Comments
Android_slag t1_iy1unn4 wrote
Even the UK rails have heated sections. Mainly the switch blades (movable parts to change track) although their electrically heated so don't expect flames
NolanSyKinsley t1_iy1x3g2 wrote
Points, they flame up the points to ensure they can move, not the entire tracks
Thor4269 t1_iy1yd7e wrote
>It’s gas burners
>Nothing is burned…
But it burns gas and it also doesn't!
movieball t1_iy26i9r wrote
There wouldn’t be fire if nothing is burned.
ATElDorado t1_iy29tbx wrote
BTW, they do this in Virginia as well
Sea-Blueberry-3184 t1_iy29x7o wrote
Toronto has gas fired heaters for the switching stations along the tracks. Finally.
T_Noctambulist t1_iy2db62 wrote
It burns gas, it doesn't burn the tracks. You don't say your car burns up the roads just because it burns gas in the engine. (burning up tires is something different!)
DividedState t1_iy2fyo5 wrote
Hold your horses. Chicago is a city.
The-paleman t1_iy2h1i8 wrote
In British Columbia they did this to clear brush and started forest fires
HotSalsaAssFire t1_iy2nj68 wrote
Tell me you’ve never gone 88mph without telling me you’ve never gone 88mph
[deleted] t1_iy2qxjm wrote
Vesimelooni8 t1_iy2sphk wrote
In Finland we just have cracks in the rails in winter. Efficient.
BrokenEye3 t1_iy2t00u wrote
They said they set firevto the rails, not burn them.
solo1069 t1_iy2vb6m wrote
Guess they’ve never seen some serious shit.
wearless t1_iy31ddw wrote
Tis a fine barn, but sure tis no meme, English
torsun_bryan t1_iy3daiy wrote
Railroads across the world do this, it’s not just Chicago
optiongeek t1_iy3hbq1 wrote
For a fucked up city, Chicago knows how to get stuff done despite all the corruption.
SomewhatIntriguing t1_iy3lnjj wrote
Chicago sure loves their fires.
spaghettiputs t1_iy3o1og wrote
Major cities get accused of corruption but we can look at Dallas, Houston, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa, Raleigh. mobile, B'ham, Biloxi, and Atlanta to see real corruption.
Good_Mornin_Sunshine t1_iy3p41o wrote
It's actually quite damaging to the tracks, even if they don't melt or turn to ash. They only use this method in a couple of interlockings for this reason.
That said, it looks like the trains are driving through Hell and that's amazing.
Good_Mornin_Sunshine t1_iy3p6jy wrote
Hot air blowers or are they applying the fire to the switch points?
Good_Mornin_Sunshine t1_iy3pc53 wrote
Most US switches are heated electrically. The gas blowers are more efficient for areas that get deep snow or ice.
Good_Mornin_Sunshine t1_iy3pe1m wrote
Railroad expert. Yes.
Good_Mornin_Sunshine t1_iy3ph0i wrote
This is Metra, not CTA.
jason_abacabb t1_iy3r9q4 wrote
You forgot Baltimore.
spaghettiputs t1_iy3rkoa wrote
Baltimore runs rather smooth for a small city
Solidsnakeerection t1_iy3s7dx wrote
The DC metro does that by itself no matter the weather
kmfdm1974 t1_iy3sin6 wrote
I've never had a problem with the brown line. Now the blue line that's another story
iremainnameless t1_iy3so3e wrote
optiongeek t1_iy3srka wrote
Omar comin'!
fordfan919 t1_iy3t5ab wrote
Just realized I've lived on half those cities.
stewieatb t1_iy3u5rk wrote
Yep, we designed a lot of cable routes for EPH back when I did rail civils design. Biggest headache was just getting 240/415V power to the trackside in the right place. Some places needed new supplies or in the extreme even new substations. I can see why chucking a bottle of propane on the trackside, controlling it via the signalling and changing the bottle twice every winter is attractive.
On the other hand someone would probably steal the propane bottle.
Camiata2 t1_iy3ulmh wrote
Fair enough. Point still stands
joelex8472 t1_iy3umkc wrote
The UK could write a few notes from Chicago’s playbook. We get leaves on the tracks and it’s game over here.
Camiata2 t1_iy3uvnk wrote
I swear the brown line always has a delay of some sort. I think the blue and red are more susceptible to the infamous sick passenger
kmfdm1974 t1_iy3wowt wrote
I live up on Peterson and Kimball and catch the brown line up at the station at Lawrence at five in the morning so maybe that's why I don't have a problem with delays. Sometimes catching it back home there's a long wait
Throwaway_7451 t1_iy3x4r7 wrote
It's the same with crime in Chicago. It's become a dog whistle and only scares people away from the city and hurts tourism.
