Engineer-Joe posted:"When the New York Central electrification project began the railroad decided on a 660-volt, direct current (DC) system employing third-rail, similar in nature to what the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad had used for its Baltimore Belt Railroad project a decade earlier (the NYC looked to the B&O’s project for guidance when constructing its own electrified lines)."
Except that was outside third rail, not center third rail.
This picture came up about a year or two ago, as I recall, it was pretty much determined that the third rail was a guard rail for the approach of the track pans.
However, the New Haven did have an active third rail at one point on the Nantasket line in 1895:
Rusty
