I think most regular NYC subway riders would know what the third rail is. You spend a lot of time staring it from the platform waiting for the next subway.

But, would you know it walking in a dark tunnel? That's the real question. It would be very easy to accidentally kick the third rail with your toe as you stumbled around in the dark/semi-dark. The cover only shields it from above.

The "Third Rail" in the NYC Subway system is a rail carrying 600 Volts, DC. The rail can be on either side of the main tracks, as there are pickup "shoes" as they are called on both sides of the train.

The main tracks are also a conductor, serving as the "ground" to the 3rd rails "hot" (think home wiring - the third rail is the black wire, the tracks are the white wire).

Here's an illustration I made to show how it works:



The current from the third rail powers all functions of the train.

The third rail itself is only slightly guarded from accidental contact through the installation of a wooden insulating plank mounted above the rail.

This system is also used by the Long Island Rail Road and hundreds of other systems.

see more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_rail

The train here has no rail. It has arms which reach up to cables suspended from the top of the tunnel like a trolley car. Makes the above ground parts of the route much safer for passers by I imagine.

Actually it depends on the kind of train. Most models in service can be opened with the emergency release swith, but not all. But if a traincrash happend, doors may not be usefull because of damage, or when the train is on it's side.



Depends on the model of train and kind of tracks used. I have seen subways with third rails on the ground, on the sides and the kabels on top.

Here is an annotated version of the image KC2ixe posted:

The Subivor website is at http://www.subivor.com/home.html.

Looks like a plausible kit to me. I'd really only question the moist towelettes. Also the prybar might be a bit big for every day carry. Dustmask, torch, whistle are good things to have.

Moist towelettes could be the only shower you get if you're trapped for days in a tunnel. Feeling clean can really keep morale up. Most of my emergency kits have at least one 'Wet Ones' toilette.

OK - other than the river crossings, what tunnel in the NYC subway could you get stuck in for days, and still be in the situation to use moist towelettes? Seriously? NYC subways are all "cut and cover" and are less than 20 feet down - and the whole right of way has emeregncy exits ever couple of hundred yards, and have air grates a lot closer than that

If you're stuck for a couple of days - you are either
1)In a river crossing
2)there are 1-2 spots up by Harlem that are deep
3)Or have a whole buildings worth of debris on top of you, and blocking the tunnel on both ends, and hint, even the WTC didn't take out the tunnel THAT bad (still lucky that there were no trains in the Rector St stop, but...

The Moist towelettes would most likely be useful for when yoy grab onto a handrail or a grab bar, and there was some "shmutz" on it

I'm surprised the poor fellow wasn't sued for disturbing the peace...

The dialogue between myself and whoever comes into contact with the "just in case" part of my life can be summarized as such:

Them: You're wasting money.

Me: You waste more on smoking and alcohol.

Them: You can't be prepared for everything.

Me: You're prepared for nothing.

Them: You're a jerk for surviving when the rest of us croak.

Me: You're a jerk for making me save you.

Them: You should be studying.

Me: Yes.


Aside from that...

I'm not kidding. People have actually told me that being prepared is somehow unfair to everyone else. As if I'm some Wall Street big shot building a nuclear vault under Mount Rushmore. For Jews' sake, when lights went out at the bar I work in, I was the only one with a flashlight. How they intended to operate the electrical board in total darkness is a mystery* to me, considering it's conveniently located above a working grill.

Whenever someone asks me to open a can (in a working kitchen, mind you), my SAK is the only tool available for the job. I am also more often than not the only one with a lighter.

My neighbor called me "Rambo" upon discovering I have two flashlights in my posession. What people would do if they saw a FAK in my class bag, I'm afraid to imagine.

I believe the reason for such mentality is, paradoxically, Darwinian: people who focus on "making it" in the current state of affairs have an advantage over survivalists (and this is the gentler of the two terms I could have used) when it comes to investing time and effort into their career and what-not. Unless of course one could make a career out of survivalism. But that's not realistic, is it?

*I suspect use of the kitchen blowtorch is routine.

I lived up in Washington Heights for a couple years so I spent a lot of time in the 168th St. station. I'm not certain how deep it is, but it's definitely much deeper than your normal subway station. They used to have this slow, human-operated elevator and the door had a small window. You'd watch the elevator shaft moving in front of you and it always felt like you were descending into the coal mines or something.

Let's not forget the logistical difficulty in moving lots of people around. If hundreds of airline passengers can be stranded out on the tarmac for a very long time in winter weather, it's certainly not beyond reason for subway passengers to be stuck underground or on an overhead section for a long time, too.