A dynamically scaled model of the catenary with a nominal scaling factor of 18.5:1 is designed and constructed. The motivation for developing such a model is the great difficulty of making accurate measurements on the full-scale catenary and the difficulty of making experimental modifications to it. The scaled model is designed to be dynamically equivalent to the full scale catenary with respect to the mass and elastic strength. The scaled model is partially verified by comparing linear vibration and wave characteristics with those predicted by the simulation study.