Track clicking?

I've heard this gentle tinkling sound at quite a few places in the UndergrounD, I've always attributed it to the current flowing through the current rails creating a magnetic field which then attracts the metal carriers on the top of the insulator pots. Happy to be corrected though!

I'd always assumed it was the pots wiggling around from vibrations in the track.

I don't think it has anything to do with magnetism but everything to do with vibration. Remember that shoes slide along the top of the rail, rather than roll like wheels. As each shoe hits the start of a section of current rail, it tries to move the rail. over time, they would move if the rail wasn't tied down with anchors. The clicking noise, I've always thought, was due to the vibrations transmitted by a shoe striking the current rail further along the line.

White City was one of the other locations I've heard it (though mostly on the EB). Greenford was another.
It would be interesting to see if it still occurs at White City now that the current rail gapping in the area has been modified...

Interesting, I've never heard a Ross Courtney click but I've heard track circuits clicking. The West end of Hatton Cross was a favourite for this and in the pitch black one could see the iron filing attracted around the block joint over 8's points glowing red. It was the first point of call for a track failure around the points!

There are lots of odd clicking noises, but click never seems to be quite the right word to describe them. Theres the odd electric noise that sounds a bit like 'jolt' when a trains shoes pass onto a near current rail, then occasionally at quiet stations like Ickenham, between trains you can hear a noise rather like that of two knives hitting each other side on, but with a hint of sonority. I guess the latter is something to do with track circuits?

I hear it all over the met and certainly think it is the track moving and causing the metal parts of the insulator pots moving. It will be interesting to see if it happens where the new aluminium conductor rail and new pots are installed?

I am familiar with a variety of railway noises, the noise I'm thinking of is a definite "tinkle".

Do you mean the sound at the start of these videos?

These aren't the sounds I'm thinking of, these are joint clinks or flange twings; I'm remembering a definite tinkle.

It does appear to come from the insulator pots. under each insulator pot is a thin metal 'height adjustment' wedge. Its about ¼" thickness. And its purpose is to adjust for minor deficiencies in track bed and rail height. One or two, or perhaps even three or more of these wedges can be placed under the conductor rail where it sits on each insulator pot.

These wedges are sometimes plastic, but are of the same shape. I was intrigued to what caused this noise until recently where I found one of the wedges beside the track, and dropped it lightly onto a discarded insulator pot. The sound was alike, but not totally exact.

Insulator pots now are of a new design, and look like they can be adjusted by simply screwing the U 'stirrup' onto its base.

I've just tried that link and get a 'This video has been removed by the user.' message so can't comment.

Andy

Hello folks,

I have often heard a noise similar to what you describe in the Paris Metro. Would you consider the following attempt of an explaination: Noises are transmitted through metal much quicker and longer than in the air; they are also much more distorted than in open air because a metal bar does not transmit equally all the frequencies, and this differentely than open air does.

So, before the usual train noise can be heard (and in London tube lines, before the wind blows heavily to announce the train!) a different noise, mainly coming from the wheels and the shoes, can be effectively heard, a kind of "cliquetis" of high frequencies...