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NolanSyKinsley t1_iy1x3g2 wrote

Points, they flame up the points to ensure they can move, not the entire tracks

197

optiongeek t1_iy3hbq1 wrote

For a fucked up city, Chicago knows how to get stuff done despite all the corruption.

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spaghettiputs t1_iy3o1og wrote

Major cities get accused of corruption but we can look at Dallas, Houston, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa, Raleigh. mobile, B'ham, Biloxi, and Atlanta to see real corruption.

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Throwaway_7451 t1_iy3x4r7 wrote

It's the same with crime in Chicago. It's become a dog whistle and only scares people away from the city and hurts tourism.

In reality, the worst of the crime is limited to a relatively small residential area that visitors would never travel to in the first place. Take that out of the equation and as far as the majority of the people in the city are concerned, Chicago is actually one of the safest large cities in the country.

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laura34533 t1_iy5heo9 wrote

Used to be. Now u see crime downtown and the affluent suburbs. Not as bad as Englewood, but still bad

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gramathy t1_iy6tiyj wrote

Also it’s misrepresented by using absolut numbers and not per capita

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Caliterra t1_iy5tomx wrote

Isn't that every City though. Cut out the most crime ridden part of any big city and the overall crime rate would plummet

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chocki305 t1_iy439u5 wrote

>It's become a dog whistle

I'm going to bet you don't live in Chicago.

−17

Yancy_Farnesworth t1_iy4v47b wrote

I'm going to bet you don't live in Chicago. Or ever even looked at a crime map of Chicago.

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chocki305 t1_iy4wplc wrote

I bet you don't look at replys before commenting.

Born and raised Chi town. To claim it isnt run by corruption, is laughable.

We currently have an alderman who is under indictment, and is still running for reelection. We re elected a convicted alderman for fucks sake.

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jason_abacabb t1_iy3r9q4 wrote

You forgot Baltimore.

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spaghettiputs t1_iy3rkoa wrote

Baltimore runs rather smooth for a small city

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herbw t1_iy4p5gl wrote

'cept for the crime rates.

And two things are over rated: Sex and Johns Hopkins. Some might be not sure about sex.

0

fordfan919 t1_iy3t5ab wrote

Just realized I've lived on half those cities.

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RachelsFate t1_iy7top1 wrote

I still don’t know what ur talking about lol. Not everyone knows what a point is

1

sandrews1313 t1_iy1u0c2 wrote

Not exactly. It’s gas burners at the track switches. Nothing is burned…they’re just heaters.

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Thor4269 t1_iy1yd7e wrote

>It’s gas burners

>Nothing is burned…

But it burns gas and it also doesn't!

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T_Noctambulist t1_iy2db62 wrote

It burns gas, it doesn't burn the tracks. You don't say your car burns up the roads just because it burns gas in the engine. (burning up tires is something different!)

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HotSalsaAssFire t1_iy2nj68 wrote

Tell me you’ve never gone 88mph without telling me you’ve never gone 88mph

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solo1069 t1_iy2vb6m wrote

Guess they’ve never seen some serious shit.

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IntelligentExcuse5 t1_iy41l7l wrote

I can just imagine the advertising slogan: " late for work? we are the only ones that can get you there before you set out"

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Good_Mornin_Sunshine t1_iy3p41o wrote

It's actually quite damaging to the tracks, even if they don't melt or turn to ash. They only use this method in a couple of interlockings for this reason.

That said, it looks like the trains are driving through Hell and that's amazing.

0

BrokenEye3 t1_iy2t00u wrote

They said they set firevto the rails, not burn them.

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movieball t1_iy26i9r wrote

There wouldn’t be fire if nothing is burned.

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Android_slag t1_iy1unn4 wrote

Even the UK rails have heated sections. Mainly the switch blades (movable parts to change track) although their electrically heated so don't expect flames

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Good_Mornin_Sunshine t1_iy3pc53 wrote

Most US switches are heated electrically. The gas blowers are more efficient for areas that get deep snow or ice.

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stewieatb t1_iy3u5rk wrote

Yep, we designed a lot of cable routes for EPH back when I did rail civils design. Biggest headache was just getting 240/415V power to the trackside in the right place. Some places needed new supplies or in the extreme even new substations. I can see why chucking a bottle of propane on the trackside, controlling it via the signalling and changing the bottle twice every winter is attractive.

