What are these? (Train stuff)

[TW]Fox · 11 Jun 2013 at 17:23

Blackhawk47 said:
Third rail is all over the place not just in london underground.

London Underground uses a 4 rail system as explained above, not third rail

As I said in my previous post, third rail is found South and South East of London and in Merseyside.

ExRayTed · 11 Jun 2013 at 17:32

Interestingly (or not I suspect) the only reliable way of identifying a conductor rail is that it sits higher than the other rails.

Cosimo · 11 Jun 2013 at 17:44

The London Underground and its four rails:

The Underground uses a relatively uncommon four rail system of electrification. Two standard gauge rails are the running rails; the outer third rail carries positive current at +420 V DC and the inner fourth rail is the negative return at –210 V DC, giving a supply voltage of 630 V DC. The chief advantage of the fourth-rail system is that, in tunnels with a metallic (usually cast-iron) lining, the return traction current does not leak into the lining causing electrolytic corrosion there or in the neighbouring utility mains. The two running rails are also available exclusively for signalling track circuits.

The surface sections of the lines use the fourth rail solely for operational consistency; the system shares track with Network Rail in several places.

uvarvu · 11 Jun 2013 at 20:08

^ Er, yeah, what I said all the way up in post 17...

Anyway, I have another another picture of something that needs identifying! There are two and they remind me of the pseudo cold war train out of Goldeneye - but what are they for? They are parked outside the workshops near Bristol Temple Meads.

BigDannyO · 11 Jun 2013 at 20:43

uvarvu said:
^ Er, yeah, what I said all the way up in post 17...

Anyway, I have another another picture of something that needs identifying! There are two and they remind me of the pseudo cold war train out of Goldeneye - but what are they for? They are parked outside the workshops near Bristol Temple Meads.

They're snowploughs

uvarvu · 11 Jun 2013 at 20:48

I thought they were too serious looking to be snowploughs but you're right!

Kutter · 11 Jun 2013 at 20:52

Andrew_McP said:
Volume control for the clickety-clack. They turn it down at night.

This must be the correct answer surely !

VirtualAdept · 11 Jun 2013 at 21:11

doofski said:
This must be the correct answer surely !

Its certainly my favourite for awesome answer of the week

SexyGreyFox · 11 Jun 2013 at 21:30

Andrew_McP said:
Volume control for the clickety-clack. They turn it down at night.

That is one of the best replies I've ever seen on this forum and I would have been proud to have thought of that myself.