This morning, waiting for the London Bridge via Forest Hill service at
Streatham Hill, I noticed the conductor rail had been replaced. I suppose
they do eventually wear out but most I observed look like they dated from at
least SR days, if not earlier.
Martin J.

On the underground they progressively jack up the conductor rails with shims
as they wear.

"Martin J" wrote in message
...
This morning, waiting for the London Bridge via Forest Hill service at
Streatham Hill, I noticed the conductor rail had been replaced. I suppose
they do eventually wear out but most I observed look like they dated from
at
least SR days, if not earlier.
Martin J.

I noticed at Brent Cross the other day that a section of conductor rail
about 20 feet long had been welded in. Seemed odd that a short section
of conductor needed changing, now track I can understand.

Kevin

wrote in message
oups.com...
I noticed at Brent Cross the other day that a section of conductor rail
about 20 feet long had been welded in. Seemed odd that a short section
of conductor needed changing, now track I can understand.

Could it have been badly burned by excessive arcing between rail and shoe?
If it had been at a point where many trains suddenly applied power (eg as
the train was starting from station or signal) it could have become so
pitted that it caused further arcing through poor contact - cue vicious
circle!

Martin Underwood wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
I noticed at Brent Cross the other day that a section of conductor rail
about 20 feet long had been welded in. Seemed odd that a short section
of conductor needed changing, now track I can understand.

Could it have been badly burned by excessive arcing between rail and shoe?
If it had been at a point where many trains suddenly applied power (eg as
the train was starting from station or signal) it could have become so
pitted that it caused further arcing through poor contact - cue vicious
circle!

There's a gap by the outer rail platform at Farringdon like that - it's
rare for a train to pull away without lightning effects, smoke etc.
Regulars are used to it and barely bat an eyelid now, but surely it
can't be good for the traction motors?

You should have seen 4-SUBs at Tulse Hill. On the London Bridge side
there was a porter's crossing about half way along the platforms and I
used to watch trains start off & groan out of the station with
satisfying fireworks every time a shoe reached the gap. In daylight you
could see showers of orange incandescent fragments of something (shoe?
rail?). At night the blue flash would be too bright for these the be
easily seen. (I can still hear what the French call le chant des
moteurs...)

One evening in 1964 I was at the Victoria end of the island platform at
Streatham Common, and I could see (and hear!) some kind of PUL/PAN
formation approaching at speed on the down fast. It was belting along.
It was always satisfactory to be on the platform when they rushed
through. As the train came into view, I could not help noticing (it was
dark) that each shoe on the juice rail side was making its own little
shower of sparks. They were yellow-orange rather than blue, and I
wondered if they were caused by brief loss of contact due to the
swaying bouncy ride these sets had especially at speed.