Line had a problem with spectuclar electric flashes. Maybe just a PAN fouling the DC CAT.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/07/25/metra-train-stops-on-south-side-after-sparks-along-electric-line/
There's DC cat in the North River tunnels? When did that happen?
Chuck (Ex-Noo Yawka, well removed)
this is chicago not new York
Note the title of your reference link. (NJ/NY)
Computer glich fixed
Another problem this morning with the CAT.
http://chicago.suntimes.com/transportation/7/71/826470/trains-stopped-south-chicago-branch-metra-electric-line
Surely there are cell-phone pictures of the event 'up close' or the aftermath.
Let me save at least some of you from having to experience that hell of a newspaper site with its adware 'opportunities' and self-loading follow-on items of 'interest to you'. Here is the picture that ran with the morning story:
I suspect this is a stock picture, as I'd think it extremely unlikely that a train producing that kind of light show from 3000VDC[/s]* (edit:1500VDC - thanks, Erikem) would have its pans on the wire this morning, apparently with the shoes none the worse for wear. But I did notice that in the pictures last night, all the fluorescent lighting in the cars stayed on ... surely the battery emergency lighting in case of "CAT" failure doesn't run the whole load!
From what I saw in the 'fireworks show', I'd have expected there was a burnthrough through enough of the catenary structure to allow it to sag down to come close to, but not necessarily contact, the carbody. Presumably the blue-green color was partially vaporizing copper...
*Who can tell me the correct BBcode for 'strikethrough' on this site, now that we have these idiot enhanced smileys?
1500VDC, not 3000VDC.
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