|
|
| Re: Covered/uncovered third rail (778928) | |||
 |
|||
| Home > SubChat | |||
|
[ Read Responses | Post a New Response | Return to the Index ] |
|
||
|
Re: Covered/uncovered third rail |
|
|
Posted by ChicagoPCCLCars on Fri May 1 15:03:20 2009, in response to Re: Covered/uncovered third rail, posted by Joe @ NYCMTS - NYCTMG on Fri May 1 14:33:36 2009. Well, Joe, just a minor correction of the corrections (smile)"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. The gravity third rail was first implemented in United Kingdom in 1893. In the U.S. the first usage of the British gravity system was on the Intramural Railway at the Columbian Exposition Worlds Fair in 1893. The West Side Metropolitan Elevated saw the successful operation at the Fair and switched plans from a steam road to an electric road using the gravity third rail shoe and electric motor cars pulling trailers. Frank Sprague successfully demonstrated electric MU control on the South Side "L" and that system was adopted by all Chicago "L"s. Despite our open and exposed third rail, Chicago did use paddle shoes: on about 300 of the PCC cars and on the 2200 series cars still in service. David Harrison |
|
|
|