Worst Junction?

[Darandio]

Just thought of a new thread to start but probably not that interesting. Which is the worst junction that you have travelled over? Mine would be west of British Steel Redcar, in a pacer it feels as though you are about to be thrown out of the window unless like me you have learned to lean into it.
There must be plenty of others out there where you chuckle as the bloke across from you loses his cup of coffee.

 

[eswnl]

Don't really know on this. Junctions feel worse because the driver goes over it too fast.

 

[Darandio]

I suppose that is true to an extent but on past experience there are just some really bad ones out there.

 

[16CSVT2700]

Dolphin Junction, east of slough.
40mph but in a mk2B at the back of a load 11 train it's rocky as hell

 

[Mintona]

Colton Jcn? Very bumpy IIRC

 

[Tom]

Worting Junction is pretty nasty.

 

[1D53]

Colton Jcn? Very bumpy IIRC

Colton is OK, Hambleton on the other hand is evil.

Heaton Lodge Jn is an absolute nazi though, why oh why its a 60/70 speed over it when 30 would be more sensible I do not know.

 

[DescendingSadly]

Colton is OK, Hambleton on the other hand is evil.

Heaton Lodge Jn is an absolute nazi though, why oh why its a 60/70 speed over it when 30 would be more sensible I do not know.

Whats the linespeed for Bradley?

is it 30?

 

[AlexS]

Trent's rather nasty these days.

 

[960012]

Worting Junction is pretty nasty.

Beat me to it, i was on a 444 going to dads once and there were some business men stood up between the toliet and the bike rack and as soon as mwe went over the bridge i knew what was going to happen lol, over the cross over and there falling everywhere!!! so funny to watch!

 

[devon_metro]

Some of the track and junctions around Westbury is dodgy, especially when navigating the buffet car!

 

[nath9425]

Anywhere around Reading especially if your heading in the Basingstoke direction......

 

[compsci]

Another good one for flying standees is the crossover from up slow to up fast south of Hitchin. It's a high speed crossover, so just as they think they've recovered from being thrown in one direction they get thrown the other way.

 

[adambro]

Heaton Lodge Jn is an absolute nazi though, why oh why its a 60/70 speed over it when 30 would be more sensible I do not know.

That's the first place I thought of when I read this topic! Obviously we both go over it often so are familiar with it. You do get quite a bump heading towards Leeds from Huddersfield! Its funny that because I travel that line so often, I know exactly what points I need to hold on if I'm stood up, that been one of them!

 

[Broken Viking]

Hail All!
For me, it has to be going over Aldershot North travelling from Aldershot to Ash Vale. The line speed for "passing over" the junction is about 40-60mph, but even with the air ride suspension of the Desiros, the train still gets jerked like anything above 20mph. Don't even begin to think what it was like in slam-door stock! :eek:

I often rise a little or stand up whilst passing over the junction in question and usually "APT" it (The train doesn't tilt, so I do insted.) but despite my excellent sense of balance, I still can't help myself from getting knocked over every once in a while!

Farewell...
>> Death <<

 

[westcoaster]

for me its going over hanslope junction at 70mph you get thrown one way then another, then again going over the second crossing, another bad one is west london juction, doing line speedon the df and hurteling across it give's you a good bump, unless you know when its coming you will go flying

 

[ChrisCooper]

Hail All!
For me, it has to be going over Aldershot North travelling from Aldershot to Ash Vale. The line speed for "passing over" the junction is about 40-60mph, but even with the air ride suspension of the Desiros, the train still gets jerked like anything above 20mph. Don't even begin to think what it was like in slam-door stock! :eek:
>> Death <<

