Trivia: Most annoying sound made by a train

[samuelmorris]

The rattle of the overhead luggage racks on a 170 Turbostar - seems to happen when the unit is at a certain rev or when idling

But of course, the mother of all irritating sounds...See It, Say It, Sorted I've not travelled by train since February, please tell me it's been dropped?!

Alas...

 

[fgwrich]

The high pitched squeal from the brakes of units like the 80X & 180 Fleets. Try working in a station where you hear that all day!

Another nomination - irritating and pointless announcements like Reading's "TOILETS ARE LOCATED ON THE PLATFORMS" announcements which seemingly come out of nowhere and at full volume.

 

[superalbs]

any gwr announcements

awful

 

[Doctor Fegg]

Voyager fifths because someone has mistaken the alarm in the tiolet* for the flush button again.

* old uk.railway slang. @Bletchleyite will remember.

 

[47271]

The endless miserable tickets and safety automated announcements on a Northern 319. On a stopper between Wigan and Liverpool the thing basically never shuts up, it's enough to make you weep.

 

[Western 52]

Roaring rails, although not so common as they used to be.

 

[Journeyman]

The squeak squeak squeak from the vestibule connections on Mark 3s.

Absolutely. One of many issues with them - I've no idea why so many people consider them THE GREATEST CARRIAGES OF ALL TIME.

Oh, and the noisy chatter in the Pendolino Staff Lounge, aka coach K.

 

[181]

Does anyone else remember the loud and piercing shrieking from the wheels of 156s on the curves of the West Highland line in their earlier years? I remember my first West Highland Sprinter journey in February 1990 being very noisy (interestingly, somewhat less so after turning off onto the Oban line at Crianlarich, if I remember rightly). Apart from Oban-Crianlarich a few weeks later, my next such journey was in 1992 and was much quieter -- some Googling finds this (scroll down a bit), which if correct indicates that the solution involved gluing aluminium discs to the wheels.

 

[Smitham]

Some Electrostars also seem to make a rather unpleasant high-pitched frequency when idle. Not exactly sure what makes it but it's not a nice noise.

This. And I would love to knowe the cause. Sounds like interference.

 

[bengley]

ACM buzz on electrostars

 

[peakNed]

Deltics in general.

Or 66s everything rattles and reverberates, different locos rattle different things in different power notches though...

 

[Chorley Cake]

The drone of a Deltic ? Annoying ? Sacrilege !

 

[samuelmorris]

Roaring rails, although not so common as they used to be.

Oh god, I'd forgotten about this Particularly irritating on express loco-hauled stock or in trailer vehicles, you find yourself imagining just how much quieter that journey could have been before...

 

[DM352]

The annoying whining sound of the original pacer with self changing gears just before the change to the next gear. Cannot remember if it was both carriages or the rear one in reverse as it sounded like a spur gear.

There is a youtube of one at Huyton where the rear 142 was not converted to voith still with the TL11

 

[DustyBin]

I find the ‘UFO’ noise made by Desiro family EMU’s quite irritating for some reason, I’m honestly not sure why!

The noise from Cummins NTA855R engines.

You can’t be serious!

 

[greeny11]

I was about to say the UFO noise from the class 350s. Also, the really annoying alarm sound you sometimes hear on class 390s, though I am not sure why that noise is made.

 

[Megafuss]

The sound of the automatic vestibule doors on MK4 coaches is really annoying especially on long distance runs when folk are wandering up and down the train all the time to the toilet and cafe bar.

 

[hexagon789]

Wheel squeal on tight curves, nothing else really bothers me that much

 

[sk688]

The VCB bang on 379/387s

 

[samuelmorris]

The sound of the automatic vestibule doors on MK4 coaches is really annoying especially on long distance runs when folk are wandering up and down the train all the time to the toilet and cafe bar.

When something in the doorway is triggering it, and you hear the valve operating several times a second continuously...

 

[Ianno87]

Voyager fifths because someone has mistaken the alarm in the tiolet* for the flush button again.

* old uk.railway slang. @Bletchleyite will remember.

It only becomes annoying once you've found out what causes it. ("Oh great, ANOTHER person can't work the toilet")


Speaking of toilets:
-The former Virgin 'talking toilets' with Ron Burgundy
-Class 365s have a bell that goes 'ding ding ding' repeatedly when somebody inside has forgotten to lock, as a (not very obvious) reminder, annoyingly audible from the outside

 

[Merle Haggard]

The tone change reminds me of the hassle it took to get the newly recorded announcement of 'Edinburgh Gateway' to fit in as much as possible into 20 year old pre-recorded announcement sequencing.

The 'Sandwell and Dudley' announcement, squeezed into the station list on Anglo- Scottish via the W.Mids, was (or even is) like that - with the added distinction of being made in the local accent.

 

[Whistler40145]

I don’t find the ride on a Pendolino to be very smooth, feeling like it’s bouncing along making a slight banging noise

 

[TheSel]

'This train will terminate here. The Rail Replacement Bus Service can be found outside the Station entrance"

 

[Whistler40145]

'This train will terminate here. The Rail Replacement Bus Service can be found outside the Station entrance"

I find it quite amusing when the announcement is made and looking at the clueless staff where the replacement buses are

 

[fgwrich]

The high pitched squeal from the brakes of units like the 80X & 180 Fleets.

Another part of the 80X fleet, the self inflating door seals which inflate / deflate around 5 MPH. Some have become Unnecessarily loud, though I still feel the whole system is unnecessary anyway.

 

[43096]

The wailing and gnashing of teeth that comes from some when discussing Mark 3 gangways.

Fixed for you!

 

[CBlue]

The VCB bang on 379/387s

Having travelled on both classes from Cambridge to London many, many times since their introduction - I can't say I've ever noticed the noise as an independent one from the clattering and banging over pointwork at speed Electrostars can do.

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

Having travelled on both classes from Cambridge to London many, many times since their introduction - I can't say I've ever noticed the noise as an independent one from the clattering and banging over pointwork at speed Electrostars can do.

It’s absolutely awful under the pantograph, happens all the time just south of Tottenham Hale and it’s literally a sudden BANG, always makes me jump

 

[richieb1971]

I used to be amused by the sissing noises of the carriages on the anglian route hauled by 90's.

180's braking into Doncaster is the worst i've heard. With buildings all around you the sound cannot escape and echoes into the distance. Standing right by it should be illegal.

When I was a kid valenta HST's were so terrifying i'd cover my ears and run for cover before the tailing power car reached me.