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| Re: Keeping Up With Chicago's ''L'' (PHOTOS) (851948) | |||
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Re: Keeping Up With Chicago's ''L'' (PHOTOS) |
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Posted by ChicagoPCCLCars on Tue Nov 3 11:54:44 2009, in response to Re: Keeping Up With Chicago's ''L'' (PHOTOS), posted by Karl M, Ex New Yorker on Tue Nov 3 11:18:36 2009. Catwalks......that subject comes up from time to time doesn't it. I remember one person posting that he thought the catwalks would prevent a derailed train from falling down to the street below.Our "L" in Chicago was/is mainly two track. The wooden catwalk was included betwen the two tracks. Where a three track elevated was first built, like over East 63rd ST, two catwalks were placed inbetween the three tracks. Then when the first four track elevated was built on the Metropolitan West Side, three catwalks inbetween the four tracks. The Northwestern Elevated did the same by 1900 with their four track main. A short outside catwalk was constructed at the ends of most station platforms...called "fool catcher" supposedly people hanging on the outsides of "L" trains would fall off there, instead of to the street below. Outside catwalks began appearing in areas where there were towers, lots of train movements, like next to the 61st ST yard. A person on the track could walk on the outside catwalk and only be concerned with trains from one direction mainly. In short, I think the question is not why doesn't Chicago have more but why does New York have them. I think my last idea, the need to be watchful for trains from two directions is the main reason. New York has more of this with their three track elevateds than did Chicago with our two tracks. David Harrison |
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