"Nigel Pendse" writes:

I meant Tube in the specific sense of LU's trains for deep bore tunnels. I
think sub-surface LU stock (A, C or D stock) do make a different sound,
presumably because they're a bit heavier and also move differently on their
(softer?) suspensions. The firmer suspensions of Tube stocks probably excite
different resonances.

It is a long time since I was on that stretch of Jubilee Line, so you
might be right. District line trains make roughly the same noise as
Picadilly approaching the station though. OTOH, I can definitely hear
the difference between District line trains and North London line
trains at Gunnersbury.

jasonr (Jason Rumney) @ f2s.com wrote:
"Nigel Pendse" writes:

I meant Tube in the specific sense of LU's trains for deep
bore tunnels. I think sub-surface LU stock (A, C or D
stock) do make a different sound, presumably because
they're a bit heavier and also move differently on their
(softer?) suspensions. The firmer suspensions of Tube
stocks probably excite different resonances.

It is a long time since I was on that stretch of Jubilee
Line, so you
might be right. District line trains make roughly the same
noise as
Picadilly approaching the station though. OTOH, I can
definitely hear
the difference between District line trains and North
London line
trains at Gunnersbury.

Perhaps someone should release a "Best Of" album?

"Cast_Iron" wrote in message
...
jasonr (Jason Rumney) @ f2s.com wrote:
"Nigel Pendse" writes:

I meant Tube in the specific sense of LU's trains for deep
bore tunnels. I think sub-surface LU stock (A, C or D
stock) do make a different sound, presumably because
they're a bit heavier and also move differently on their
(softer?) suspensions. The firmer suspensions of Tube
stocks probably excite different resonances.

It is a long time since I was on that stretch of Jubilee
Line, so you
might be right. District line trains make roughly the same
noise as
Picadilly approaching the station though. OTOH, I can
definitely hear
the difference between District line trains and North
London line
trains at Gunnersbury.

Perhaps someone should release a "Best Of" album?

Please, not even in jest...
--
Cheers, Steve.
If The Good Lord had meant for us to be fiscally prudent, He would not have
given us the platinum credit card...
Change colour to PC Plod's lights to reply.

"Nick" wrote in message ...
I think I used to hear the same noise further along the Picadilly Line at
Northfields.
My guess is that long stretches of track in the open air can develop a 3D
vibration and the noise is a natural harmonic of the length of rail.
The steel is, I guess, less beefy than the heavy rail tracks that don't make
the same sort of noise.
It's a funny boinging, jittering noise isn't it?


That's right. The tracks at Turnham Green are relatively free of
points on the eastern side, but on the western side there are points
where the Richmond spur of the District Line splits off. The
Piccadilly Line is free of points, so you can hear the twanging from
either direction. It's certainly the best reason I've heard so far.

And it does sound like a jittery, bonging sound to me; exactly like a
huge spring is being twanged back and forth in a small space. At least
now I know that I'm not going crazy or anything..... ;-)

Brad Chapman

"TheOneKEA" wrote in message
om...
I live in Richmond and take the District Line into Central London
about once a week. Sometimes I change trains at Turnham Green to go to
Ealing Broadway. When I am at Turnham Green, I have noticed that the
tracks make strange noises when either a Piccadilly or a District
train is approaching. No matter how fast the incoming train is
traveling, the tracks twang, rattle and vibrate like huge springs are
being snapped back and forth. Once the train has passed by, the sound
continues until the train is well away from the platform.

I have not heard this anywhere else on the Underground except at
Turnham Green and some of the stations east of it (the tracks at Earls
Court and Victoria make the sound, but it's much more faint than at
Turnham Green). Does anyone have a clue as to what I'm hearing?

We get the same effect at Hassocks on the Brighton line. It is vibration of
the conductor rail. You can tell because it starts when the conductor rail
switches into the centre as the train nears the station, and stops when it
switches back to the outside beyond the station.
--
Terry Harper, Web Co-ordinator, The Omnibus Society
http://www.omnibussoc.org
E-mail:
URL: http://www.terry.harper.btinternet.co.uk/

"Terry Harper" wrote in message

"TheOneKEA" wrote in message
om...
I live in Richmond and take the District Line into Central London
about once a week. Sometimes I change trains at Turnham Green to go
to Ealing Broadway. When I am at Turnham Green, I have noticed that
the tracks make strange noises when either a Piccadilly or a District
train is approaching. No matter how fast the incoming train is
traveling, the tracks twang, rattle and vibrate like huge springs are
being snapped back and forth. Once the train has passed by, the sound
continues until the train is well away from the platform.

