Train timetables - unusual question

pulliptears

My house is approximately half a mile from the entrance to a mile long rail tunnel, there is a ventilation stack just down the road.

Over the last few months I keep hearing a noise, usually around midnight that sounds like a heavy lorry going over a series of speed bumps and clanging. As its unlikely to be anything on the roads that regular, and the local steelworks (that does make one heck of a clatter) is miles away I'm wondering if its a goods train going through the tunnel.

Being non familiar with trains whatsoever, I wanted to know if there is any way of knowing what goes through a stretch of tunnel at a certain time, or am I just going to have to go down and look one night to satisfy my curiosity? :D

dzug1

If you say where it is (what line, what tunnel) I'm sure someone will know or have access to the working timetables with the info in.

pulliptears

dzug1 wrote: »

If you say where it is (what line, what tunnel) I'm sure someone will know or have access to the working timetables with the info in.

Good point

The line runs from Stoke through to Blythe Bridge and Beyond (I believe its an eastbound line). The Tunnel in question is "The Meir Tunnel"
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=meir&aq=&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=13.209342,39.506836&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Meir,+Stoke-on-Trent,+United+Kingdom&ll=52.982679,-2.11165&spn=0.013125,0.038581&z=15

The tunnel starts just before Longton High School if you look at the above in 'map view' and finishes somewhere after George Avenue.

Livingthedream

This IMHO is a question for a dedicated railway forum, would advise posting the question here, on the Railuk forum.

spiro

That sounds like a freight train because they 'clang' when they slow down or speed up as the carriages are 'loose' coupled by chain and therefore hit each other when they slow down and pull apart as they speed up.

pulliptears

Livingthedream wrote: »

This IMHO is a question for a dedicated railway forum, would advise posting the question here, on the Railuk forum.

Ive posted there, thank you!

If I get an answer, I'll let you know

dzug1

You don't seem to be getting anywhere on he other forum

http://www.freightlocate.co.uk/timetables.php

could help - but you'd have to use the demo on a day when the train ran

pmm1981

It could also be a joint that has dropped slightly, when the train passes over the join it will clunk. This is where the traditional noise of a train came from (clickety click) when all track was 60ft lengths, modern rail is continuous weld and the joins are usually welded together.

TheTrainDriver

pulliptears wrote: »

My house is approximately half a mile from the entrance to a mile long rail tunnel, there is a ventilation stack just down the road.

Over the last few months I keep hearing a noise, usually around midnight that sounds like a heavy lorry going over a series of speed bumps and clanging. As its unlikely to be anything on the roads that regular, and the local steelworks (that does make one heck of a clatter) is miles away I'm wondering if its a goods train going through the tunnel.

Being non familiar with trains whatsoever, I wanted to know if there is any way of knowing what goes through a stretch of tunnel at a certain time, or am I just going to have to go down and look one night to satisfy my curiosity? :D

I don't think it is a train as that line is supposed to be closed over night.

The opening times of Caverswall signal box are

Monday - Saturday 06.20-21.52
Sunday 14.05-22.20

Not to say that the line can't be opened for special workings but it certainly wouldn't be opened regularly outside these hours.

HTH

Jeff_Bridges_hair

TheTrainDriver wrote: »

I don't think it is a train as that line is supposed to be closed over night.

The opening times of Caverswall signal box are

Monday - Saturday 06.20-21.52
Sunday 14.05-22.20

Not to say that the line can't be opened for special workings but it certainly wouldn't be opened regularly outside these hours.

HTH

Just because a local box is closed does not mean that the workings cannot be transferred to a bigger box for overnight workings.

pulliptears

Jeff_Bridges_hair wrote: »

Just because a local box is closed does not mean that the workings cannot be transferred to a bigger box for overnight workings.

As Ive said, I know nothing of trains, but if it helps Caverswall signal box is a tiny little thing which is barely a mile away from the much bigger Blythe Bridge signal box.