A couple of days ago Rupert sent me a link to a Nov. 12, 1901, Railroad Gazette report on the heating and ventilation system of the then-new Seventh Street shops of the C&S in Denver. And what should appear directly below it but this interesting bit of trivia:
A New Third-Rail System.
The Rapid Traction Construction Co., Marquette Building, Chicago has been formed to market an electric third-rail system invented by Mr. E.W. Garnham, Superintendent of Car and Special Freight Service of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. The company proposes to equip steam railroads and street car lines with this system and also to build and operate suchelec tric roads. To show the working of the system a party of railroad men and others were taken tocly De, Ill., on the Chicago, Burlington & quincy, last Saturday, where a long siding has been equipped with Mr. Farnham's apparatus and an electric car was operated along this track. The third-rail is divided into sections anda section is charged only while a car remains in that particular section. The sections can be of various lengths.
The third-rail and feeders in the installation at Clyde are caried on supports alongside the track and are all enclosed in wooden trunking. Each truck of the motor car carries a contact shoe which always bears against the third-rail and mechanically sets the switches which charge the sections of third-rail. At the ends of a section a short piece of the third-rail is suspended on knife edges and a feeder switch is placed at either end of this swinging rail; one switch being operated when the car moves in one direction and the other switch when the car moves in the opposite direction.
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