Was waiting at Farringdon the other day and an A stock train came into
the eastbound
platform , stopped and almost immediately one of the outside shoes
started to arc
badly, probably the worst I've ever seen as it literally went on for 2
minutes while
the train was sitting waiting for a green signal and it was very bright
too, almost
like an electric arc welding torch. Is there no way the driver can be
warned about
this by some sort of in cab equipment as I can't imagine it did the
shoegear or
the live rail much good. Seems to happen a lot at farringdon tho.
Couldn't
perhaps the gaps in the power rails be shifted slightly so when the
trains
stop you don't get shoes almost but not quite touching them?

B2003

On 17 Nov 2005 14:44:43 -0800, "Boltar"
wrote:

Was waiting at Farringdon the other day and an A stock train came into
the eastbound
platform , stopped and almost immediately one of the outside shoes
started to arc
badly, probably the worst I've ever seen as it literally went on for 2
minutes while
the train was sitting waiting for a green signal and it was very bright
too, almost
like an electric arc welding torch. Is there no way the driver can be
warned about
this by some sort of in cab equipment as I can't imagine it did the
shoegear or
the live rail much good. Seems to happen a lot at farringdon tho.
Couldn't
perhaps the gaps in the power rails be shifted slightly so when the
trains
stop you don't get shoes almost but not quite touching them?

B2003
Happens, or at least used to, with A stock at Liverpool Street, too.
The rear shoes can be partly on the ramp where the conductor rail
starts after a crossover. Occasionally I've seen a spectacular arc for
the entire station stop.