Re: (erielack) Electrification, was: Another reason for low-profile horns

["Gary R. Kazin" <gkazin_@_yahoo.com>]

- --- Rich Young <ryoungceo_@_yahoo.com> wrote:
> > I have never seen FRA rules on that issue and I am
> > not saying there aren't, but Railroads I know had
> > set guidlines and rules in their engineering department
> > as far as height requirements and minimum distances for
> > clearance I can only assume that the FRA and OSHA
> > have some somewhere also.
> > 
> > Having gone under the cantenary into Hoboken  in a
> > steam locomotive let me tell you it is disconcerting.
> > The clearance from the cab roof to the wire is at
> > most 2 feet and I am guessing less than that.  Be stopped
> > inside the tunnels with just the stack sticking out
> > the humid air and the locomotive being so close to
> > the wires it would make this buzzing crackling zapping
> > sound where you thought it was just going to arc
> > across cook you all were you stood.  As in fact
> > depending on the voltage and system used on
> > electrified railroads this actually did happen more
> > frequently than people thought. That is why most
> > railroads that were electrified had their own rules
> > depending on the voltage and other factors like Ac
> > /dc. It was just recently that the electrified line
> > up in BC Canada reajusted their minimum distance
> > between equipment and overhead wire due to someone getting
> > killed when the electricity jump an estamated 3 1/2
> > foot gap. Granted that that line is running really
> > HIGH voltage.

I once asked Ben Friedland how much clearance was requiree under
catenary.  At the time, we were riding one of the M&E's Alco C624's
from Morristown to Dover to pick up coaches from NJT for an
excursion.  It looked like we had about two feet of clearance under
the 25kv wire.

Ben said he needed about eight inches of clearance under the wire on
a clear day, but possibly more in wet weather.  Before buying the
M&E, Ben had operated an electrical supply company and was trained as
an electrical engineer, so I figured he knew what he was talking
about.

The BC Rail line used 50 kv!  Sadly, it is no longer electrified -
the mines it served closed several years ago.

Gary R. Kazin
DL&W Milepost R35.7
Rockaway, New Jersey

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