David.Black@A.CS.CMU.EDU (01/10/86)
The Skokie Swift is both 3rd rail and overhead. An interesting feature is that because there are no intermediate stations, the 3rd rail and overhead overlap allowing the transition to be done on the fly (great fun to watch if you've never seen it), unlike Boston which does it in the station. The Linden Ave. line (Evanston Local) is 3rd rail. If my sources are correct, the new cars (expected in 1990 or thereabouts) for the Norristown Line in Phila. (ex P & W, ex Red Arrow) will have small pantographs for use on the new shop trackage and 3rd rail shoes for the line proper. Yet another example; all the (New Haven) FL9's had small pantographs for use in interlockings in Grand Central Terminal in addition to their 3rd rail shoes. Some of the interlockings were apparently built in such a fashion that 3rd rail wasn't sufficient, so contact rails were used on the ceiling where needed. Also all M.U. cars on the New Haven (including the modern ones presently operating) have both 3rd rail shoes (for GCT and related trackage) and pantographs (for New Haven catenary). Because the New Haven used to have some low platforms on its lines, all 3rd rail shoes on the New Haven were retractable (and had to be retracted, else they would be knocked off by blocks placed for this very purpose outbound near New Rochelle). The former New Haven lines were converted to all high platforms when MTA/CDOT rebuilt them, with the result that present M.U. equipment has fixed in place shoes, and retraction equipment has been removed or disabled on FL9's. I presume the bit about 3rd/rail overhead was in reference to their use on a single line. In the close but no cigar category, the eastern approaches to Penn Station in New York have both overhead (for Amtrak) and 3rd rail (for the Long Island). Finally among the rapid transit and commuter rail lines in Phila. there are two different types of 3rd rail, two (possibly 3 if you want to pick nits) different types of overhead, and two different track gauges. How's that for variety? --Dave