On the other hand someone would probably steal the propane bottle.

1

i_was_an_airplane t1_iy5qwus wrote

Why not just find heaters that run at 600V or whatever voltage that specific track uses?

1

stewieatb t1_iy5xnfj wrote

Not rightly sure as I never stuck my head that deep in signalling land (signal designers are tossers). I would imagine that the 650V AC signalling power system can't provide a sustained power enough to run the heaters.

1

OldMork t1_iy284u0 wrote

not a railroad expert, but isnt this something every cold country has, in some version?

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DividedState t1_iy2fyo5 wrote

Hold your horses. Chicago is a city.

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herbw t1_iy4owb7 wrote

Ever heard of the ELL? The elevated rails there.

1

SeriousSaltySloth t1_iy4p9zi wrote

In Sweden we just cancel all public traffic. It's easier and cheaper that way you see

1

Sea-Blueberry-3184 t1_iy29x7o wrote

Toronto has gas fired heaters for the switching stations along the tracks. Finally.

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Camiata2 t1_iy37iph wrote

"On time." Looking at you, Brown Line

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kmfdm1974 t1_iy3sin6 wrote

I've never had a problem with the brown line. Now the blue line that's another story

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Camiata2 t1_iy3uvnk wrote

I swear the brown line always has a delay of some sort. I think the blue and red are more susceptible to the infamous sick passenger

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kmfdm1974 t1_iy3wowt wrote

I live up on Peterson and Kimball and catch the brown line up at the station at Lawrence at five in the morning so maybe that's why I don't have a problem with delays. Sometimes catching it back home there's a long wait

1

Camiata2 t1_iy4194a wrote

If you're catching it at Kimball that's probably why as it's the hub for the line

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kmfdm1974 t1_iy4bpp2 wrote

Yeah. I would catch the bus to the blue line but it was always late and one time someone jumped in front of it and after that I was like no more blue line for me

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Camiata2 t1_iy4d7h8 wrote

Yeah, stuff like that seems to be more common for the red and blue lines

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kmfdm1974 t1_iy4zrmq wrote

I have a buddy and she told me that she was late for work like five times in a couple years cause people were killing themselves on the blue line. I wonder what it is about suicide and the blue line

1

Camiata2 t1_iy50n1g wrote

Probably easier to commit as it (and the red line) goes underground whereas the other lines are all above ground and more difficult to gain access to

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kmfdm1974 t1_iy51cmc wrote

She said these people were jumping on the tracks around Pulaski and when my train got held up they jumped in front of it on Damen

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Camiata2 t1_iy53g57 wrote

Ah, okay. The Irving Park and Damen stops are both fairly large stops in general so it might just boil down to percentages being at play

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Vesimelooni8 t1_iy2sphk wrote

In Finland we just have cracks in the rails in winter. Efficient.

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torsun_bryan t1_iy3daiy wrote

Railroads across the world do this, it’s not just Chicago

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joelex8472 t1_iy3umkc wrote

The UK could write a few notes from Chicago’s playbook. We get leaves on the tracks and it’s game over here.

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darkfinx t1_iy6041h wrote

... it's not just Chicago. This is common practice with commuter rail.

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ATElDorado t1_iy29tbx wrote

BTW, they do this in Virginia as well

1

The-paleman t1_iy2h1i8 wrote

In British Columbia they did this to clear brush and started forest fires

1

Wendals87 t1_iy3an4o wrote

just like people! light a fire under them and they'll get moving real quick

1

Solidsnakeerection t1_iy3s7dx wrote

The DC metro does that by itself no matter the weather

1

Adbam t1_iy43xee wrote

Nah this is just Doc Brown returning from the wild west silly.

1

SpaShark t1_iy44xqz wrote

I am sure that all railroads do this as cold contracts metal and can separate rails,,, The heat expands the metal rail to reconnect it

1

GoGaslightYerself t1_iy4owp6 wrote

Those must be some HOT fires to set steel railroad rails ablaze.

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Christpopher1244 t1_iy5wte5 wrote

I don't know... I've lived in Chicago for 20 years, taking the train almost everyday, early and late. I've never seen them set the tracks on fire. That's interesting if it's true though!

1

GGtesla t1_iy1uf3h wrote

Litterally this is fine meme

−15

wearless t1_iy31ddw wrote

Tis a fine barn, but sure tis no meme, English

1