How dangerous is the third rail?

[Dan17H]

Badgers, Foxes and the odd domestic pet believe it or not.

I've had the unfortunate experience of dealing with a casualty coming into contact with the DCCR, after a suicide attempt. It doesn't at all look or smell nice, but I was thoroughly impressed with the speed of the isolation and the ECRO calmness. Upon my phonecall he was in the process of reseting the breakers as I believe they'd tripped (I'm told its common practice to reset it twice, before leaving it isolated as there's as obvious fault/incident).

 

[ta-toget]

This discussion brings to mind this 1950s London Transport safety film (4 mins 11 secs) I don't believe stepping between the conductor rail and running rail is recommended these days!

Favourite quote:

What's more, loose clothes might get caught up by passing trains, which would be very unpleasant.

Seems like an understatement…

 

[najaB]

Seems like an understatement…

Unpleasant for the people who have to clean up the mess...

 

[Deepgreen]

My father also worked for LT and used to recount an occasion when he had been doing a depot walk in the 60s and found that he had been standing on the live third and a running rail by mistake but with no effect! Rubber soles, maybe, but who knows!

In short, avoid walking on any rails unless completely unavoidable and in those rare cases check thoroughly that they are only running rails. Using third rail gaps, the clear ten foot, etc., is a good habit to develop. No very loose/hanging clothing or dangling items is also vital.

For the OP, just an innocent question - given your obvious fear of the juice rail, why did you opt to become a trackman? No criticism - just curious.

 

[Mojo]

My father also worked for LT and used to recount an occasion when he had been doing a depot walk in the 60s and found that he had been standing on the live third and a running rail by mistake but with no effect! Rubber soles, maybe, but who knows!

My initial training involved having to cross live rails during traffic hours, to calm any nerves of the delegates the trainer put his foot on the current rail with his other on the ground to "prove" that it was safe because of the insulation afforded by the company-issue shoes. I've seen people sit on the current rail as well as touch it with their hand.

Seems a bit of an unnecessary risk to me, who knows if you have a nail in your shoe or any other kind of manufacturing defect.

 

[najaB]

Seems a bit of an unnecessary risk to me, who knows if you have a nail in your shoe or any other kind of manufacturing defect

Hopefully he double-checked the soles of his shoes before putting them on. Though, as you say there's always the chance that he could step in a nail or tack.

 

[Bletchleyite]

For the OP, just an innocent question - given your obvious fear of the juice rail, why did you opt to become a trackman? No criticism - just curious.

Perhaps he wanted the job more than he was concerned about the fear? I took a job a while back that I knew would involve frequent business air travel despite being terrified of flying. The effect of it was that I got over the fear and now quite enjoy it (and am missing it this year). I'm sure the OP could end up the same, though of course a respect for the juice rail needs to remain even if the fear goes.

 

[philthetube]

It kind of confuses me why there are not lots of dead animals in the southern region lines.

I asked for assistance at Hither Green in the 80's to get some pictures and a BR guy held my hand whilst I jumped the 3rd rail. Afterwards I kinda felt it was a total unnecessary risk, but I was wondering if the depots have a constant supply of power to the rails considering nothing moves for large periods of time.

Badgers are just the right size to get stuck between the juice rail and running rail, most other animals crossing the track will not stand an a slippery smooth surface and therefore have no risk.

Things like birds and squirrels which run along the rail are not earthed and so not in danger.

 

[Trackman]

My initial training involved having to cross live rails during traffic hours, to calm any nerves of the delegates the trainer put his foot on the current rail with his other on the ground to "prove" that it was safe because of the insulation afforded by the company-issue shoes. I've seen people sit on the current rail as well as touch it with their hand.

Seems a bit of an unnecessary risk to me, who knows if you have a nail in your shoe or any other kind of manufacturing defect.

Reminds me of this episode of the tube, but the trainer doesn't do anything daft unless it's edited!
The Woman featured isn't happy about crossing it!
Also if you rewind back a bit, it shows them crossing a dummy 3rd rail.
edit: and it says earlier on that people have actually failed the test!

 

[Dan17H]

My initial training involved having to cross live rails during traffic hours, to calm any nerves of the delegates the trainer put his foot on the current rail with his other on the ground to "prove" that it was safe because of the insulation afforded by the company-issue shoes. I've seen people sit on the current rail as well as touch it with their hand.

Seems a bit of an unnecessary risk to me, who knows if you have a nail in your shoe or any other kind of manufacturing defect.

Any trainer showing that sort of behaviour shouldn't be anywhere near the infrastructure.

 

[MikePJ]

I grew up in Liss in Hampshire, which is in third-rail land and has a lot of level crossings - at least five that I can think of. The junior school used to have an annual visit from a man from BR - a "Mr Fever" - who showed us no end of scary posters, videos and statistics about what the third rail would do to you and why playing on the railway line was not a good idea. This would have been about 1989-1990. The story I still remember was of a boy who survived contact with the third rail but was severely burned, being left standing on the trackside with just his shirt cuffs and trouser turnups, all the rest of his (wet?) clothes having been burned off. Ouch!