European Railroad Discussion > More mists and mellow fruitfulness

Last week my partner and I spent a few days in Cornwall in England's south west. We were there for the walking but on Tuesday I managed a picture at Golant on the River Fowey (pronounced Foy) of one of the two daily china clay trains which run from Goonbarrow Junction to Fowey Docks.

Back to work on Thursday and the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness was in full swing as this new Siemen's class 700 eight car set approaches Gatwick Airport

On Friday the sun came out for much of the morning, prompting a visit to Earlswood where I shot this Railhead Treatment MPV passing a London Victoria to Brighton semi-fast. On Friday there was a temporary speed restriction (TSR) on the Down Quarry Line, over the trailing switch, you can see both the start and termination boards of the restriction to the right of the EMUs. The RHTT is on the Down Redhill Line. The Quarry Line is a six and a half mile double track by-pass between Earlswood and Stoats Nest, opened in 1899. For historical reasons the ownership of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway's line between Coulsdon South and Redhill was vested in the South Eastern Railway, which had running powers over the LBSCR from London Bridge to access their own lines east (to Dover) and west (to Reading) from Redhill.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/16 11:45 by 86235.

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The weather pattern over much of England and Wales has been pretty settled, we've still had no real Atlantic storms pushing in from the west. Yesterday with high pressure dominating in SE England it remained misty almost all day.

Leaving the Marcon stone terminal at Park Royal 66070 on the 6O98 return to Angerstein Wharf on the Thames. On the right is the Central Line of London Underground, 66070 and its train is on the former GWR mainline from Paddington to Birmingham. This single track section only sees occasional use, a daily 'parliamentary' Chiltern Railway passenger train between South Ruislip and London Paddington, and the odd stone train to and from this terminal.

As the train accelerates away from the siding an eastbound Central Line train of 1992 Stock leaves Hanger Lane.

From the same vantage point you can also see the Piccadilly Line. A Rayners Lane to Cockfosters service climbs towards Park Royal from the crossing of the River Brent near Alperton.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/30/16 07:29 by 86235.

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The 6O98 actually left Park Royal 65 minutes early (it usually does) so I hot footed it to Gerrards Cross in the Chiltern Hills for the 6V01, another empty stone train from Oxford (Banbury Road) to Acton Yard. 59101 Village of Whatley is the motive power.

In the opposite direction one of the former TransPennine Express class 170, now re-classified as class 168/3, speeds through Gerrards Cross on a Marylebone to Oxford Parkway service.

After the last picture I returned to London and another shot around Kew East of the 4Y19 Mountfield to Southampton Docks empty gypsum containers. Normally routed from Clapham Junction via Barnes and Hounslow today it was diverted via Kew East regaining the Hounslow line at Old Kew Junction (which is just behind me). The rear wagons are just passing over Kew East Junction, the main A4 and the elevated M4 are evident above Kew East.

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Thanks for the great assortment of trains.  On the shots of the London Transport, what is the purpose
of the center rail? ...an electrical return for the outisde third rail???  And do all the lines use this
track arrangement?
Thanks,
Frank30 (Boston)

Yes, the Tube lines all use four rail setups - two running, two power.  One of the power rails is at +420V, the other at -210V with respect to the running rails (at 0V), giving a total traction voltage of 630V.  My understanding was this was done such that the main traction current never went through the running rails and never had a chance to leak through the surrounding earth, which would cause galvanic corrosion in the cast iron tunnel segments.  As to why the unbalanced voltages, no idea.

Apparently newer sections just run on +630V or +750V and 0V, eliminating the weird split potential.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/16 08:20 by NDHolmes.

The unbalanced voltages is for safety reasons, though I don't know why they are not +315V and -315V, which would be even safer!