Categories: How do they do that? How do they power the trains was the question…so once the train gets the electricity from the third rail or catenary line, then what? A related but entirely different question.
Low blow? Unfortunately, for the politicians, the cheapest source of electricity will continue to be petroleum for some time. The money is running out. Try to make oil and coal cleaner. Nuclear would be the best yield for what is needed to grow but, people are freaked out about the waste. Tough problem but, someone must step forward to chart the most economical course with safety built in but not overboard. Power the trains by Kim Upton , March 5, Like this: Like Loading High-Speed Rail Authority moves forward on agreement with Southern California transportation agencies.
Expo construction notice: Temporary full closure on National Blvd. Loading Comments Email Required Name Required Website.
A few early subways used steam engines , but in most existing subways, the trains, tunnel lights and station equipment all run on electricity. Overhead wires or an electrified rail known as the third rail supplies power to the trains. The third rail lies outside or between the subway tracks, and a wheel, brush or sliding shoe carries the power from the rail to the train's electric motor.
In the New York City subway system, the third rail carries volts of electricity, and the original lines required their own power plant to operate.
A series of cables and substations carried the electricity from the power plant to the third rail. Electrical power also controls the subway's ventilation system.
Many subway systems include numerous sections of above-ground track and station entrances that are open to the air. However, natural air circulation from these sources isn't enough to keep the air in the tunnels breathable. Subways have an extensive series of fans and air shafts that circulate fresh air. The amount of circulation required is immense -- the planned ventilation system to be included in the New York City subway upgrade will move , cubic feet of fresh air every minute.
All of these systems add up to a lot of moving parts, many of which are underground and relatively inaccessible. In the next section, we'll explore what it takes to maintain a subway and keep it running. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Subways get their power through an exposed electrical line known as the third rail, which runs alongside the two rails the train cars ride on.
Subways do not use gas-fueled combustion engines because the exhaust in the enclosed subway tunnels and stations would cause carbon monoxide poisoning to riders. Since the third rail is an exposed power source it is extremely dangerous.
Touching a third rail results in electrocution. Subways can also run above ground; many subway lines run on elevated tracks at some point on their routes. At this point they are commonly referred to as the El for elevated train. An example of this would be the number 6 subway line in New York City.
In midtown Manhattan it is called the subway, but in Harlem and the Bronx it is the El, even though it is the same train in both places.
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