I have not heard this anywhere else on the Underground except at
Turnham Green and some of the stations east of it (the tracks at
Earls Court and Victoria make the sound, but it's much more faint
than at Turnham Green). Does anyone have a clue as to what I'm
hearing?

We get the same effect at Hassocks on the Brighton line. It is
vibration of the conductor rail. You can tell because it starts when
the conductor rail switches into the centre as the train nears the
station, and stops when it switches back to the outside beyond the
station.

But at Turnham Green it starts well before the outside conductor rail
switches position. Of course, with a fourth rail system, the centre
conductor rail stays in the same place through stations, so maybe that's why
it starts early and stays singing longer on LU. Presumably the conductor
rails are much less rigidly mounted than the running rails?

"Nigel Pendse" wrote in message
...
"Terry Harper" wrote in message

"TheOneKEA" wrote in message
om...
I live in Richmond and take the District Line into Central London
about once a week. Sometimes I change trains at Turnham Green to go
to Ealing Broadway. When I am at Turnham Green, I have noticed that
the tracks make strange noises when either a Piccadilly or a District
train is approaching. No matter how fast the incoming train is
traveling, the tracks twang, rattle and vibrate like huge springs are
being snapped back and forth. Once the train has passed by, the sound
continues until the train is well away from the platform.

I have not heard this anywhere else on the Underground except at
Turnham Green and some of the stations east of it (the tracks at
Earls Court and Victoria make the sound, but it's much more faint
than at Turnham Green). Does anyone have a clue as to what I'm
hearing?

We get the same effect at Hassocks on the Brighton line. It is
vibration of the conductor rail. You can tell because it starts when
the conductor rail switches into the centre as the train nears the
station, and stops when it switches back to the outside beyond the
station.

But at Turnham Green it starts well before the outside conductor rail
switches position. Of course, with a fourth rail system, the centre
conductor rail stays in the same place through stations, so maybe that's
why
it starts early and stays singing longer on LU. Presumably the conductor
rails are much less rigidly mounted than the running rails?


I always thought this was the collector shoes on the conductor rails: the
bongs when the shoes came off the ends and hit the starts of the conductor
rails.

We get the same effect at Hassocks on the Brighton line. It is
vibration of the conductor rail.
But at Turnham Green it starts well before the outside conductor rail
switches position.

Certainly IME this isn't necessarily the conductor rail(s). I've
noticed it many times on BR trains with no conductor rails. I am also
doubtful if the girder bridge near Turnham Green has a significant
effect; again I've heard this many times on bridgeless stretches of
track. The most that bridge will be doing is acting as a sound box
(like the body of a guitar).

Keith
(remove 00 to reply)

"Steve Dulieu" wrote in message
...

"Cast_Iron" wrote in message
...
jasonr (Jason Rumney) @ f2s.com wrote:

I can definitely hear
the difference between District line trains and North
London line trains at Gunnersbury.

Perhaps someone should release a "Best Of" album?

Please, not even in jest...

Has anyone else seen that "Trains In Trouble" album, with the sounds of
various steam engines trying to pull too many carriages up various steep
inclines?

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

TheOneKEA wrote:

I live in Richmond and take the District Line into Central London
about once a week. Sometimes I change trains at Turnham Green to go to
Ealing Broadway. When I am at Turnham Green, I have noticed that the
tracks make strange noises when either a Piccadilly or a District
train is approaching. No matter how fast the incoming train is
traveling, the tracks twang, rattle and vibrate like huge springs are
being snapped back and forth. Once the train has passed by, the sound
continues until the train is well away from the platform.

I have not heard this anywhere else on the Underground except at
Turnham Green and some of the stations east of it (the tracks at Earls
Court and Victoria make the sound, but it's much more faint than at
Turnham Green). Does anyone have a clue as to what I'm hearing?

To change the subject slightly, there is a similar "singing" sound from
the overhead power lines at Ealing Broadway station; at least, that's
where it appears to be coming from. It is constant, i.e. it doesn't
start up just when a train is approaching, and it is quite loud. I
haven't noticed it on other lines with overhead electrification, so I
wonder what is causing it?

--
John Ray, London UK.

Mail to mefp49 is unlikely to be read. I can be contacted at xcf70 (same
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