AC Power Plugs and Sockets: British and Related Types

Overall, China takes first place, with around 100,000 km (62,000 mi) of electrified railway, followed by India with over 60,000 km (37,000 mi) of electrified railway, and continuing with Russia, with over 54,000 km (34,000 mi) of electrified railway. Such installations are in the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor in India where the wire height is at 7.45 m (24.4 ft) to accommodate double-stack container trains without the need of well-wagons. In most of the world's railway networks, the height clearance of overhead electrical lines is not sufficient for a double-stack container car or other unusually tall loads. Due to the height restriction imposed by the overhead wires, double-stacked container trains have been traditionally difficult and rare to operate under electrified lines. Theft: the high scrap value of copper and the unguarded, remote installations make overhead cables an attractive target for scrap metal thieves. Costs are especially high when tunnels, bridges and other obstructions have to be altered for clearance.

If the entire network is electrified, diesel infrastructure such as fueling stations, maintenance yards and indeed the diesel locomotive fleet can be retired or put to other uses - this is often the business case in favor of electrifying the last few lines in a network where otherwise costs would be too high. Even on fully electrified networks, it is usually a good idea to keep a few diesel locomotives for maintenance and repair trains, for instance to repair broken or stolen overhead lines, what is electric cable or to lay new tracks. Incompatibility: Diesel trains can run on any track without electricity or with any kind of electricity (third rail or overhead line, DC or AC, and at any voltage or frequency). Since all the circuit conductors required can be installed in a cable at one time, installation labor is saved compared to certain other wiring methods. The mechanics of power supply wiring is not as simple as it looks (Figure 1). Hanging a wire over the track, providing it with current and running trains under it is not that easy if it is to do the job properly and last long enough to justify the expense of installing it. NEMA wiring devices are made in current ratings from 15 to 60 amperes (A), with voltage ratings from 125 to 600 volts (V).

• If two wires are twisted, then the cumulative effect of the interference on both the wires is equal. Newly electrified lines often show a "sparks effect", whereby electrification in passenger rail systems leads to significant jumps in patronage / revenue. Whatever the causes of the sparks effect, it is well established for numerous routes that have electrified over decades. Appearance: the overhead line structures and cabling can have a significant landscape impact compared with a non-electrified or third rail electrified line that has only occasional signalling equipment above ground level. In 2014, progress is being made in the use of large capacitors to power electric vehicles between stations, and so avoid the need for overhead wires between those stations. Fragility and vulnerability: overhead electrification systems can suffer severe disruption due to minor mechanical faults or the effects of high winds causing the pantograph of a moving train to become entangled with the catenary, ripping the wires from their supports. Slough in 1843, the system was converted to a one-needle, two-wire configuration with uninsulated wires on poles. Distinctive characteristics of the system are shutters on the line and neutral socket holes, and a fuse in the plug. These safety devices work by comparing the currents flowing in the live and neutral conductors, and disconnect the circuit if their difference exceeds 4 to 6 milliamperes.

The hot and neutral blades are angled at 45° from vertical and 90° to each other, unlike NEMA 10 devices (where the angles are 30° and 60° respectively), also the plug is slightly smaller than a NEMA 10 and larger than ordinary 5-15P plugs. 1-15P plugs have two parallel flat blades, 1⁄4 inch (6.4 mm) wide, 0.06 inches (1.5 mm) thick, 5⁄8-23⁄32 inch (15.9-18.3 mm) long, and spaced 1⁄2 inch (12.7 mm) apart. However, due to ventilation issues, diesel trains may have to be banned from certain tunnels and underground train stations mitigating the advantage of diesel trains somewhat. Attempts at theft of live 25 kV cables may end in the thief's death from electrocution. For a long transmission line, these lower losses (and reduced construction cost of a DC line) can offset the cost of the required converter stations at each end. When a power feed cord is detachable from an RV, an L5-30P is usually used on the RV end of the cord. Power gaps can be overcome in single-collector trains by on-board batteries or motor-flywheel-generator systems. If you would like to know more about this topic, we can assist you. The faster acceleration clears lines more quickly to run more trains on the track in urban rail uses.