Bishopton Tunnels

[Unixman]

In this week's episode of "Secrets of the Motorways" over at the excellent Auto Shenanigan's YouTube channel, the Bishopton Tunnels, just off the M8, are mentioned. The presenter wondered why there is a large chunk of deep cutting between the two tunnels. He wondered why it was built like that. Any ideas? 10:18 in

And if anyone can tell me how to just past a link rather than opening up YouTube then ... please!

 

[Cowley]

In this week's episode of "Secrets of the Motorways" over at the excellent Auto Shenanigan's YouTube channel, the Bishopton Tunnels, just off the M8, are mentioned. The presenter wondered why there is a large chunk of deep cutting between the two tunnels. He wondered why it was built like that. Any ideas? 10:18 in

And if anyone can tell me how to just past a link rather than opening up YouTube then ... please!

Interesting. I’ve been a subscriber to his videos for a while and I like the fact that he covers the odd bit of railway infrastructure.

The tunnel part is around 10 minutes 30 in.

 

[John Webb]

It's a spectacular sight (click on photo to go to the larger original):
Railway cutting west of Bishopton

© Copyright Thomas Nugent and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
But I've no idea why they did it this way! Possibly a geographical fault in the hard rock?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Certainly one of the earlier railway lines / tunnels to be built in Scotland. Built mostly using pick and shovel between 1837 and 1841. Believe that opening of the line through the area had been delayed due to "difficulties" constructing the tunnel. Possibly the (hard) whinstone rock proved a tad difficult to cut through and explosives then had to be used, which *might* possibly have brought the (tunnel) roof down, hence the deep cutting.

Anyone able to shed any further light on the matter?

 

[stuving]

According to Herapath's Railway Journal of 01 August 1839, page 526, quoting the Glasgow Advertiser:

In the Bishopton Tunnel, 2,000 feet long, there appears, as far as we can comprehend it, to be a very novel kind of shaft, which is called an "eye", and it is intended to light the tunnel. It is described to be over the middle of the tunnel, 300 feet long, 65 deep, and 45 wide.

Of course that might have just been what the railway's builders told people, and not necessarily the original reason for it. Once it opened there were problems with rock falls, and it was reported it would have to be lined.

 

[Strathclyder]

Certainly one of the earlier railway lines / tunnels to be built in Scotland. Built mostly using pick and shovel between 1837 and 1841. Believe that opening of the line through the area had been delayed due to "difficulties" constructing the tunnel. Possibly the (hard) whinstone rock proved a tad difficult to cut through and explosives then had to be used, which *might* possibly have brought the (tunnel) roof down, hence the deep cutting.

RailScot seems to concur with this on it's page on the No.2 tunnel on this part of the line, right down to the part about blasting being needed (nothing about the tunnel roof caving in though, but I certainly consider it a possibilty). An image of a Class 318 in the cutting by Ewan Crawford on the relevent page notes that the difficulties encounted here delayed the line's opening by 7 months.

Bishopton No 2 Tunnel - RAILSCOT

This double track tunnel is west of Bishopton and Bishopton No 1 Tunnel. It is 350yds long. Construction of the Bishopton Cutting and two tunnels was slow and difficult due to whinstone rock. The c

www.railscot.co.uk

 

[Big Jumby 74]

That does smack of a roof collapse during the original tunnel excavations.....whatever the 'spin' put out afterwards.