You should be able to have anything earthed if you use a transformer for the
supply with a separate secondary.
Brian

--
----- --
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Tim+" wrote in message
...
Last year we rode a funicular railway with a single overhead wire and a
large bank of resistors on the roof that got very hot when it was
descending. I'm guessing that it was a DC motor/generator setup with the
resistors absorbing the generators output on the way down.

Today we rode a train with two overhead wires but no resistor banks. This
train apparently runs on a three phase supply. Presumably the rails supplied
the third "leg" of the supply but how safe is this with AC? Wouldn't the
rails be dangerously live relative to earth?

There were no warning signs and the track was unprotected so it must be safe
but I don't understand how. Can anyone explain? Also, how did the braking
work?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petit_train_de_la_Rhune

Tim