Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2010 7:26:45 GMT
Hi All,
After passing Harrow on the Hill yesterday, I noticed some new design juice rails and insulators that I've never seen before. The rail looked like alluminium with some sort of deposit on it's surface. Not much laid but there were some bare rails between the tracks ready for installation. Is this some sort of experiment.
If there is a thread on this already please point me in the right direction.
Thanks.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2010 8:50:44 GMT
Network Rail has installed something similar at some locations. There is a siding at Wokingham station that had the type of conductor rail installed a few years ago.
Xerces Fobe
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metman
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Post by metman on May 30, 2010 9:07:27 GMT
These are being rolled out on the SSR upgrade I think. They are alumimum with a steel plate on top. They look horrible in my opinion! They also create a louder noise as the shoes clatter over them. It's a much higher pitch, tinny noise too.  |
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Post by 100andthirty on May 30, 2010 9:31:46 GMT
The aluminium conductor rail with stainless steel wearing surface has been used for over 10 years. Aluminium condusts electricity much better than steel so more current can be drawn without excessive volt drop. This is part of the overall power solution for the ugraded sub-surface lines. (new/upgraded substations, 750V, composite conductor rail).
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Post by andypurk on May 30, 2010 9:33:33 GMT
They are also used on the East London Line rebuild / extension. I believe that one of the first uses was the Southampton/Eastleigh - Fareham - Portsmouth/Havant electrification scheme (as well as the DLR of course). They are used as aluminium is a better conductor of electricity than steel.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2010 9:34:12 GMT
They are alumimum with a steel plate on top. They look horrible in my opinion! Yes. They look like an aluminium I frame with about a inch thick oval deposit stuck on the top. Is this normal steel or some high wear stuff. The insulator pots look totally different as well. They don't taper off, they just seem to be cylinders with horizontal slots around them. |
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Tom
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Signalfel?
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Post by Tom on May 30, 2010 9:57:32 GMT
They've been used since the JLE, which was eleven years ago now.
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North End
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Post by North End on May 30, 2010 10:35:19 GMT
These are being rolled out on the SSR upgrade I think. They are alumimum with a steel plate on top. They look horrible in my opinion! They also create a louder noise as the shoes clatter over them. It's a much higher pitch, tinny noise too. Also rapidly being installed on the Northern Line, at the moment mainly between Euston and Morden via Bank. Look horrible, but reputed to work very well indeed. |
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Post by v52gc on May 30, 2010 11:26:04 GMT
The insulators are what weird, goodbye classic porcelain pot! They're installed a bit between Uxbridge and Hillingdon and Ruislip and Ickenham. The insulators have the rail clipped directly on the porcelain bit with a leg underneath to secure it to the sleeper.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2010 15:45:47 GMT
They've been used since the JLE, which was eleven years ago now. I'm not a frequent traveller to London so only notice changes from time to time. Are all the original aluminium rails covered in that much dirt now they they would look the same grey as the old conductor rails or do they mainatain their sheen. |
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metman
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Post by metman on May 30, 2010 22:02:32 GMT
They are starting to get dirty, but its not the same. I really hate the noise too!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2010 22:28:14 GMT
The aluminium conductor rails are going the same grey colour that A stock went after it began to oxidise. At least it is a use for scrap aluminium bodied cars, maybe these rails on the Met are former A stock cars, that should keep some happy ;D ;D
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Post by louvrerivoli on May 31, 2010 17:45:37 GMT
I've seen this type of conductor rail on some of the Victoria line, especially at the northern end.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2010 0:04:33 GMT
As I understand this conductor rail system is manufactured by Brecknell Willis, better known for their pantographs. In fact, if you get the chance to study the insulators close up you'll see 'BW' embossed on the top.
The Fareham - Botley experimental installation in the eighties has had a few mentions, this wasn't a sucess. There's a book in the Museum shop on Brecknell Willis, this says they picked up the development work after this. I think it says Fareham - Botley was the work of a German company, the method of bonding the stainless steel contact surface to the aluminuim didn't work - Brecknell Willis solved the problem.
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