I worked on the 're-purposing' of the tunnel a couple of years ago. We had to plane out the new concrete floor (as it had been laid wrongly!). So that was a 2m planer (about 40t) and my 8 wheel tipper (gvw 32t) working inside the tunnel. Of course, no room to turn round...used to take me 40 mins to reverse the whole length! Took loads of pics too, as I'm a industrial archaeology buff too!!
Walked this as part of a legit tour in July 2019, probably one of the last tours before it was totally resurfaced and rebuilt inside. Very exhausting walk, and when we got down to the end the air was full of mist.
Great stuff. Sounds good. I know they did tours of the "new" tunnel too. But not seen any for a while. Would have been great to see it when it was still a railway tunnel.
Good short video , i walked this tunnel in the early 80s amazing build quality ,only back then there was some very deep open drains inside thank goodness for torches lol
It's a shame they had to go about demolishing it in a hurry too straight after closure. Ripping down good bridges etc. It's almost as they they thought they might be proved wrong in the future.
Bit unfair. They did have thought for the future. They thought that freight and passenger traffic would move onto the roads, which at the time it was starting to do. There is no way anyone without a crystal ball could have anticipated the congestion of road traffic 60 years later. That's like accusing the Government of 1840 of not anticipating the consequences of the internal combustion engine in 1900. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. At the time they had several thousand miles of track that was being under-used and losing money hand over fist. Far better for them to lift the track and put it into storage for later use, rather than just leave it there to rust. The thing I find sadly amusing is that there is so much comment, so many videos, lamenting the loss of old lines, stations, and viaducts, but very little praising the existing lines. An example is the Nottingham Victoria Joint Station. Built about the same time as the Nottingham Midland, and yet you never see videos about that station. The architecture is just as spectacular, yet nobody notices it because it's still in use. I suspect that if the GCR had remained and the Midland decommisioned instead, we would be seeing videos of the "old forgotten Midland line". There are plenty of tunnels like Catesby that are still in use, but Catesby captures our imagination precisely because it is (or was) derelict.
A beautiful, majestic structure. In one way I am pleased that it's not mouldering away, half forgotten except for enthusiasts, but being used for testing, with a minimal and sympathetic restoration, leaving original features in place(and the bats at the northern portal)...on the other hand, can you imagine high speed trains of all kinds using it, then out on to Catesby viaduct as originally intended? It would be nice if the company that are using the tunnel could put a small amount towards the upkeep of Catesby and Helmdon viaducts as Highways England are a liability! Our industrial and cultural heritage needs looking after, not knocking down, filling in, or just letting rot away...
I wonder who owns Catesby Viaduct. I wonder if it's the local land owners. I fully agree though. Would be some sight seeing modern trains flying between tunnel and viaduct.
… and fat sweaty arsed tossers like Beeching shut them down with a pen stroke… such an insult to the men, their efforts and the lives lost, treated like dirt
Before they started the test facility work you could walk in & through the tunnel;a neighbour & I just went into the south portal in 2009.The line through Rugby from Onley lane to Abbey St is now a heritage/nature walk which,no doubt,you,ll have(will be) covering.We moved to Rugby just after the amazing "birdcage bridge" over the West Coast main line was demolished on Christmas Day 2006;you can still see the abutments at Abbey St.At the old Central Station site in Hillmorton Rd the Rugby Rotary Club have laid some track sections.Of course as Rugby was once a major railway hub with 5 lines running in/out/through,there is plenty to explore today.
Great stuff. Part 8 will be from the old station at Rugby 😊. There's so much more I'd like to see around Rugby. I might have to ask my wife if we can have a 2 week holiday in Rugby next year. We ran out of time to see the site of the old birdcage Bridge, but plenty to get stuck into for future videos.
