CURRENT COLLECTOR AND METHOD FOR OPERATION

A method for operating a current collector on a roof of a rail vehicle for transferring energy thereto from a contact line of an overhead contact line, the current collector having a positioning device for moving a sliding piece relative to the contact line and pressing it against the contact line in a sliding contact position using a pressing force produced by a drive mechanism and a spring mechanism. The current collector has a measuring unit with a measuring device, at least two sensors of a sensor apparatus of the measuring device being disposed on the positioning device or the sliding piece, measured values being registered in the sliding contact position in each case by the sensors. The measured values are processed by a processing apparatus, which correlates the measured values and determines a characteristic value describing an operating state of the current collector or the overhead contact line.