Where do subway cars get power supply from?

Question

Perhaps it may sound stupid but I always wondered where do subway cars get electricity from? They don`t have trolleys on top and I can`t think of a way of getting it from the bottom part.
I will appreciate any answer as well as a link to a sketch or photo.

Answer 1

Subways all get their power source from a third rail which is next to the rails. a piece of reinforced metal called a third rail shoe slides along the third rail and picks up the current, which usually is 700 or 600 volts, and uses the current to power the train. I cannot think of any good site to show you a picture, but i am sure if you went to some of the subway sites, you can see pictures.....www.mta.info, and go to the subway/MTA Transit page, www.sl.se (Swedish) has some interesting photos, and i dont know any otehr sites personally. I hope this has been informative.

Answer 2

Electricity travels through the tracks. On some subways, like in Chicago, they have a wire that sticks up off the car and connects with an overhead electrical line that runs above the track.

Answer 3

I don't know of any real trains that get power through the running tracks al la model trains like a few answers indicate...that would be a bit hairy...

Anything straight electric that doesn't have overhead catenary gets electric from a third rail...be it off to the side like NYCentral/LIRR third rail or center track third rail like the old trolleys and the London tube I think...

At any rate, the two running rails are for just that -- the wheels and signal voltage for trackside signals... The third rail is for power current.

Answer 4

Ditto to each little thing Dana1981 reported. electric powered motor performance is plenty, plenty larger than that of inner combustion engines (and better than gas cells besides), and so in accordance with that on my own, utilising electric powered autos could extra useful for the atmosphere. additionally, by ability of centralising CO2 emissions at potential plant life, the emissions are plenty extra common to regulate than out of somebody autos tailpipe. And if the electrical energy comes from nuclear or renewable potential sources, than GHG emissions are decreased to virtually 0.

Answer 5

Either through the tracks or from a wire above the train

Answer 6

haven't you seen those signs that say danger electrical current running through track or something like that? electricity runs thought the track just like the model train sets.

Answer 7

isnt ther like some kind of circuit boards that feed elictricity to the tracks somewhere near the tracks? i think anyway.