London Banter

London Banter (https://www.londonbanter.co.uk/forum.php)
-   London Transport (https://www.londonbanter.co.uk/london-transport/)
-   -   Crossing London tube tracks (https://www.londonbanter.co.uk/london-transport/6420-crossing-london-tube-tracks.html)

Adrian April 2nd 08 03:46 PM

Crossing London tube tracks
 
Roger T. ("Roger T." ) gurgled happily,
sounding much like they were saying:

There are, however, people who have survived much higher voltages, but
many have taken lasting damage in the process.


Even the Americans can't electocute instantly, with 100% certainty,
people who have been sentanced to death by electric chair. That can be a
slow, painful death, requiring several attempts, before the subject
dies.


Yebbut they only use 110v.

MIG April 2nd 08 04:41 PM

Crossing London tube tracks
 
On Apr 2, 4:46*pm, Adrian wrote:
Roger T. ("Roger T." ) gurgled happily,
sounding much like they were saying:

There are, however, people who have survived much higher voltages, but
many have taken lasting damage in the process.

Even the Americans can't electocute instantly, with 100% certainty,
people who have been sentanced to death by electric chair. That can be a
slow, painful death, requiring several attempts, before the subject
dies.


Yebbut they only use 110v.


For safety, presumably?

Roger T. April 2nd 08 06:46 PM

Crossing London tube tracks
 

Even the Americans can't electocute instantly, with 100% certainty,
people who have been sentanced to death by electric chair.

Yebbut they only use 110v.


Don't they have 220V outlets for washing machines and electric chairs?


Driers are 240VAC, four pin outlets.

Washing machine 110-120VAC 'U' ground as are most every other outlets in
modern homes. Older homes, those built say mid to post 1950s, may still
have 2 pin, no ground outlets. Yes, the U.S.A. electrical code is not the
world's safest. Things that do down there are not permitted in Canada, which
also uses 120VAC.



--
Cheers

Roger T.
Home of the Great Eastern Railway at:-
http://www.highspeedplus.com/~rogertra/
Latitude: 48° 25' North
Longitude: 123° 21' West






Owain April 2nd 08 07:30 PM

Crossing London tube tracks
 
Roger T. wrote:
Yes, the U.S.A. electrical code is not the
world's safest.


Some of the stuff on electrical-contractor.net is *frightening*

Owain


Charles Ellson April 2nd 08 08:22 PM

Crossing London tube tracks
 
On Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:54:15 +0100, Owain
wrote:

Adrian wrote:
Even the Americans can't electocute instantly, with 100% certainty,
people who have been sentanced to death by electric chair.

Yebbut they only use 110v.


Up to around 3000v DC off a local generator IIRC (thus the dimming of
the prison lights as seen in many films is a load of old cobblers).
There was a DC v AC competition involving the public killing of an
elephant in the early days of deciding the "best" way to fry people;
prior to that Thomas Edison "perfected" his AC system by killing
numerous cats and dogs in experiments :-
http://www.ccadp.org/electricchair.htm

Don't they have 220V outlets for washing machines

Two opposite phases on a 110-0-110 (180deg) supply IIRC except for one
state (Vermont?) which has (or had ?) "real" 240v in some or all of
it.

and electric chairs?


Jules[_2_] April 2nd 08 08:36 PM

Crossing London tube tracks
 
On Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:54:15 +0100, Owain wrote:

Adrian wrote:
Even the Americans can't electocute instantly, with 100% certainty,
people who have been sentanced to death by electric chair.

Yebbut they only use 110v.


Don't they have 220V outlets for washing machines and electric chairs?


120V/60Hz here for mains, 240V/60Hz for the bigger stuff (washing machine,
dryer, fridge and cooker in our case). Can't comment on the electric chair :-)

cheers

Jules




Bruce Fletcher (Stronsay, Orkney) April 2nd 08 10:32 PM

Crossing London tube tracks
 
Charles Ellson wrote:
Up to around 3000v DC off a local generator IIRC (thus the dimming of
the prison lights as seen in many films is a load of old cobblers).
There was a DC v AC competition involving the public killing of an
elephant in the early days of deciding the "best" way to fry people;
prior to that Thomas Edison "perfected" his AC system by killing
numerous cats and dogs in experiments


Was it not Edison who was so convinced that DC was the only way to
proceed and tried his best to show that Tesla and his AC system was a
mistake?
Bruce

Charles Ellson April 3rd 08 02:01 AM

Crossing London tube tracks
 
On Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:32:40 +0100, "Bruce Fletcher (Stronsay,
Orkney)" wrote:

Charles Ellson wrote:
Up to around 3000v DC off a local generator IIRC (thus the dimming of
the prison lights as seen in many films is a load of old cobblers).
There was a DC v AC competition involving the public killing of an
elephant in the early days of deciding the "best" way to fry people;
prior to that Thomas Edison "perfected" his AC system by killing
numerous cats and dogs in experiments


Was it not Edison who was so convinced that DC was the only way to
proceed and tried his best to show that Tesla and his AC system was a
mistake?

Yes, that was the reason the elephant had to die, although it looks
like as you say that it was DC that Edison espoused but AC that the
unfortunate "Topsy" was cooked with to prove that she would have been
safer (but equally dead) with a unidirectional jolt :-
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/01/03...ctrocuted.html

Although apparently "she had to die" anyway (Topsy 3 Keepers 0) :-
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/pet/topsy.html
but carrots laced with cyanide merely made a tasty treat and there
wasn't a big enough gallows. Surprisingly, no-one seems to have
considered having her shot.

Roger T. April 3rd 08 05:02 AM

Crossing London tube tracks
 
Up to around 3000v DC off a local generator IIRC (thus the dimming of
the prison lights as seen in many films is a load of old cobblers).
There was a DC v AC competition involving the public killing of an
elephant in the early days of deciding the "best" way to fry people;
prior to that Thomas Edison "perfected" his AC system by killing
numerous cats and dogs in experiments :-
http://www.ccadp.org/electricchair.htm


The local SPCA used to electrocute animals. Then they went to gassing, now
it's the needle.


--
Cheers

Roger T.
Home of the Great Eastern Railway at:-
http://www.highspeedplus.com/~rogertra/
Latitude: 48° 25' North
Longitude: 123° 21' West



MaxB April 3rd 08 06:52 AM

Crossing London tube tracks
 
On 3 Apr, 06:02, "Roger T." wrote:
Up to around 3000v DC off a local generator IIRC (thus the dimming of
the prison lights as seen in many films is a load of old cobblers).
There was a DC v AC competition involving the public killing of an
elephant in the early days of deciding the "best" way to fry people;
prior to that Thomas Edison "perfected" his AC system by killing
numerous cats and dogs in experiments :-
http://www.ccadp.org/electricchair.htm


The local SPCA used to electrocute animals. *Then they went to gassing, now
it's the needle.

--
Cheers

Roger T.
Home of the Great Eastern Railway at:-http://www.highspeedplus.com/~rogertra/
Latitude: *48° 25' North
Longitude: *123° 21' West


When we lived next to a 750v 3rd rail line, in the days when you could
have an allotment on the bank, our cat used to wander on to the tracks
quite regularly until one day, we assume, his tail swished against the
rail. When we finally caught up with him, there was a horrible smell
of singed fur and a bald patch on his tail. He kept away from the
rails after that.

I always understood that AC killed by high voltages but threw you off
so you might survive, but DC killed with low voltages because you just
stuck there!

MaxB


All times are GMT. The time now is 03:54 PM.

Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2006 LondonBanter.co.uk