Safety concern on Eastern Central line

[Alexwhite]

I have no engineering background, so I my concerns may be misplaced. However: has anyone else taken notice of the violent side to side motion of carraiges on much of the Snaresbrook to Epping section of the Central Line?

At times it is like being on a ship at sea.

It strikes me that this is a positive feedback system: the more the carriages wobble about the greater the wear and tear: you wonder if the carriages might leave the rails.

Is there any engineering forum where I could raise this?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

London Underground presumably. If so, could try the following...

Contact us - Tube, Overground, DLR, Trams, Elizabeth line and stations

Contact us about Tube, Elizabeth line, Overground, DLR, Trams or TfL stations

tfl.gov.uk

 

[Alexwhite]

Thanks MCR. I'll try.

 

[Taunton]

This is a railway phenomena known as "hunting". It's a complex dynamics issue that engineers still struggle to understand completely and thus manage. The good news is that it has afflicted railways since the start, and is not a safety issue. The characteristics of the wheels make it essentially self-correcting. The movement is not as much as you might think.

The DLR some years ago used to be very susceptible to it at various places, particularly at speed down a curved downhill. Tube trains like the Central Line are also liable to it as they have very limited space for their suspension components to move, compared to main line trains. It's a bit shaky, but that's it. The drivers of course have to live with it all day, every day.

 

[Alexwhite]

Thanks Taunton. That's very interesting and reassuring

 

[30907]

The word on the street (or rather, among the expectant mothers in my wife's NCT classes) in the mid 80s was that if you wanted to bring on labour, a trip out to Epping would be worth trying . It's evidently not a new issue...

 

[Alexwhite]

I have no engineering background, so I my concerns may be misplaced. However: has anyone else taken notice of the violent side to side motion of carraiges on much of the Snaresbrook to Epping section of the Central Line?

At times it is like being on a ship at sea.

It strikes me that this is a positive feedback system: the more the carriages wobble about the greater the wear and tear: you wonder if the carriages might leave the rails.

Is there any engineering forum where I could raise this?

The word on the street (or rather, among the expectant mothers in my wife's NCT classes) in the mid 80s was that if you wanted to bring on labour, a trip out to Epping would be worth trying . It's evidently not a new issue...

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That's fun

 

[simple simon]

If you go to Roding Valley station, walk to the nearby road bridge over the railway to Epping and look down on the trains you'll see how they seem to wiggle from side to side. Its almost comical in appearance - especially if filmed with a telephoto lens that accentuates the effect.

What I am very satisfied with is the safety of this. These trains have been running for decades and whilst they have had some issues this wiggle has not been one of them.

 

[Paul Jones 88]

I'll take my kids for a ride on it, cheaper than roller-coaster at the fun park.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Oct 2021 ==

I'll take my kids for a ride on it, cheaper than roller-coaster at the fun park.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Oct 2021 ==

I'll take my kids for a ride on it, cheaper than roller-coaster at the fun park.

 

[simple simon]

I'll take my kids for a ride on it, cheaper than roller-coaster at the fun park.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Oct 2021 ==



== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Oct 2021 ==

LOL, its not quite that 'white knuckle'. Far better to catch a Lewisham bound DLR at West Ferry and go on a real roller-coaster ride over and then under other DLR lines... the whole ride is elevated and for good measure includes a sharp curve too. Its just a shame that its done at slow speed (or maybe 'just as well'!!!)

For the best view make sure that you sit at the front of the train.

 

[357]

Side to side isn't anything to worry about - up and down is more of a concern

 

[simple simon]

Side to side isn't anything to worry about - up and down is more of a concern

I did not go quite as far as Epping today, but was I was looking down on the trains in the Woodford / Roding Valley area and yes when travelling at what is probably a fair pace they do wiggle (or waddle) somewhat from side to side. Nothing alarming... its almost comical to watch. You need a telephoto lens on a camera to see this - its not so easy to see with the naked eye.

I'd say that its a feature of distributed power multiple unit trains - so will not apply to locomotive hauled trains. Um, yes, well its a many a year since any loco hauled trains came along these tracks (probably 1960's with the last of the goods trains - the last BR passenger trains, which ran in 1970, were distributed power multiple-unit trains).