[PRCo] Re: Ground currents

[Bob Rathke]

Could it be that the loose rail ends created a hazard for motorists, and PAT
was welding them back together to avoid liability for an accident?

Bob 2/7/04

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----- Original Message -----
From: "Herbert Brannon" <hrbran99 at adelphia.net>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2004 6:49 PM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Ground currents


> I remember, on several occasions during the late 1970s, seeing PATransit
> rail service trucks welding rails on both Second Avenue and the 10th
> Street Bridge. Rather odd, since the tracks had not been used for years.
>
> HrB
>
> 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.
> >
> > <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
> >
> > JB
> >
> > <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
>
>