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Tracks question, since I can’t find details on Wikipedia


Deucey

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4 minutes ago, Deucey said:

What is the third rail do? (The one in between the two standard gauge tracks in each trackway.)

If you look at some videos, such as this one, this one and this one, when the line is underground, there is no rail in between the gauge tracks!

From what I was told, especially on the elevated tracks, this is installed in the event of a derailment. This way, if something happens on the elevated structure, the train will stay on the structure compared to coming off the rails altogether.

 

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2 hours ago, +Young+ said:

If you look at some videos, such as this one, this one and this one, when the line is underground, there is no rail in between the gauge tracks!

From what I was told, especially on the elevated tracks, this is installed in the event of a derailment. This way, if something happens on the elevated structure, the train will stay on the structure compared to coming off the rails altogether.

 

It is a guard rail.

https://www.nytimes.com/1983/06/23/nyregion/subway-derailments-lead-to-checking-of-guardrails.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guard_rail_(rail)

 

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If you look closely at a lot of guard rails on the elevated, you can see the manufacture date, and you'll see some of them date to the opening of their divisions. There are plenty of IND guardrails dating to 1932 or 1936, whereas the oldest rails you tend to see are from the 1980s (somebody point me to older ones if they know of them). 

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To the best of my knowledge that rail serves two purposes; prevent the creeping of the cross ties/sleepers, especially on curves and help prevent a runaway truck should a derailment occur.

That is not guard rail. The purpose of guard rail is to help guide the wheel flanges and is found directly adjacent to running rail. Although it doesn't serve the same purpose as the namesake it's more like gauntlet rail than guard rail.

Edited by FriedChikkin
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  • 3 weeks later...
On 2/17/2020 at 6:14 AM, FriedChikkin said:

To the best of my knowledge that rail serves two purposes; prevent the creeping of the cross ties/sleepers, especially on curves and help prevent a runaway truck should a derailment occur.

That is not guard rail. The purpose of guard rail is to help guide the wheel flanges and is found directly adjacent to running rail. Although it doesn't serve the same purpose as the namesake it's more like gauntlet rail than guard rail.

There's a particular way to classify these rail configurations. I notice that curves tend to follow a certain template. Switch areas follow another. And then depending on the track bed, there may be other types.

I's be interested in the typology of these rail configurations as there is clearly an established pattern throughout the system.

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