I was sitting in the cab, of a Lackawanna Electric, at Far Hills, in early '85, waiting for the signal to proceed west, to Peapack. (standing, actually, not seated) It was raining off and on, and as we departed the platform, a bolt of lightning came down a telephone pole, with a "T" box on it, and ripped down the wires, headed east. (it may, or may not, have jumped to the rails, it was too bright, and too fast, to see) The heat of the bolt was felt in the cab, and the crack was almost heart stopping. The signals went out, to the end of the line, but TT allowed us to proceed to the end of the line, and receive written orders, for the west 4 stations, and signal system, to head back east. Closest I have been to lightning, at less than 15 feet from the impact point. It would have made more sense, to nail the catenary, or the poles supporting it, but it went for the phone box, and signal cables. Close enough, for me, though........
Last month, in Carlsbad, lightning hit the rail, at the crossing, in the New Yard, and fried the two crossings, closest to the hit. The gates went up and down for a couple of days, until the crossing maintainers could replace the damaged stuff, which oddly enough, had been replaced the month before, for the same reason. Nobody was there for the hit, but it was reported by the house sitting directly on the corner of the crossing.
