Why does Brit rail sound different?

[Anonymous]

Was watching a movie the other night which featured a British passenger train for a short bit. I've always noticed the obvious differences in noise between European railroads and US railroads... the whistles being one of them.

My question is this: How come European trains sound differently going over track? Is it because the track is attached to the ties differently? Might it be because the trains are lighter, or the braking systems are different?

Erik

[Anonymous]

There may be many different reasons, but perhaps the following may give some explanation.

1- Jointed rail here is typically 60 foot long.
2 - Most coaching stock is between 55 to 75 foot long. This leads to a situation where both bogies are very close to a joint at the same time.
3 - Rail joints are opposite each other and not staggered as I beleive is the practice over the pond.
4 - Our trains typically run at higher average speeds.

No 3 is probally the most relevant.

We would repeat the sound by going "tidlee bump tidlee bump". Say it as it looks.

What period was the movie set in? Around the 2nd World war would be my guess.

[TH&B]

German (DB) roling stock sounds distinctly different then Danish (DSB) stock. You can hear if there is a DB coach in a DSB train, or for that matter vice versa. So it must also have to do with just the roling stock... the wheels perhaps?!?

Otherwise I would think every comment mentioned so far by Erik and Westcoast Mainline would have an impact with the sounds a train makes. But 6 axle American coaches on staggered jointed rail sounds quite different then 2 axle continental passenger "wagons" on oppasite jointed rail.

[tatans]

British steam had me mystified when visiting around Earl's Court in '65 ,not until a few years ago did I realize that these Brit. engines had 3 cylinders as opposed to most N.A. locos with 2.

[Anonymous]

"Tidlee bump" reminds me of an old Decca 78 rpm recording of actor Reginald Gardiner doing a monologue describing railway operations and providing all the sound effects with his voice. I found it on ASV CD AJA 5210 with a lot of other old-time comedy routines in a Toronto record shop a few years ago.