[Southsider2k12]

From NICTD relating to the South Shore trains: "At this time trains are delayed indefinitely due to a weather related power outage between East Chicago and Hegewisch stations. Crews have been dispatched to the area. We will update this message once we know the extent of the problem.

Updated at: 07/24/2012 07:29 AM"

[Southsider2k12]

Update on the trains from NICTD. Typically this is a 2 to 2.5 hour job, but they do have to wait until all lightning has cleared the area to start: "At this time trains are delayed indefinitely due to a weather related power outage between East Chicago and Hegewisch stations. We have overhead wire damage in the vicinity of Calumet Ave. in Hammond. A NIPSCO static wire fell on to our Track 1 overhead wire damaging our circuit causing this disruption. We are attempting to restore service to Track 2 as quickly as possible. We will update this message once service resumes. Metra is accepting NICTD tickets during this temporary outage.

Updated at: 07/24/2012 08:09 AM

[Southsider2k12]

Westbound train service has resumed to Chicago with Train 110 from East Chicago. We will post a complete listing of train delays later this morning.

Earlier this morning train service was temporarily suspended beginning with Train 110 because of overhead wire damage in the vicinity of Calumet Ave. in Hammond. A NIPSCO static wire fell on to our Track 1 overhead wire damaging our circuit causing the disruption. Metra accepted NICTD tickets during this temporary outage.

Updated at: 07/24/2012 08:21 AM

[Ang]

My son works on the railroad and he said yesterday's storm was so bad, the rails were electrified, electrical boxes were blowing up all over the place, sparks flying every where. He said he felt like he was in an action movie. All he could do was sit in his machine and not touch anything for fear of electrocution.
____________________________________________________________

Did you know.....if lightening strikes a rail, the electric current can travel along the rail for up to three miles?!?! So, do not touch railroad tracks when you can hear thunder. You may unwittingly electrocute yourself.

[taxthedeer]

My son works on the railroad and he said yesterday's storm was so bad, the rails were electrified, electrical boxes were blowing up all over the place, sparks flying every where. He said he felt like he was in an action movie. All he could do was sit in his machine and not touch anything for fear of electrocution.
____________________________________________________________

Did you know.....if lightening strikes a rail, the electric current can travel along the rail for up to three miles?!?! So, do not touch railroad tracks when you can hear thunder. You may unwittingly electrocute yourself.

If you ever ride an El train in Chicago never attempt to stand on the platform and pee on the third rail.

[Ang]

Um, I don't think that's something that I am able to do. But, if the urge should strike me, I promise to heed your warning.....

[taxthedeer]

Um, I don't think that's something that I am able to do. But, if the urge should strike me, I promise to heed your warning.....

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/04/23/man...ks-in-evanston/

Man Dies After Peeing On ‘L’ Tracks In Evanston
April 23, 2012 6:58 AM


EVANSTON, Ill. (CBS) — An Indiana man died overnight, after coming into contact with the electrified third rail as he urinated on the Purple Line ‘L’ tracks in Evanston.

The man was at the South Boulevard Purple Line stop around 11 p.m. Sunday with two other people when he came into contact with the third rail, according to CTA spokeswoman Lambrini Lukidis.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Pat Cassidy reports


The man, Zachary McKee, 27, of Ossian, Ind., was pronounced dead at Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston at 11:52 p.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

It turned out that the man had climbed down to the tracks to urinate when he fell onto the third rail, according to a news release from the Evanston Police Department.

Authorities have not said whether the man urinated on the third rail.

One of the two people the man was with ran down stairs to the booth at the entrance at the station and alerted the security guard on duty to the situation, Lukidis said. The security guard then called Evanston Police and Fire officials.


The London Daily Mail reported that McKee had served four years with the U.S. Marines, in the Anbar province in Iraq and in Iwakuni, Japan. He served in the Marines for four years, until 2010, the Daily Mail reported.

At the time of his death, McKee was working toward his undergraduate degree in political science and government at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, the Daily Mail reported.

McKee’s Twitter page indicated that he was in Chicago for the weekend, and that he had attended a Cubs game at Wrigley Field and visited restaurants in Chinatown. He also tweeted that he stayed in a “jank ass” hotel in Chinatown.

Before his death, McKee tweeted, “There’s no stopping us right now.”

Contrary to legends and lore, the program “Mythbusters” has concluded that urinating directly onto the third rail is unlikely to cause death in itself. In fact, some purported cases of such deaths are actually believed to have involved direct bodily contact with the rail, as appears to be the case in the Sunday night incident.

The Straight Dope reported a couple of years ago that there have been two other local cases of people coming into contact with the third rail after urinating on the ‘L’ tracks.

In 1991, a 14-year-old boy was killed after urinating on the Red Line ‘L’ tracks at the Morse Avenue stop in Rogers Park. While some reports say the cause was urination on the third rail, the Straight Dope concludes that he likely suffered electrocution from direct contact.

In 1977, a man named Sang Yeul Lee trespassed onto the ground-level Brown Line tracks at Kedzie Avenue to urinate. Based on autopsy findings, the Straight Dope says he too likely died by coming into direct contact with the electrified rail.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.