Air suspension isn't all it's cracked up to be in terms of ride quality improvement. The main benefit it gives is reduced track noise (compare a coil sprung Mk2 to an air sprung Mk3) since the air acts as an insulator between the bogie and the coach body, and also allows for a constant ride height (if it's working right). The softness or hardness of the springs (or pressure in the air bags), the tuning of the dampers and the weight of the bogie and coach are the main things that effect ride, and maintenance and wear can effect all but weight. Speed is also a big factor, and bogies tend to have an optimum speed, and also the reaction of bogies to different track types varies. The older bogies for example are set up for much rougher, often jointed track, wheras modern bogies are set up for much better quality track, so whilst on good track a modern train will usually seem vastly superior, on rougher track the old train will be at a big advantage. Also, the interaction with adjacent vehicles effects the ride, with couplings and even gangways having quite an effect, since they can damp the movement of the coach body. A lot of modern trains have dampers fitted to the couplings to help this, wheras older trains more often get natural damping from the gangways. Another crucial factor in ride quality is how close you are to the centre of gravity. If you're in the middle of the coach, you'll get a better ride than if you're right at the end.

 

[1D53]

Whats the linespeed for Bradley?

is it 30?

60 on the mainline, 20 for joining the Brighouse.

That's the first place I thought of when I read this topic! Obviously we both go over it often so are familiar with it. You do get quite a bump heading towards Leeds from Huddersfield! Its funny that because I travel that line so often, I know exactly what points I need to hold on if I'm stood up, that been one of them!

I thought you'd think of it too. Its the one spot the trolley is in bother! The other way though you get two little jolts - one for the points and one for the start of the curve.

 

[class 313]

Not junctions but track work between Westbury and Newbury is... Well, lets say they need a grinder down there!

 

[16CSVT2700]

Trent's rather nasty these days.

All track south of Leicester was bumpy as **** tonight!! hock:

 

[Nick W]

All track south of Leicester was bumpy as **** tonight!! hock:

Rocked you to sleep didn't it

 

[16CSVT2700]

Damn right

 

[Guinness]

Stenson Junction.

Your happily going 70mph on a straight track then all of a sudden you fling to the side over the points heading towards Uttoxeter.

 

[Kris]

Worting Junction is pretty nasty.

Yup - Worting on the up especially. It's 90mph and you get chucked one way and then the other.

I tend to drop down to 70mph because being an ex guard I know exactly what it's like. I used to say to people standing up especially at the buffet "Hold tight for a moment" - then they'd see why.

Disastros - far worse over there (and everywhere) because of their poor ride quality.

For those of you not familiar with it - here it is. Downhill 90mph to Y section points.

 

[yorkie]

Cogload is 100 or 110 and was barely noticeable. It's a similar sort of junction to Worting (4 tracks, high speed, flyover, 2 different routes), so why the huge difference in ride quality?

Did the SR build Worting, and GWR Cogload?

 

[Dennis]

Not junctions but track work between Westbury and Newbury is... Well, lets say they need a grinder down there!

Grinding will only get rid of the surface defects (as implicated in the Hatfield incident) and is carried out on a regular basis. It will not solve the poor ride along that stretch of line; something a bit more substantial being needed.

 

[Nick W]

Cogload is 100 or 110 and was barely noticeable. It's a similar sort of junction to Worting (4 tracks, high speed, flyover, 2 different routes), so why the huge difference in ride quality?

Did the SR build Worting, and GWR Cogload?

But going to or from a fast track there's two points at Worthing Junction, but a Cogload Junction there are only 2 tracks towards exeter so only the one point.

 

[Tom]

Those points are in very, very, quick succession at 80mph too... thrown from one side to the other very quickly.

Worting Junction, at the time of building, was BRs fastest junction.

 

[devon_metro]

Cogload is 100 or 110 and was barely noticeable. It's a similar sort of junction to Worting (4 tracks, high speed, flyover, 2 different routes), so why the huge difference in ride quality?

Did the SR build Worting, and GWR Cogload?

Its only a small divergance as they practially run straight into each other. Cogload is 100

 

[yorkie]

Its only a small divergance as they practially run straight into each other. Cogload is 100

But the actual junction at Worting is on straight track ( click ), it's only after the junction that the lines diverge. If you look at an aerial view, there's not a lot of difference between them from the air.

I think it's either badly maintained track, or the crossovers are of a poor design, or both. I see no reason why it should be a bad junction.