Martin Underwood wrote:
www.waspies.net wrote in
:

Bob wrote:
The Central London Railway began with Camel Backed Electric
locomotives hauling unpowered carriages. In order to improve
efficiency distinct humps (mini summits) were built into the track
profile at stations from Notting Hill to Liverpool Street - incoming
trains were slowed by the rising gradient whilst outbound trains
were hastened on their way by the falling out bound gradient. The
heavy unsprung locomotives were soon replaced by multiple units with
intermediate powered bogies. Does anybody know if humps are still
built into station tracks on new tube lines.

No but the effect of Metromess and TubeCrimes track replacements means
that it feels as if you are going over speed humps at 50 mph, worst
bit of track used it be Pic Acton to Hammersmith.

I didn't know that new lines were not built with a rising gradient on the
approach to each station and a falling gradient on the departure from it.
I'd have thought that the reasons for which the humps were originally built
(helping slowing down on arrival, speeding up and reducing current
consumption on departure) would be as valid today as they were 150 years
ago.


I think it was an innovation on the Central London Railway wasn't it,
with the earliest lines not having it? None of them quite 150 years
ago anyway. Maybe 105.