Catesby Tunnel

[Iron Duke]

Hello all,

While doing "a bit of railway research" I came across this very interesting link.
The photographs pay homage to past railway civil engineers who without the humble navy could not have built things on this scale. We should perhaps make a comparison with modern day projects like crossrail?

Please follow this link http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/und ... unnel.html

PS:- You would not get me walking through this for any amount of money...

ID

[strang steel]

It looks ok to me. Straight tunnels are ok even if the far portal is just a small bright dot in the distance, at least it provides a target to head for.

The real frighteners are tunnels on a curve, where at some point neither end is visible. Then, if you try switching off your torch, or a silly enough to enter without one, the pitch black darkness can really play havoc with the brain.

You start to shuffle along very slowly because all sense of direction is lost, and you soon walk straight into the side wall because it is very hard to maintain a straight line and the tendency is to begin to walk round in a circle.

The brain then begins to imagine all manner of objects directly in front of you and it is amazing how quickly you can imagine that you are going mad.

[Iron Duke]

John,

Nuff said scary........... can't imagine what it was like for track inspectors particulary after a train had passed !!
I find it hard to find the lightswitch on the landing in the middle of the night, after only just a few feet.....
Your description comes close to that feeling.

ID

[Coboman]

You've got to watch for missing drain covers too, break a leg in the middle of a tunnel is a serious threat to your life. Your phone wont work in there.......

[Danby Wiske]

break a leg in the middle of a tunnel is a serious threat to your life.

Unless, of course, Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis happen to be looking out for you...

[StevieG]

" .... The brain then begins to imagine .... " " .... and it is amazing how quickly you can imagine that you are going mad.

Not as alarming, but I think I once experienced a hint of this, thanks to a 'ghost train'.

As a gang junior in 1970, the foreman once had me walk alone through Canonbury Tunnel on an errand - (with a problem-free Bardic handlamp to be fair, so no complete darkness worries). I knew the area railway-wise very well but had never been through this particular tunnel, which is about half-a-mile long with a bend of something like 120-degrees turning eastward at the southern end. It was a line that could have long periods of no trains, but freight and light engine movements were unpredictable.

Somewhere when I was along the curved section with neither portal in sight, comes the rumble of an approaching train - No problem, just headed into the nearest recess for it to pass.
The noise became loud enough that the train must now be in sight, but nothing visible! The train became louder still, but then its rumble started to tail off again, until silence again reigned, but nothing had passed !!
Pointing the handlamp both ways and still seeing nothing helped the brain only a little.

Thinks (probably for 30 seconds), 'what has just happened'?
Reflects on where this tunnel is actually located : - Then the penny drops; the 'train' had been one on the UndergrounD, either the Victoria line or the Northern City line (Drayton Park-Moorgate), both of whose tunnels passed below or elsewhere nearby, but the loudness of its actual noise was astonishing - I had been convinced that it was in 'my' tunnel!

(...continues north through the tunnel feeling somewhat less confident about feeling comfortable in tunnel environments - then came the open air which was more than welcome!)

[Iron Duke]

Brilliant SG........

ID

[StevieG]

Brilliant SG........

ID

Thanks ID. High praise indeed!

[R. pike]

I walked Catesby Tunnel in the early 80's. I got to the first ventilation shaft and couldn't see up it. I carried on to the second... a huge circular section block of ice was sitting on the trackbed. My retreat was rapid. I pressed myself against the tunnel wall to pass the first, blocked by ice, ventilation shaft older and wiser.

[Iron Duke]

Gulp....

[Bryan]

I just hate all tunnels.
After spending many hours in the dark in the middle of the day getting dripped on continuously unless it is actually pouring on you.
Choking on the fumes and dust from the Locos 37s and 56s the worst, Diggers and Generators.
Not being able to hear a thing due to the same reasons as above.
Eyes stinging with the dust and fumes.
You can see the smog level descend as the conditions get worse.

Hopefully you will be called out by the Gas Monitor for a respite but then you are halfway through a 3 mile long tunnel, its a long walk.
If digging out the ballast did the original builders dig the 6ft / cess drains deep enough or will you working in a canal for 10 hours.
If a big fan has been installed, is it the right way round to work with the natural draught or is it blowing directly into the back of a loco and doing nothing.

Yes, there is nothing at all like working in a tunnel.

[Iron Duke]

Bryan,
A very informative description of what must be a horrendous working environment.
I suppose from our nostalgic cosy viewpoint we sometimes forget (or are unaware) that people have to maintain all areas of the railway infrastructure.
Thanks for your comments.

ID

[R. pike]

And then they do thing's like this.. Why the loco had to be just there lord alone knows..

[Bryan]

I have seen that happen in Standedge a couple of times.
The ES asks the driver if he will shut down the engine to stop the fumes or he is to uncouple and run to the end of the tunnel so he can keep the engine running, therefore also being able to read the paper, use the hot plate and keep warm.
In that case it looks like there may be a crossover / turnout just in front of the loco, going by the IBJs and Ground signal so he may not have been able to go further.
As the train alongside is a panel train that will be the road being renewed, so the loco may be on a spoil train possibly with a Tracklayer crane in the consist, that will need to be disconnected totally from the train to work.


As an addition to my earlier post about conditions in the tunnel I forgot to add that you cannot touch anything at all in the tunnel without getting covered in oily, sooty, sh###y deposits, so no leaning against the walls for a breather.

[StevieG]

I've just opened that photo properly, and recognised the location instantly (and no wonder RP has the photo to post here).
The 'ground signal' is in fact one of two main signals (fair enough, they are both ground-mounted : And both are visible; one to each side of the '66').

Location is the southern portal of Copenhagen Tunnel's Slow lines bore: the ground-level signals (Up direction) are K300 (seen to the left) & K302 (right), with the head of the Down Slow's K307 seen above the train of panels.