
Valid connection points are:
- All blocks from the
pantographsandwires:catenary_headspan_connectableblock tag (e.g. lattice masts)
Height Differences¶
Headspan wires consist of three tension wires: the two lower wires support the catenary wires, while the upper wire stabilizes the entire structure.
- The distance between the two lower wires (the ones carrying the catenary wires) must be at least 1 block.
- The height of the upper tension wire is calculated based on the distance between the two masts and increases as the span length grows.
Create and remove dropper wires¶
To create a dropper wire, right-click on one of the tension wires with a wrench.
To remove a dropper, right-click on the dropper wire with a wrench.
Warning
All catenary wires and decorations connected to this dropper will be destroyed when removing the dropper.
Connect catenary wires¶
To connect catenary wires, dropper wires must be created first. You do this by right-clicking on one of the tension wires with a wrench.
Next, a registration arm must be attached to the dropper, to which the catenary wire is connected. This is done by right-clicking on the dropper with a Cantilever item.
Finally, with a Wire Coil and with Catenary Wire type selected, right-click on a dropper with a registration arm to use it as a connection point for the Catenary wire.
Tip
The type of registration arm specified in the cantilever settings is also used for the registration arm on the dropper. Consequently, the contact wire is positioned as centered, left-shifted, or right-shifted. The direction in which the wire is shifted depends on the relative viewing angle to the headspan wire and can be determined from the preview icon within the cantilever settings.
Decorations¶
Insulators can be placed at different positions on the headspan structure to isolate the individual catenary wires and parts from one another.
