Speeds over North Acton Junction

[Deleted]

Why are speeds over North Acton Junction so low? I can understand a low speed for the diverging route to WER, but the straight route to EBDY and both routes form those two branches also have restrictions on speeds.

The formation doesn't seem to be that terrible - is it only because of track curvature?

[q8]

Been like that since 1948 TOK. Always asked but never found out why. The nearest I could get is that it is line curvature to blame. Round the bend used to be 20mph. Dunno if it still is. Also I think poor ground conditions have some bearing on it. I do know, however that if you took that junction at excessive speed it used to put the fear of God into you.

[Deleted]

The Junction was re-modeled in the early 1990s along with a new route and platform at North Acton,as part of the Central line project, so theoretically a higher speed should now be allowed.

[Deleted]

Interesting - judging from photo #23 of the junction as seen in the book "Main Lines: Paddington to Princes Risborough" (ISBN 1 901706 818), its layout appears completely unchanged from the views available today from the saloon of a 1992TS.

In what way was it remodeled?

[Tom]

North Acton Junction itself wasn't remodelled until 2002 - it was just the station are which was modified in the 1990s.

2402 points on the eastbound used to be under the bridge but now they are on the WER/ EAB side of it, I think this resulted in a lowering of speed through the area.

I've got a copy of the circuitry for the mods, so I'll take a look next week to see if they changed the codes in that area at all for a lower speed.

[Deleted]

tom said:

North Acton Junction itself wasn't remodelled until 2002 - it was just the station are which was modified in the 1990s.

But there was the new set of points to take trains into the new eastbound platform, it's been some time since I've been there, but I recall those to be close to the converging junction. I stand to be corrected if I am wrong, it has been about 10 years ago.