|
|
| Re: Covered/uncovered third rail (778937) | |||
 |
|||
| Home > SubChat | |||
|
[ Read Responses | Post a New Response | Return to the Index ] |
|
||
|
Re: Covered/uncovered third rail |
|
|
Posted by Joe @ NYCMTS - NYCTMG on Fri May 1 15:22:29 2009, in response to Re: Covered/uncovered third rail, posted by gbs on Fri May 1 14:03:41 2009. Hello Gps The Flushing and Astoria IRT owned EL's used DUAL 3rd rail on all tracks. On one side of each track was a Subway covered style lower 3rd Rail, the Elevated uncovewred style higher 3rd Rail was on the other. The BMT Wooden EL Gate car trains used as "BMT EL Shuttles" to and from Flushing and Astoria terminals, were fitted with SUBWAY PADDLE 3rd rail shoes when they were placed on those routes about 1920 by the BMT. The BMT 1938-39 created former Gate car MUDC conversion Q-Type modernized trainsets also were fitted with Subway type 3rd rail paddle shoes to operate. The IRT 2nd Avenue EL wooden Gate car and MUDC Converted Trains still retained their original EL STYLE Drop Sled contact shoes which could ONLY be used on the higher and closer positioned, uncovered "EL" style 3rd rail. The IRT Steinway class, and BMT Standard (*) steel subway cars had subway style paddle shoes While the 2nd Avenue El trains operating to Flushing and Astoria made contact with ONLY the EL style 3rd rail, the BMT Shuttle Wood EL Gate cars and Q Types, BMT Standards and IRT Steinways, contacted the "joint" 3rd rails located on BOTH sides of the tracks they ran on. BMT and IRT wooden EL cars, and IRT steel Steinway cars were approx. NINE feet wide; BMT Standards were TEN feet wide. (*) BMT Standards used only isolated dedicated trackage for them to use as turnbacks to and from upper and lower levels of BMT Standard ONLY dedicated station platform sides to and from Manhattan on the BMT "north half" portion station platforms of the Queens Plaza Junction Complex. Even though 2nd Avenue IRT EL service from Manhattan (via Queensboro Bridge) ended in June 1942, EL style 3rd rail still remained surviving intact thru Dec. 1949 only, on the Astoria EL (when it became modified in mid-late Oct.1949 for BMT steel subway trains operations only) and was then removed --- and thru 1955-6 on the post Oct. 1949 IRT trains operation ONLY operations Flushing Line - so as for use by various IRT Work trains still using long out of revenue service IRT Elevated Motor cars still having Drop Sled EL style shoes. With the close the the Manhattan 3rd Avenue EL by 5-12-1955, and mid Dec. 1956 end of revenue service on Bronx only 3rd Ave. EL remnant - and anywhere for ALL few remaining IRT wooden EL cars, and the then wholesale immediate scrapping of ALL remaining same, the EL style 3rd rail was removed from the Flushing line gradually, and work train "work motors" then comprised solely surplus pre-war steel IRT subway motor cars (ie: Low-V's). The Astoria Line after Jan. 1950 could and did use surplus 10' wide steel subway car (or BMT Electric locos) work motors for work trains on that back then and as now, BMT Division only line. Regards - Joe F |
|
|
|