Originally Posted By: chaosmagnet
Originally Posted By: James_Van_Artsdalen
I left out the word "telescoping". It fits easily in a pocket.


I grew up in NYC, I visit there a couple times a year, and I've used rapid transit in a number of other cities -- I've ridden mass transit rail thousands of times. I can count on the toes of one elbow how many times I wished I was EDCing a telescoping fiberglass rod along with a DC voltage detector. I can't believe that I would trust such an instrument with my life if I happened to have one while evacuating from a train.

I stand by my original statement with one modification. If you're not a railroad professional, there's no equipment that you can EDC that will safely test if the third rail is live.


Agree, most underground railways including the one in question, use DC power supply at about 750 volts.
This is almost certain to be fatal if touched and there is NO CERTAIN WAY OF DETECTING IT without equipment that is unreasonably costly and bulky to carry, and also is DANGEROUS TO USE without proper training.
A suitable test lamp or electrical meter has to be connected between the live rail and a suitable grounded item such as one of the running rails. This requires care and training in order not to receive a fatal shock whilst testing. The testing device also requires testing on a known live source to avoid a "false negative" from a defective tester.
And even use of the correct tester by a trained person, only shows the rail to be dead WHEN TESTED and does nothing to prevent it being re energised.


Edit to add, this is the sort of tester used in the UK on electric railways.
live rail tester
NOT TO BE USED WITHOUT TRAINING also a bit bulky and expensive, and does nothing to prevent re-energiseation.