[PRCo] Re: Ground currents

[Fred Schneider]

It was common to bond rails to prevent stray currents.  Only in the very
recent past (like 15 years) has it been common to lay rails in a rubber
base to prevent leaking currents.

Much attention was given to the subject in the trade press.

The American Electric Railway Association had a subcomittee devoted to
the problem.

You should address the question to Russ Jackson ... he is far more
familiar than I am.

Jim Holland wrote:

> Good Morning!
>
> > Boris Cefer wrote:
>
> > Hello!
> > Did Pittsburgh trolleys use any network of
> > cables to conduit back current from car tracks
> > to substations?     Ground currents cause
> > electrolysis which might result in severe
> > damage to various piping (water and gas) laid
> > under ground.    Cincinnati used double
> > overhead, which was the same, in fact, but easy
> > to maintain. We have been using large network
> > of back current cables laid under groung in
> > this country, because this arrangement is
> > required by our national technical standards.
> > Each transit company has to make an adequate
> > provision to protect others from ground
> > currents from its streetcars. I was told that
> > it is "throwing money away" and that in the US
> > doesn't exist any such requirement. Is it true?
>
>         Going to hazard a guess.
>
>         Had a discussion some time back, believe
> Bob Rathke kicked it off, where out of service
> trackage was maintained in  ({[pat]})  era
> just for ground purposes.     Believe it was
> Second Ave which was kept after 53-line
> permanently rerouted thru tunnel  And  Possibly
> even after 53-line discontinued.
>
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>
> JB
>
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