third rail setup

Ever since moving to Chicagoland in '93 I've wondered about CTA's practice of not using a wooden or other type of protection to cover the 3rd rail a la NYC, Washington, Toronto and others. I'm also curious about using 3rd rail on surface lines such as the Cermak branch of the Blue Line.

Granted, I can't recall reading or hearing of large numbers of people getting fried after coming in contact with the 3rd rail, but it seems to me that CTA is playing with fire (no(?) pun intended!) with its 3rd rail practices.

Can anyone explain why CTA is so different in this regard from other transit systems?

For lack of a better explanation, that's just the way it's always been. The Chicago rapid transit has used the exposed third-rail construction since the earliest days of electrification. It's never presented a major problem, so why fix what ain't broke?

It's the same situation with the third rail at grade, as on the Douglas branch of the Blue Line and on the Brown Line. It's always been that way, the neighbors have always known of the danger, and it's never been a big problem. Until 1958 the Chicago Aurora & Elgin Railroad operated commuter service through the western suburbs with exposed third rail all the way.

Some grade-level routes were not always powered by third rail. The Evanston route (now Purple Line) north of South Boulevard was trolley wire until 1973. The Lake route (now Green Line) used trolley wire west of Laramie until the '60s, when the line was relocated to the C&NW embankment where it now runs.

So, I guess that's not really an explanation, but I'm not sure there is a better one. The exposed third rail has never been much of a problem in Chicago, so there's never really been a reason to change it.

I know that Chicago always had there third rail exposed. I can see that people who live by the blue line(Douglas), and the brown lines know that they are not suppose to go on the tracks, because they will be injured or get killed, by the electric current. I heard in the several newspapers, that the cta are holding saftey discussions in skokie so that people won't walk near or on the tracks.

I rode the subways in Atlanta, and I seen that there third rail is covered up, just like new york, Atlanta don't have street level crossings. Chicago really dont have to cover up the third rail, unless several crazy people decided to walk on the tracks, and kill themselves. Untill that ever happens I don't think that it is necessary to cover up the third rail.

I think one of the reasons it's not covered with a board or something is because the type of third rail pickup shoes used on (most) Chicago railcars are different from anywhere else. They use a "gravity" type shoe, which is kind of tall and bulky, to the point where putting a board over the third rail wouldn't be possible - the shoe and the board would interfere with eachother. The exception to this would be the Budd 2200-series railcars used on the Blue line; these have New York-style "slipper" third rail pickup shoes, which is different because it's really just a piece of metal that sticks out and rests on the rail. That's the reason that NY and other cities can have a board over the rail, because the pickup shoes aren't as bulky. Some of the 6000s also had these (you can see them up close on a set at IRM) but the CTA seems to like the "gravity" type shoe and no railcar has been equipped with any of the "slipper" shoes since the 2200s were built. I think the "gravity" shoes work better as far as shock absorbtion goes, so that's probably why the CTA likes them.

Even being very young (but having an older brother to keep an eye on me!), living with the Ravenswood line (please, no colors) in the alley behind the apartment, it was just rote, you don't go near the third rail. At the grade crossings (Francisco was our stop), all you had between the rail and you was some signage, simple critter determents, and COMMON SENSE!

Besides, how are you gonna see the sparks with covers on!

TT

Note to the author, pick a nice sunny day and ride out to Francisco and walk the neighborhood. Check out the grade crossings both at the station and 1 block west. Great place to watch the action and take in the Chicago atmosphere!

http://www.chicago-l.org/stations/francisco.html

Only ex-NYC, such as MNCRR uses covered 3rd rail in New York. LIRR uses exposed like chicago - that's why MNCRR and LIRR FL9's and cars aren't interchangeable.

I always did think it was dumb for any type of 3rd rail in ground level suburban areas. It used to be 1/3 of the el was catenary (Skokie, Evanston, Lake, and Douglas branch) but the last was just dismantled.

Tadman.

LIRR uses exposed like chicago - that's why MNCRR and LIRR FL9's and cars aren't interchangeable.

As 22 year present employee of LIRR, I can assure you that all LIRR third rail has protection board over it.
Contact shoes are not compatible on the sister railroads because LIRR is overrunning, while MNCR contact shoes are underrunning.

Tom

Oops, I knew there was an incompatibility reason, but I guess I missed it...

Tadman,

I think you had the right idea, just may have reversed the two railroads.
Every photo I've seen from MNCR, there is no third rail protection board.


Tom

N340SG wrote: Every photo I've seen from MNCR, there is no third rail protection board.

The Metro-North third rail (along with the SEPTA Market-Frankford Line) uses underrunning pickup. There is no protection board per se on them, but the actual rail is covered with insulating material.
When this material is new, you could read the warning stamped on it "Danger, 700 volts". Track workers would simply step over it, as with other third rail.

Rest assured that LIRR, the NYC Subway, and other systems have wooden or plastic protection board above the third rail.

As a point of interest, the rapid transit lines on Boston's MBTA (except for the Green Lines and the surface part of the Blue Line) use exposed third rail identical to Chicago's system. Clearance issues with the third rail pickup equipment on the cars prevent use of protection board on that system as well.

Ever notice how CTA workers walk around the hot rail so non-chalantly? Does anybody else think that's nuts?

Tadman wrote:Ever notice how CTA workers walk around the hot rail so non-chalantly? Does anybody else think that's nuts?

No.

Just Yesterday(1-30-05) I seen CTA workers working on the Northbound track on the blue line at Clark/Lake station, and evey time a train come through the construction site. They go around or over the third rail to to clear the tracks when trains are comming.

Those workers know what they are doing, they know what will happen if they touch the third rail.

JamesT4 wrote:Those workers know what they are doing, they know what will happen if they touch the third rail.

They also know that when they're on a wooden 'L' structure, such as at Clark/Lake, nothing will happen if they touch the third rail, as long as they're not also touching one of the running rails, guard rails or any other grounded metal object.

Guys: Mu name is MACTRAXX. I am no stranger to the CTA - My uncle was a motorman with CTA from 1958 to 1986. I used to visit Chicago on a somewhat regular basis between 1973 to 1988. I remember my uncle schooling me on the CTA and its operations - including the third rail. I remember the name for the shoes that the CTA used - "Trolley Block" comes to mind. I remember all the CTA equipment had the shoe or block going directly down on to the third rail with the notable exceptions of the 1970 Budd 2200 series cars - they had a paddle-like shoe that sticks out from the side like any system with protection covers. In my uncle's late days with the CTA,he was a work train motorman. I seem to also remember him telling me about a worker that got zapped - the term he used was "The third rail BIT him" Luckily the injury was not serious,I recall - I guess the worker was lucky. Hello to all and thank you - MACTRAXX

Just as a bit of information, MNRR in New York has protected 3rd rail. It is covered now with a vinyl-plastic covering. Years ago, it was wood. The New York els used to have the same exposed 3rd rail as you folks have in Chicago. It is an issue of clearance as was mentioned here earlier. The third rail is very close to the wheels using what you call a trolley block as opposed to a shoe.