Track Deterioration

The first (and probably worst) jerk is about half way down the S/B platform at Willesden Green. Really does rock from side to side there, even though an S8 normally won't yet have hit 60mph by that point. The ride from there to Kilburn is particularly 'lively' though yes!

Still, doesn't rival the awful ride quality on the N/B Jubilee Queensbury-Canons Park though. Until they corrected a few of the lateral jerks a few weeks ago, the lateral movement really was astonishing. Willesden Green-Kilburn S/B Jubilee was particularly bad too until remedial work was carried out a few months ago. Although it must be said that the track quality in general on LU has improved greatly over the last few years with the steady stream of renewals.

The idea of bullhead rail was that it had two running surfaces so that once one had worn the rail could be turned 180 degrees and the other surface used. This however required a different method of fixing it to the sleepers than other types of rail, hence the use of chairs and keys (wedges) to keep the track in place. The advantage of this type of track in confined spaces such as tube tunnels was that it doubled the time between replacement of the rails which would be a major task in such a confined space.

Carrying on from my previous rant (based on jingoistic"British track is the finest in the World etc:rubbish--we invented railways and others folloiwed") There were railways in mines in Europe in the 15th century. Also we suffer from the age- old seeming necessity for L T to use 4rail power supply.If this had been once and for all standardised as 3 rail years ago, then many difficulties in inter-running etc: would be obviated. New York//Paris and many others use 3 rail flat-bottomed track with no problems about maitainence etc:in often much more complicatede situations than here.Too many little people in three-piece suits-bottle lens spectacles- bowler hats and very little imagination or foresight have been in charge of many aspects of this country's management for far too long, and the legacy persists to this day in more up to date and corrupt forms. Let that be a lesson to you all!!!

Loading gauge only applies to surface stock entering tube tunnels--- there are many instances other than this--ie: N R/L U Wimbledon/ Richmond and Queens Park /H W (Watford)etc: Much more realistic interworking on regular (or emergency) basis would be possible. As for signalling , it appears to be a fragmented f---k-up anyway and one good re-hash- although expensive would solve the problems for good. More money than this would cost is wasted day in and out on rubbish schemes--"consultants " etc: continually. By the way-in my last post re: suits and specs: etc I ommitted cut-glass Ealing comedy accents.,

Not as long as you may think

Merseyrail did have 4 rail sections once upon a time,.so why have they discontinued them?

Not forgetting the Finsbury Park branch of the Northern Line which went from 4 to 3 when handed over to the main line operator

Isn't the 4th rail still in-situ to provide a current return?

That implies that there has been no track renewal since the line was converted forty years ago.

According to the report into the Old Street piling incident "The tunnels are equipped with a 750 V DC third rail electrification system to provide power for electric trains. A fourth rail, laid on the sleepers between the running rails, acts as a return conductor for traction power."

The "4th" rail is and has been used for many years on the southern electric system to re-inforce the return path in areas of heavy gradients etc:( eg: Hayes branch--between Greenwich and Charlton etc:) Its only significance is the fact that having a greater iron content, it conducts better than steel. So rather than have expensive copper reinfocing returns it's cheaper to lay worn second-hand conductor rail (not always necessarily in the centre of the track) and bond to it at intervals.

LULs track is improving slowly but surely. However, living near Harrow, Chiltern went over to flat-bottom long, long before LUL did. Comparing the BR line condition south of Harrow to the fasts' condition north of was a bit of an eye opener - no wonder the A stocks bogies had problems!