From: denismfmcmahon@gmail.com   
      
   On Fri, 13 Feb 2015 10:28:17 -0400, Clark F Morris wrote:   
      
   > The CTA has numerous grade crossings with overrunning BARE (no top   
   > cover) third rail.  The are on the Pink (ex Douglass Park), Brown   
   > (Ravenswood), Yellow (Skokie) and Purple (EVanston) lines.  The   
   > ex-Southern Region in England has numerous grade crossings with   
   > overrunning third rail.   
      
   Third rail tends to be terminated either side of a grade crossing. This   
   means that just past the grade crossing there is the start of a new   
   length of third rail. It doesn't seem too far fetched to me that a   
   vehicle hit by a train collides with the end of the third rail and lifts   
   it off of whatever supports it is mounted on.   
      
   If the third rail is in contact with the motor vehicle which is itself in   
   contact with the train body, or the third rail is in direct contact with   
   the train structure, then I'd expect sufficient path to earth to trip the   
   traction supply.   
      
   --   
   Denis McMahon, denismfmcmahon@gmail.com   
      
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