INITIAL CORROSION SURVEY OF THE BAY AREA RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM

The 75-mile (120-km) Bay Area Rapid Transit System has a dc traction power supply that uses the continuously welded steel running rails for its negative current return. The rails are mounted on insulating fasteners to minimize leakage current. However, high values of stray current have been measured during the initial operation of the system. Testing has demonstrated that the negative return grounding at traction substations and its interconnection with other grounding has been the major cause of stray earth currents. An alternate method of negative return grounding through diodes has been tested and is being installed. The diodes block exchange currents, but allow leakage and fault current return to the traction rectifiers.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1974/500/500-006.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=INITIAL+CORROSION+SURVEY+OF+THE+BAY+AREA+RAPID+TRANSIT+SYSTEM&author=P.+Todd&publication_year=1974
• Availability:
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Corrosion. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Todd, Peter L
• Conference:
  • 53rd Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1974-1-21 to 1974-1-25
• Publication Date: 1974

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: pp 45-49
• Monograph Title: Corrosion and corrosion protection
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 500
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cathodic protection; Corrosion; Corrosion protection; Diodes; Electric current; Electric power supply; Electric substations; Electrical grounding; Railroad electrification; Rectifiers; Semiconductor devices; Semiconductors; Steel rails
• Identifier Terms: San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District
• Subject Areas: Energy; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Public Transportation; Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00072459
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309022908
• Report/Paper Numbers: Number 501
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Dec 13 1981 12:00AM