Historic Glenfield tunnel Leicester open this weekend

[fsmr]

Sadly no spaces left but interesting article on this sleeping monument built by the Stephensons and last used by BR in the 60s
Very narrow bore so claustrophopic to walk let alone crew on footplate in the steam days

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co....tory-19792930-detail/story.html#axzz2elwP3aYD

It has been disused, locked up and largely forgotten for decades. But now a mile-long railway tunnel deep beneath the streets of Leicester has been temporarily reopened for visitors.

The Glenfield Tunnel, built in 1829, was one of the world’s first underground rail routes used by steam trains to carry coal from North West Leicestershire’s pits to the city.

It shut in the 1960s when British Rail sold it to Leicester City Council for £5.

Now, the council has arranged for it to be reopened for visits guided by the Leicestershire Industrial History Society. The first took place yesterday for a 20-strong group who were able to tour 100 metres of the tunnel from its entrance off Stephenson Court, Glenfield

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Bit more about the tunnel on this excellent website


http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/tunnels/glenfield.html

 

[Wyvern]

It was the coal trade of the Leicester and Swannington that led the Nottinghamshire coal masters (who formerly had the market using the Erewash Canal and the Soar Navigation) to consider building a railway from Pinxton to Leicester. This developed into a railway serving Nottingham, Derby and Leicester called the Midland Counties Railway, and the rest is history.

 

[fsmr]

It was the coal trade of the Leicester and Swannington that led the Nottinghamshire coal masters (who formerly had the market using the Erewash Canal and the Soar Navigation) to consider building a railway from Pinxton to Leicester. This developed into a railway serving Nottingham, Derby and Leicester called the Midland Counties Railway, and the rest is history.

Apologies for not putting this in the nostalgia section

Yep good old King Coal has a lot to answer for
For anyone that is not aware, the tunnel was bypassed some years later when the current freight only line from Burton To Leicester via the MML at Knighton Junction went in to Desford junction leaving the Glenfield branch to serve the West Bridge goods only terminus which finally closed in the 60s along with the branch line. I bet BR were glad to offload their liability for the tunnel in 1969 to the City council for a fiver who now have to spend a fortune on its upkeep for no revenue