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From: s264@sol1.UUCP (s264)
Newsgroups: net.railroad
Subject: Re: Third-rail at grade crossings
Message-ID: <414@sol1.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 24-Jan-86 02:43:42 EST
Article-I.D.: sol1.414
Posted: Fri Jan 24 02:43:42 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 26-Jan-86 04:10:31 EST
References: <1433@brl-tgr.ARPA> <212@micropro.UUCP> <660@hlwpc.UUCP>
Reply-To: s264@sys3.UUCP (PUT YOUR NAME HERE)
Organization: THE SOLUTION, Lincoln, NE
Lines: 28
Summary: 

In article <660@hlwpc.UUCP> cb@hlwpc.UUCP (Carl Blesch) writes:
>>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.
>


I posted a follow-up to the original message a few days ago, but I guess it
went into the bit bucket. The Skokie Swift *does* go to pantograph before it
hits any grade crossings; the Evanston line is third rail all the way to
Linden Avenue. There are two grade crossings on this line, which comes down
to ground level just north of Noyes. The third rail is just interrupted, and
the (frequently single-car) trains just coast through them. The tracks are
protected by wire-fence gates, and the road and sidewalk crossings by the
normal wooden single-bar gates. So it goes dark in your car as you cross
these streets!