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From: cb@hlwpc.UUCP (Carl Blesch)
Newsgroups: net.railroad
Subject: Third-rail at grade crossings
Message-ID: <660@hlwpc.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 22-Jan-86 13:10:31 EST
Article-I.D.: hlwpc.660
Posted: Wed Jan 22 13:10:31 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 23-Jan-86 09:48:02 EST
References: <1433@brl-tgr.ARPA> <212@micropro.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Short Hills, NJ
Lines: 15

>Are these lines third rail or overhead?  I would think that the dead spot in
>the third rail and easy public access to the third rail would rule out grade
>crossings, ...

There are a number of sites in Chicago where third-rail lines cross
at grade (e.g. end of the Douglas line in Cicero, one or two crossings
on the Skokie Swift).  I guess they rely on signage to warn the public
not to do anything stupid.  As I recall, the Evanston line went from
third rail to overhead trolley, and the Skokie line went from third
rail to overhead using pantograph or bow-collectors, to avoid the problem
of third rail in areas with many grade crossings.  I don't know if
the Evanston line uses overhead anymore -- last time I was in Chicago,
I didn't see any CTA cars with trolley poles.

Carl Blesch