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TiredCr0codile t1_j93vsvs wrote

Reply to comment by 75footubi in Man dies after touching 3rd rail at MBTA's Downtown Crossing station by riski_click

What's the deal with no covers? Does it require retrofitting the train?

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75footubi t1_j93w7wk wrote

I don't know the exact details of why MBTA doesn't have them, but in the other systems I've worked for, the little paddle on the rail car that contacts the third rail does it on the underside, so a cover doesn't interfere with that

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TiredCr0codile t1_j943ho9 wrote

The MBTA is probably the poorest run govt agency I've encountered so far.

3rd rail incidents on MBTA are pretty rare however. If someone illegally enters right of way and falls on one, that's on them.

They typically de-energize whenever contractors need to work on ROW.

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75footubi t1_j94ds7e wrote

>They typically de-energize whenever contractors need to work on ROW.

The procedures/"lock out/tag out" process, at least from the contractor POV seems very loosey goosey and there's a lot less emphasis on exclusive track occupancy and defined on track protection methods than I'm used to.

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TiredCr0codile t1_j94rv77 wrote

I don't even know what their lockout tagout procedure is. Whenever I work out there I work as if it's live

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75footubi t1_j95ect8 wrote

Yeah, always work as if it's live, but still, when you're on a hirail vehicle, not being 100% certain that another train isn't going to come on to your track is terrifying

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SilentButtDeadlies t1_j95tikq wrote

They deenergize it for non revenue hours service I think, but you still are supposed to act like it's live otherwise you get in a bad habit. Most of the work I've done was during revenue service so it was active. I've met some people who have touched it and lived.

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TiredCr0codile t1_j95z0ar wrote

Due to staffing, it's pretty tough to get access during ROW these days

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SilentButtDeadlies t1_j9628xv wrote

Yeah, I don't work on mbta projects anymore thank God, but we had several projects get cancelled around the time of the orange line shutdown due to all the staffing shortages.

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Bald_Sasquach t1_j965yop wrote

I would guess so actually. I haven't looked for the contact pads on the orange or red lines but you can easily see the blue line's plates rubbing along the top of the third rail, sparking every now and then. They stick down and out from the train so yeah a cover would be in their way.

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AccomplishedGrab6415 t1_j96mk75 wrote

"pickup shoes" as they're called use the top of the 3rd rail on all of our heavy rail lines.

Blue of course only uses 3rd rail between downtown and Bowdoin. It switches to overhead catenary at airport.

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