In reality, the worst of the crime is limited to a relatively small residential area that visitors would never travel to in the first place. Take that out of the equation and as far as the majority of the people in the city are concerned, Chicago is actually one of the safest large cities in the country.
Arcade80sbillsfan t1_iy3z3j1 wrote
Whistles... Ominously....
The farmer in the Dell, the farmer in the dell....
Camiata2 t1_iy4194a wrote
If you're catching it at Kimball that's probably why as it's the hub for the line
Sea-Blueberry-3184 t1_iy41iwk wrote
Super heated hot air blowers. As far as I know.
IntelligentExcuse5 t1_iy41l7l wrote
I can just imagine the advertising slogan: " late for work? we are the only ones that can get you there before you set out"
chocki305 t1_iy439u5 wrote
>It's become a dog whistle
I'm going to bet you don't live in Chicago.
kmfdm1974 t1_iy4bpp2 wrote
Yeah. I would catch the bus to the blue line but it was always late and one time someone jumped in front of it and after that I was like no more blue line for me
Camiata2 t1_iy4d7h8 wrote
Yeah, stuff like that seems to be more common for the red and blue lines
herbw t1_iy4owb7 wrote
Ever heard of the ELL? The elevated rails there.
GoGaslightYerself t1_iy4owp6 wrote
Those must be some HOT fires to set steel railroad rails ablaze.
herbw t1_iy4p5gl wrote
'cept for the crime rates.
And two things are over rated: Sex and Johns Hopkins. Some might be not sure about sex.
SeriousSaltySloth t1_iy4p9zi wrote
In Sweden we just cancel all public traffic. It's easier and cheaper that way you see
awildhorsepenis t1_iy4s4ea wrote
unless you moved there in the last 9 years, i’m going to bet you don’t live in Chicago.
chocki305 t1_iy4u1ku wrote
Born and rasied.
awildhorsepenis t1_iy4u5vs wrote
all i remember are cow statues
Yancy_Farnesworth t1_iy4v47b wrote
I'm going to bet you don't live in Chicago. Or ever even looked at a crime map of Chicago.
chocki305 t1_iy4wplc wrote
I bet you don't look at replys before commenting.
Born and raised Chi town. To claim it isnt run by corruption, is laughable.
We currently have an alderman who is under indictment, and is still running for reelection. We re elected a convicted alderman for fucks sake.
kmfdm1974 t1_iy4zrmq wrote
I have a buddy and she told me that she was late for work like five times in a couple years cause people were killing themselves on the blue line. I wonder what it is about suicide and the blue line
Camiata2 t1_iy50n1g wrote
Probably easier to commit as it (and the red line) goes underground whereas the other lines are all above ground and more difficult to gain access to
kmfdm1974 t1_iy51cmc wrote
She said these people were jumping on the tracks around Pulaski and when my train got held up they jumped in front of it on Damen
Camiata2 t1_iy53g57 wrote
Ah, okay. The Irving Park and Damen stops are both fairly large stops in general so it might just boil down to percentages being at play
laura34533 t1_iy5heo9 wrote
Used to be. Now u see crime downtown and the affluent suburbs. Not as bad as Englewood, but still bad
i_was_an_airplane t1_iy5qwus wrote
Why not just find heaters that run at 600V or whatever voltage that specific track uses?
Caliterra t1_iy5tomx wrote
Isn't that every City though. Cut out the most crime ridden part of any big city and the overall crime rate would plummet
Christpopher1244 t1_iy5wte5 wrote
I don't know... I've lived in Chicago for 20 years, taking the train almost everyday, early and late. I've never seen them set the tracks on fire. That's interesting if it's true though!
stewieatb t1_iy5xnfj wrote
Not rightly sure as I never stuck my head that deep in signalling land (signal designers are tossers). I would imagine that the 650V AC signalling power system can't provide a sustained power enough to run the heaters.
johnwayne1 t1_iy6enwo wrote
Houston isn't a major city?
Butterl0rdz t1_iy6g5ep wrote
FUCK YOU BALTIMORE!
spaghettiputs t1_iy6hnk4 wrote
Anything less than 2.5M is a small city.
gramathy t1_iy6tiyj wrote
Also it’s misrepresented by using absolut numbers and not per capita
RachelsFate t1_iy7top1 wrote
I still don’t know what ur talking about lol. Not everyone knows what a point is
sandrews1313 t1_iy1u0c2 wrote
Not exactly. It’s gas burners at the track switches. Nothing is burned…they’re just heaters.