Girls GG1

[bobbie21921]

Was wondering if this Engine is able to power itself from Catenary or does it have to come from track power. In the description it says operating pantographs but is that electrical or just the ability to raise and lower.
Thanks in advance for your help

[SantaFe158]

That's the ability to raise and lower them manually.

I think there was a way to wire the postwar Lionel ones to run off of a cantenary.  Not sure if the Williams ones are the same.

[phillyreading]

Most likely you will have to run the GG1 on regular track power like all other engines. To use the pantograph and catenarry system will require soldering a wire to the inside shell for the pantograph to get power from. The shell of the GG1 will have to be removed from the frame of the engine in order to do this.
You can raise the pantograph without having to worry about getting power to it, but that is just for show. Also you may run into clearance problems if you have any tunnels or bridges on your layout, as the pantograph sticks up about an inch or more when raised.

For the overhead wires or catenarry; you can buy the MTH catenarry wire system, or you can build your own system. There was an article in Classic Toy Trains a while back about how to build your own catenarry system.

Lee F.

[bobbie21921]

Thanks for the help

[SantaFe158]

The shell of the GG1 will have to be removed from the frame of the engine in order to do this.

That's not that hard to do.  There's not much inside to worry about like the command engines from Lionel or MTH.  The williams ones are simple like the postwar engines.

[phillyreading]

I am not 100% sure how to remove the shell from the frame on the Williams GG-1, but with K-Line's(similar to Lionel) GG-1 you need to remove about six screws in the underside.
If you can't solder because there is little room, maybe an electrical spade or terminal connector from an electronics store will work.

Lee F.