Steam and electricity (complete)

[Deleted]

My father-in-law raised an interesting question the other day. Given the dangers of mixing water and electricity, how did BR, their predecessors and successors for that matter, get over the problem of waste water from steam locos coming into contact with the 3rd rail where steam locos ran over third rail lines?

Wouldn't this have made the loco temporarily "live"?

[john]

Chances are that they might have been able to but the "juice" to the third rail when the loco ran over the line. This would then lead to a dead 3rd rail which could then be turned back on once the train had passed. I'm not too sure on this but i believe that is how the 3rd rail is worked now

[Deleted]

Sorry 17980s but I don't really understand you. The current in the 3rd rail would have been on all the time surely just as it is nowadays when steam specials work over 3rd rail lines, i.e. into Victoria or Waterloo. There would have been plenty of parallel running in steam days as well, e.g. between Victoria and South Croydon for the Oxted lines and through excursion trains via Reading, say.

It would surely have been impracticable to isolate sections where steam trains were running.

[john]

Not too sure. I know that they can do that but whether they did or not who knows but as i said, i'm not too sure. Hopefully someone can correct me! ;D

[Deleted]

Apparently being DC current, such conductivity to the loco was not too serious although can't quite follow this reasoning. I mean, would you pour a bucket of cold water directly on to the third rail?

Further views awaited.

[john]

No way! The only thing i can think of is that somehow they prevented the loco from passing on any kind of electric shock on to passengers and crew. Other than that my mind is a blank!

[Deleted]

I now understand that certain steam locos had rubber water discharge pipes, which would not, of course, have conducted the juice.