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| Re: Covered/uncovered third rail (778918) | |||
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Re: Covered/uncovered third rail |
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Posted by Joe @ NYCMTS - NYCTMG on Fri May 1 14:33:36 2009, in response to Re: Covered/uncovered third rail, posted by gbs on Fri May 1 12:21:33 2009. Hello Kevin Please DO try better to give factually CORRECT information. "ELevated" style 3rd rail - developed by Frank Sprague in 1897-8 and first implemented on the Chicago CRT EL's , and later IRT and BRT original EL systems between then and 1900-1, was HIGHER ('NOT' LOWER as you incorrecty stated) than the later 1903-4 first IRT Subway route COVERED Subway style and further and lower positioned Third Rail, which was copied from an Interurban Line 3rd rail installation. BRT and IRT "Elevated Style" 3rd Rail shoes - called DROP SLED shoes, were a slightly different sled design than that as used on the CHICAGO systm whose photo you used. But the working characteristics were the same. Subway style PADDLE 3rd rail shoes originally designed for the IRT and BMT were fabricated with two "contact" pad plates on the subway used "paddle" style shoe, with the shoe paddle angled upward near its tip where the "subway position" 3rd rail contact pad was located. The EL style 3rd rail contact pad was located a bit further back (about 4 inches) - and the INSULATED wood beam for these "dual contact pad" subway paddle shoes was positioned HIGHER on the truck sideframes' twin "end-of-beam" mounting brackets to allow the inward contact pad to ride flat on the closer and higher EL style 3rd rail. These dual-contact-pad design 3rd rail subway paddle shoes lasted to at least the early 1960's - and were gradually replaced on the, all, IRT SUBWAY cars built prior to 1956, that had them - after 1963-4 with "subway only" style paddle contact shoes with only an outer tip contact pad and a less angled shoe end "tip" The insulated wooden beams were repositioned lower on the twin mounting brackets so as to also lower the newer design subway paddle shoes closer to the subway style lower position covered 3rd rail. This simplified shoe type changeover gradually became the norm on the BMT by and thru the mid to late 1960's The IRT Manhattan "Elevated Division" lines used a wooden safety backboard along the outer catwalk facing side of their uncovered Elevated style 3rd rail. This "safety" board, attached to the rail itsel by insulated blocks, brackets and bolts, faced the adjacent catwalk to protect track & railway workers and was about 1 inch HIGHER than the 3rd rail head. THIS unique safety device, was found ONLY on the four Manhattan EL's and also on ... (a) the entire Bronx IRT 3rd Avenue EL segment, Harlem River up to Gun Hill Road and the north beyond located to connection ramps ONLY up to the switches connecting them to the IRT White Plains Rd Line above it. However, about mid-late 1957 (and used up thru April 1973 end of service) that by then "Shuttle" line was re-fitted with only subway style covered 3rd rail and operated by steel subway car trains from mid-late Dec. 1956. (b) the IRT 9th Avenue EL Mainline Bronx portion only up to tops of the two ramps switch tracks connecting it to the mainline Woodlawn Jerome IRT EL (c) the IRT 2nd Avenue EL over the Queensboro Bridge to and including ONLY the Queensbound up-ramp and entry-exit tracks for the "EL" trains to and prior to entering Queens Plaza (IRT south portion) Complex Station. From Queens Plaza out to Flushing and Astoria (until Oct. 1949) trackage was all DUAL 3rd rails (d) The 1916 erected IRT Bronx Bergen Cutoff connection route AND the original 1901 erected IRT E. 150th Street first connection route from the Bronx 3rd Avenue EL up to starting just beyond the switch tracks jointly connecting the 3rd Ave EL Mainline Route connections trackages with the mainline trackages of the IRT White Plains Rd. Line at Brook and Westchester Avenues Regarding a,b,c,d, at the point where BOTH IRT wooden EL and IRT steel subway trains shared the same trackage, there was DUAL 3rd rail, EL style located on one side of each track, and subway styled located on the opposite side. Subway cars made contact with BOTH rails when running; EL cars contacted ONLY their 3rd rail type. However, regarding a,b,c,d above - it must be noted that the EL STYLE 3rd rail DID NOT have its back side safety protector wood plank, because, being 1 inch approx. higher than the EL Style 3rd rail contact head, the wood safety backboard would make contact with and foul the dual-contact-pad steel subway car "subway 3rd rail style" paddle shoes. The BRT and later BMT (as well as Chicago CRT and later CTA) opted to NOT ever utilize the IRT style-design wooden back safety board, and its trackage with both wood EL cars and Steel subway cars in joint-service operated trains, used ONLY the "Elevated" Style 3rd rail, FULLY unprotected, located along ONLY ONE side of each track. This arrangement lasted on Jamaica EL Portions and some yards, and the Myrtle EL's until thru to late 1960's until the end of wooden EL cars (Myrtle El, 1969) By the very early 1970's all traces of BMT uncovered EL Style and positioned 3rd rail were completely gone. By early 1960's all EL style & position 3rd rail was gone on the IRT system Regards - Joe F |
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