Noise from under ground

[wembleyrider]

Noise from underground trains

Those of you who have attended concerts in the Wigmore Hall (in Wigmore Street) may know that there are quite frequent even if faint rumblings that somewhat distract from the music. People say the noise comes from tube trains. But there are no tube lines that run at all close to the hall, if the lines are more or less direct between stations. There would have to be large deviations for them (say, the Jubilee) to pass at all close to the base of the hall. Are there such deviations, or is there other underground train activity that the public is unaware of?

 

[stuu]

The southbound Jubilee line runs about 50m from the Wigmore Hall. Never been there, but I have been to the Garrick theatre where the Northern Line has a noticeable impact on productions, so it does happen.

Openstreetmap shows exactly where the tunnels run

 

[Recessio]

You can hear the trains under the Camden's People Theatre on Drummond Street, between Warren Street, Euston and Mornington Crescent stations. Not sure if it's Victoria line or one (or both) of the Northern line branches causing it.

 

[Peter0124]

It runs to the west of it according to openstreetmap.

On an unrelated note, Ive been able to hear rumblings during uni lectures in certain Strathclyde Uni rooms because the North Clyde runs underneath parts of the uni.

 

[Basil Jet]

The most accurate resource is probably the TfL Property Asset Register at
https://tfl.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5129c766255941d3be16a6828faa8f18

It agrees with the Open Street Map that the southbound Jubilee is about 20m from the corner of the hall.

 

[wembleyrider]

Thanks very much. Very interesting. St Johns Wood, Baker Street and Bond Street stations are more or less in line on the surface, so it's rather surprising to see the line taken between them by the Jubilee tube tunnels. I suppose it's something to do with the fact that the section north of Baker street was once part of the Bakerloo line.

 

[AndrewE]

The BHS shop which used to be on Lord St in Liverpool had a restaurant (SWMBO says it was out the back on the ground floor, so maybe actually on Harrington St) which used to rumble when trains went under it. I'm guessing it would have been one of the Northern Line tunnels.
Openstreetmap:

 

[LampPete]

I work in theatres and it’s surprising how much you can hear of the underground when there is no other sounds in the venues. Most theatres are underground to start with so your already closer to the tube. Koko in camdon they are quite loud! And the same in the Palladium. Birmingham symphony hall is meters away from the west cost main line but you never hear it. Apparently the building is built on foundations that stop the vibrations from passing trains effecting the concerts inside and having worked there many times I can confirm that you never hear a train!

 

[Turtle]

You can hear the trains under the Camden's People Theatre on Drummond Street, between Warren Street, Euston and Mornington Crescent stations. Not sure if it's Victoria line or one (or both) of the Northern line branches causing it.

You can hear the Victoria Line in the basement of buildings on the west side of Fitzroy Square.

 

[Peter0124]

You can also feel vibrations of I believe the Tyne and Wear metro, at the Burger King in Newcastle station.

 

[edwin_m]

You can also feel vibrations of I believe the Tyne and Wear metro, at the Burger King in Newcastle station.

And also in the Tyneside Cinema near Monument.

I've stayed in several hotels around Euston where the rumble of tube trains was obvious, even on higher floors.

 

[swt_passenger]

Thanks very much. Very interesting. St Johns Wood, Baker Street and Bond Street stations are more or less in line on the surface, so it's rather surprising to see the line taken between them by the Jubilee tube tunnels. I suppose it's something to do with the fact that the section north of Baker street was once part of the Bakerloo line.

Very much so, because they’d be constrained by the alignment of the single Bakerloo platform, (the southbound Stanmore branch), and the tunnels they took over, so that specific line would have had to remain roughly east/west. (Say approx 260°/80°) So that one platform’s re-use forces a large smooth curve in the general direction of Regents Park. Then that platform‘s position would have logically decided the new platform’s position too. If they’d been building a completely new two platform underground station, it could likely have been much further west, and perhaps nearer Marylebone.

When the early deep tubes were built I think they still tried to keep the running tunnels under the main streets, because landowners owned everything below their properties. It might be that they took a less obvious route if less purchase costs were required.

 

[_toommm_]

Are there any tube lines near the Victoria Palace Theatre, which currently hosts Hamilton? Whilst in the stalls, I was convinced the periodic rumbling every few minutes was from the tube (I know the show like the back of my hand so I know the rumbling isn't part of the score). The theatre was lowered as part of the rebuild so it makes sense to be part of the Underground.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Are there any tube lines near the Victoria Palace Theatre, which currently hosts Hamilton? Whilst in the stalls, I was convinced the periodic rumbling every few minutes was from the tube (I know the show like the back of my hand so I know the rumbling isn't part of the score). The theatre was lowered as part of the rebuild so it makes sense to be part of the Underground.

The Victoria Line goes directly underneath the west side of the building... https://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php will help in this respect; just zoom in and the street map becomes superimposed.

 

[_toommm_]

The Victoria Line goes directly underneath the west side of the building... https://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php will help in this respect; just zoom in and the street map becomes superimposed.


View attachment 123403

Thank you

 

[Bald Rick]

Birmingham symphony hall is meters away from the west cost main line but you never hear it. Apparently the building is built on foundations that stop the vibrations from passing trains effecting the concerts inside and having worked there many times I can confirm that you never hear a train!

Trains are slow at that point, rarely more than 15 mph, if that makes a difference

 

[Dstock7080]

The Victoria Line goes directly underneath the west side of the building... https://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php will help in this respect; just zoom in and the street map becomes superimposed.


