lighting on the railroad

[Anonymous]

Are trains in danger of being hit by lighting in stormy weather? I have never heard of a train being hit by lightning.

[Anonymous]

Roy, Anything can be hit by lightning. But with it moving it is harder just like a moving car.

[Anonymous]

Hi Roy,


Trains are susceptible to lightening strikes. The factor that offers some protection, if you can call it that, for the crew is the sheer mass of electrically conductive materials of which trains are made. Ideally the energy released during a lightening strike will be channeled through, and dissipated by, the train rather than the less conductive crew members. The electrical advantage trains do not have that cars and airplanes have is the fact that trains are not insulated from the ground, thus they have an increased risk of being hit. The effects of motion on strike susceptibility are negligible.


On a personal note… My father is from Big Sandy and I grew up watching trains cross the T&P/SSW diamond. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the gathering there last Saturday. There are a couple of pictures on my RailFan HomePage of my dad working ‘The Dog’ in Big Sandy back in 1960 if you're interested.




Happy Foaming…

-Jason

[Anonymous]

Actually, I think that motion probably would effect the chances of getting hit by a lightning strike, as the charge builds gradually before the actual strike occurs.

However, Steel sitting on steel rails which are already grounded suggests to me that a train will not receive any benefit from being in motion. The experts say that a person can feel the charge building just before a strike, and that some claim that if you move away from the spot you are on, you might avoid being hit.