Powering New York's Subway System
Season 9
About the Episode
Running the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) required the most powerful electrical plant in the world. The central powerhouse generated alternating current, which could be sent over long distances. Rotary converters were then built to change the alternating current into direct current needed to run the trains. These rotary converters were placed in substations scattered throughout the city.
Aired:
| Expires: | Runtime: 2m 06s
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Extras
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Trailer | Clearing the Air: The War on Smog
Watch a preview of Clearing the Air: The War on Smog.2:22 -
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Why do people shake Polaroid pictures?
We were told to "shake it like a Polaroid picture". But what if we got it wrong?1:58 -
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Fighting Environmental Racism In L.A. County
Thousands of Superfund sites have been identified across the United States.4:40 -
What if you found 22,000 tons of toxic waste in your own backyard?
22,000 tons of toxic waste in your own backyard3:57 -
Why the Pap smear almost never saw the light of day | What the History?!
What do guinea pigs, eugenics and Japanese incarceration during WWII have in common?5:04 -
The surprising reason why women were included in the 1964 Civil Rights Act | What The History?!
Did you know that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 wasn’t supposed to include job protections for women?3:43 -
Civil Rights in the Sky: The woman who paved the way for Black flight attendants
Learn how Pat Banks Edmiston broke barriers in the sky.4:53 -