View attachment 123403

The southbound platform track cuts directly under the theatre, the northbound platform spays out and runs below what was Allington Street.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Thanks very much. Very interesting. St Johns Wood, Baker Street and Bond Street stations are more or less in line on the surface, so it's rather surprising to see the line taken between them by the Jubilee tube tunnels. I suppose it's something to do with the fact that the section north of Baker street was once part of the Bakerloo line.

Yes - the Bakerloo branch of the old Bakerloo, if you see what I mean, does a big S-bend around Paddington and Baker Street, and so continuing the Jubilee off of the incoming other branch, whilst still serving Baker street, constrained the Jubilee into having to also (ie as with the Bakerloo trunk section) head "south" from Baker Street facing in the wrong direction at first, and loop round. I presume the original Bakerloo loopiness was related to not wanting to pay for the right to run under existing buildings, hence the loop under Regents Park and then running along under Portland Place, Regent Street, etc (wiggles and all).

(PS - I see that someone else has already replied with information that overlaps with this from me.)

You can hear the Victoria Line in the basement of buildings on the west side of Fitzroy Square.

In my work building, a block east of Kings Cross mainline, I can hear the Victoria Line coming and going (sufficiently clearly to distinguish the northbound from the southbound) when in the basement; and on a quiet night even from upstairs too.

In my basement in Bloomsbury, I can just hear the Central on a quiet night, even though I'm nowhere near on top of the tunnels.

Birmingham symphony hall is meters away from the west cost main line but you never hear it. Apparently the building is built on foundations that stop the vibrations from passing trains effecting the concerts inside and having worked there many times I can confirm that you never hear a train!

Trains are slow at that point, rarely more than 15 mph, if that makes a difference

And the Festival Hall on London's South Bank is only yards away from the viaduct carrying trains between Waterloo East and the bridge to Charing Cross; I understand it was built on some sort of "cushioning" to pre-empt any vibrations coming through. Certainly I've never once heard any disturbance from the trains alongside in all the years I've listened to music there.

 

[Basil Jet]

You used to be able to hear the Post Office Railway trains passing a few metres from IIRC one of the Victoria Line platforms at Oxford Circus, if you stood in exactly the right spot.

 

[AlbertBeale]

You used to be able to hear the Post Office Railway trains passing a few metres from IIRC one of the Victoria Line platforms at Oxford Circus, if you stood in exactly the right spot.

You could certainly hear the Post Office Railway from the north end of the southbound Bakerloo platform - which was also the venue of the fruit-and-nut chocolate machine which, back in the day, used to dispense free bars if you hit the right code on the keypad...

 

[Lloyds siding]

The Liverpool loop line is audible in the World Museum in Liverpool. It's also audible in St George's Hall. When the loop line was built St George's Hall was in use as a Crown Court, as well as the nearby Assize Building, this led to the track being laid on a rubber foundation to reduce noise and vibration (the change in noise is clearly discerned when travelling on the trains).
The Cavern Walks development was rebuilt on the site of the Cavern Club (demolished to create an access point when constructing the Loop line) and was built with acoustic damping in the foundations, however my acoustics tutor told us that the damping course had been bridged by subsequent building work and was now useless.

 

[Jonny]

You can also feel vibrations of I believe the Tyne and Wear metro, at the Burger King in Newcastle station.

And also in the Tyneside Cinema near Monument.

I've stayed in several hotels around Euston where the rumble of tube trains was obvious, even on higher floors.

I've heard it in the "lower ground" floor of Waterstone's Newcastle (pretty much next to Monument Metro).

 

[Recessio]

I work in theatres and it’s surprising how much you can hear of the underground when there is no other sounds in the venues. Most theatres are underground to start with so your already closer to the tube. Koko in camdon they are quite loud!

I had a mate who lived in a basement flat on Eversholt Street, directly next to Morningotn Crescent Station and opposite Koko. The noise and vibration was absolutely insane - the advent of night tube eventually forced him to move.

 

[dastocks]

I have a sister who lives close to Fisherton Tunnel in Salisbury, and you can hear and feel the trains going through.

 

[Class142sbad]

Also on the topic of vibrations from the Tyne and Wear Metro, you can often hear them in the fenwick's basement, as is it is right over Monument station.

 

[Rescars]

Back in the day when there were such things as banks in the high street(!), there were occasions when certain branches adjacent to tube lines could have their strong room alarms triggered falsely by an unusually rough riding train. Much time wasting then ensued to sort out the non-event!

 

[Graham H]

Dominion Theatre at Tottenham Court Road is another where tube trains can be heard. Thought it was an odd thunder special effect the first couple of times

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Birmingham symphony hall is meters away from the west cost main line but you never hear it. Apparently the building is built on foundations that stop the vibrations from passing trains effecting the concerts inside and having worked there many times I can confirm that you never hear a train!

Famously (but possibly apocryphally) the workers building Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall didn’t notice the IRA bomb:

When the Arndale bomb blew the heart out of Manchester, work was proceeding apace in the nearby Bridgewater Hall. But while the city outside reeled, the men inside worked on, and when the police came to move them out of the area, they wondered what the fuss was about. They'd felt nothing, and heard nothing.

Well, that's the tale as the Bridgewater bosses purringly tell it, but it's none the less probably true.

(Source)

Under starter's orders

The Halle is set to take up residence in Manchester's Bridgewater Hall, whose acoustics are almost up to the standard of a shoebox. By Michael Church

www.independent.co.uk

 

[rebmcr]

That would be because Bridgewater Hall is not 'nearby' the Arndale Centre nor the bomb site!

 

[lookapigeon]

I read somewhere that during the BBC's redevelopment and building of NBH the building was mounted on large springs to dampen the vibrations from the tube underneath.