Question about Electric Locomotives

[CGW101c]

I was watching a video on the South Shore "Little Joe" at the Illinois RR Museum. At one point the motor crossed from one track to another and in the process lowered the rear pantograph and the raised the front one to get current from the next track. The question is: At the point both pantographs were down was the motor rolling with no power or was something else keeping the train moving?

 

[Damon Hill]

Probably just rolling on inertia.

 

[Crow]

I can tell you in NYC going into GCT on a diesel train the gaps in the 3rd rail (they have to run electric in the tunnels) were designed for when they ran 2 units so that at least one unit would have power at a time, but now that they run a single unit the train coasts between the gaps, and sometimes it doesn't make it to the other side. And when that happens, they have to fire up the diesel engine to get it going again.