3 Rail prototypical track

[ben10ben]

The tram system in Bordeaux, France uses three evenly spaced rails with the center one serving as electrical pickup. Construction began a couple of years ago, and isn't completely finished yet.

[lionelsoni]

The London underground uses 4 rails, two for running, one in the middle at -210 volts DC, one at the side at +420 volts DC. The traction voltage is the difference, 630 volts.

A centered third rail has been used in other places, Washington, DC, for example. And lately on the streets of Bordeaux:
http://www.wilbursmith.com/WSA%20TRB%20Webpage/Bordeaux%20LRT%20Paper-Farran.pdf

[Demon09]

I think I heard somewhere that in England the subway trains are running/used to run on 3 rail tracks that were set up with even spacing between all 3 rails, very much like our own hobby.....

Not sure if it was true, maybe there's someone on here that knows better.....

[thor]

Weird! Talk about 'a prototype for everything'! Actually not a completely bad idea come to think of it because its really the forerunner for tomorrows wire guided cars, assuming it ever happens which I hope it doesnt!

The trouble must have been the weight of the engines driving wheels and what a rough ride it must have been plus if they had to go to all the trouble of laying those flat stones to provide a smooth surfae they might just as well have used rails anyway. It only makes sense if it could have used regular roads with that single rail as a guide.

Still, thanks for a jolly interesting post. I'd never heard of that one. It would be fun to make a layout combining all the weird systems like Brunels Wide Gauge and Atmospheric System plus that monorail and the various other experiments that have been tried.

I wish I had the the resources to tackle it. I've long wanted to build a really far out fictional system based on the notion of electricity neve having been discovered and a sort of 21st century Victorian techno world all run by steam.

[markn]

If I had not seen it, I would not believe it. Any scratch builders up for a challange?
http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/lisbontramway/lisbontramway.htm