Lesser-known tunnels which are no-longer used

[bramling]

Hampstead Tube, not Bakerloo, surely? As its name implies, the Bakerloo ran under the river to Waterloo right from its initial opening.

Definitely Hampstead line. The Embankment loop is one tunnel that’s genuinely shrouded in mystery as to what its current condition might be. The first hundred yards or so survives and is accessible, however that ends in a solid brick wall, and what lies beyond is completely inaccessible, unmaintained and uninspected. Plans show a shaft giving access to this section apparently from the District Line tunnel, however again it’s unclear what state this is in.

 

[steamybrian]

Hampstead Tube, not Bakerloo, surely? As its name implies, the Bakerloo ran under the river to Waterloo right from its initial opening.

My apologies you are correct. It was the Northern Line. Opened in 1907.Extended to Kennington in 1926.

 

[SargeNpton]

A disused tunnel that has recently been repurposed...

Catesby Tunnel on the old Great Central in Northamptonshire is now a dynamic wind tunnel for testing cars (dynamic in that cars drive through it).

 

[Elecman]

Colwall Old Tunnel is not that unknown, being visible from trains about to enter New Tunnel, but it's history has an unusual twist. Having been replaced as a main line tunnel, it was used as an ammunition store during WW2 and was equipped with a narrow gauge line at that time to facilitate the movement of stores.

And the water that leeches into the tunnel from a spring feeds Malvern Wells Signalbox

 

[GRALISTAIR]

There are a 627 disused tunnels around the country listed on this webisite-

Disused tunnels database

www.forgottenrelics.org

Wow thanks for that.

BTW there is one in Preston that used to go to Longridge and Courtaulds Red Scar works and the coal concentration depot that is long out of use.

 

[Rescars]

And the water that leeches into the tunnel from a spring feeds Malvern Wells Signalbox

IIRC at one time the spring water was piped through to Great Malvern station as well.

 

[Dr_Paul]

There's the Moelwyn Tunnel on the original* alignment of the Ffestiniog Railway - not sure if you could call that lesser known, though. However there's a definitely lesser-known one on the same 2ft gauge network - the tunnel that connected the Foel Boeth Quarry to the top of an incline from the Croesor Tramway.

And there's the short tunnel on the incline from the Ffestiniog line up to Wrysgan Quarry near Tanygrisiau.

 

[Falcon1200]

The Wemyss Bay branch was built as a single line, doubled in 1903 but resingled with electrification in 1965. The tunnel immediately southwest of Inverkip station has two separate bores, the newer of which is now disused.

 

[Skiddaw]

A little off theme but I wonder if there's a similar site for former bridges?

The one that always fascinates me is the viaduct that used to cross the Solway from Silloth to Annan. You can still see where it was- some of the supports are still in place. I like that it was used as a pedestrian crossing long after the railway line shut by thirsty Scots on Sundays

Solway Junction Railway: The ill-fated Scotland to England rail route

The line across the Solway Firth was opened 150 years ago but weather and economics took their toll.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[ThirteenArches]

And don't forget the Northern Heights extension to Bushey... the tunnels should still be there, unless someone nicked them.

 

[vic-rijrode]

Slade tunnel on the erstwhile Barnstaple to Ilfracombe line is now part of the very attractive footpath between the old Mortehoe station (still extant) and the Ilfracombe station site high above the town. My wife and I walked it in 1999 - easier going downhill to Ilfracombe than back up!

 

[bramling]

And don't forget the Northern Heights extension to Bushey... the tunnels should still be there, unless someone nicked them.

Sort of. They were buried as part of a road scheme, but presumably are still there beneath the infill.

One other unused tunnel is the experimental section of tunnel built near New Cross. It still exists and is subject to an inspection regime, but it devoid of any purpose, and unlikely to ever find one.

 

[vic-rijrode]

Sort of. They were buried as part of a road scheme, but presumably are still there beneath the infill.

They were buried when the M1 was extended from what is now Junction 5 to the North Circular Road with the slip roads to the A41 going over the portals (which could still be seen until then).

A good book which describes the "Northern Heights Extension" is:

By Tube beyond Edgware by Tony Beard published by Capital Transport Publishing. Highly recommended for those interested in the tunnel, would-be stations, the ruins at Brockley Way (next to the A41) and the erstwhile Aldenham Bus Works.