A Third Rail Shoe up close. The Illinois Railway Museum. Union Illinois USA. Friday, July 3rd 2009.

I took this photo inside one of the museum's display barns on a recent family visit to the Illinois Railway Museum.

This is a daily sight for anybody who works behind the scenes on or around equipment at a Public Transportation / Rapid Transit operation. Scene here mounted to one of the trucks of a 1920's era Chicago Transit Authority 4000 series rapid transit car, is the Third Rail Shoe. This truck mounted shoe, makes contact with the third rail, and transmits the elctrical power to operate the train. The Chicago Transit Authority's rapid transit -subway and elevated railway lines, are energized at 600 Volts D.C. Luckily nothing is operated on a third rail system at the Illinois Railway Museum for obvious safety reasons, and these Third Rail Shoes are electrically disconected. The design of the third rail shoe at least in Chicago, has changed very little over the years.