Good Morning Paul, Hope your well.? Anyway I'd just like to say that I am enjoying your new series on the GCR, and can't believe how much old railway infrastructure is still here in the 24th Century 😮😮 it really amazes me!!!!! Looking forward to the rest of the series too, you and Jim make a great team, with both of you with great knowledge of the area too, which makes great watching. On another note, maybe for future video's, is there any chance you could do some videos on the old colliery sites, which are still here today as museums in the Nottinghamshire area please? Places like Pleasley and Clipstone Colliery at Mansfield and maybe Bestwood colliery just outside of Nottingham? Anyway I'll leave it up to you as your the film maker, but just thought I'd give you a few more ideas for your channel. Anyway like I always say, keep up the good work that you do. All the best from. Devon Mike 🚂
Yes that's right you did. You've done that many great videos on RUclips, that I've lost track of what you've done in the past lol 😂 meaning that in a jokey bit of banter way. Anyway keep up the good work mate, it's always a pleasure to see where you go off to in your videos.
A fantastic piece of engineering 😊 just over 30 million bricks used in its construction. The bricks were manufactured in various places throughout Staffordshire. GCR used blue brinks as at the time they where far stronger than red brinks and most importantly the bricks where 99% water resistant, this made them ideal for tunnels and bridges as they don’t allow water to absorb into them, less chance of frost or ice damage to the bricks over time. As always, another superb video, keep the bacon butties and interesting walks coming, thank you 😊👍
@@WobblyRunner I’d love to know the total bricks used for the entire line, might have to do some research into that one 😊👍 they certainly didn’t skimp on construction back in the day 😊
Hi Paul i love this tunnel its stunning with the blue brick & huge portal! Ive seen inside this tunnel when @middyexplores drove through it. Fab blue brick shafts as well. ❤😊👍
Hi paul just been watching your Stavely to Arkwright town brings back memories when my daughter and grandchildren lived in Bolsover 5 years ago and l saw most of the landmarks shown in your video what a shame it all had to go just like where l live in Beighton a few hundred yards from the east midland line have you finnished all your filming in Beighton Anyway take care Kev Beighton Parkway Sheffield oo guage layout name
@@WobblyRunner Hi paul thanks for your reply if you come to beighton would be nice to have a chat about all the old railway infrastucture around the back of beighton miners welfare where l live let me know if that fine by you Kev Beighton Parkway
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I worked on the 're-purposing' of the tunnel a couple of years ago. We had to plane out the new concrete floor (as it had been laid wrongly!). So that was a 2m planer (about 40t) and my 8 wheel tipper (gvw 32t) working inside the tunnel. Of course, no room to turn round...used to take me 40 mins to reverse the whole length! Took loads of pics too, as I'm a industrial archaeology buff too!!
👍🙂 Great experience. I don't envy the reversing though 😄
Walked this as part of a legit tour in July 2019, probably one of the last tours before it was totally resurfaced and rebuilt inside. Very exhausting walk, and when we got down to the end the air was full of mist.
Great stuff. Sounds good.
I know they did tours of the "new" tunnel too. But not seen any for a while.
Would have been great to see it when it was still a railway tunnel.
Good short video , i walked this tunnel in the early 80s amazing build quality ,only back then there was some very deep open drains inside thank goodness for torches lol
Great stuff. 👍
So much effort and so much treasure expended; all thrown away by politicians with no thought for the future. What a country!
It's a shame they had to go about demolishing it in a hurry too straight after closure. Ripping down good bridges etc. It's almost as they they thought they might be proved wrong in the future.
Bit unfair. They did have thought for the future. They thought that freight and passenger traffic would move onto the roads, which at the time it was starting to do. There is no way anyone without a crystal ball could have anticipated the congestion of road traffic 60 years later. That's like accusing the Government of 1840 of not anticipating the consequences of the internal combustion engine in 1900. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. At the time they had several thousand miles of track that was being under-used and losing money hand over fist. Far better for them to lift the track and put it into storage for later use, rather than just leave it there to rust. The thing I find sadly amusing is that there is so much comment, so many videos, lamenting the loss of old lines, stations, and viaducts, but very little praising the existing lines. An example is the Nottingham Victoria Joint Station. Built about the same time as the Nottingham Midland, and yet you never see videos about that station. The architecture is just as spectacular, yet nobody notices it because it's still in use. I suspect that if the GCR had remained and the Midland decommisioned instead, we would be seeing videos of the "old forgotten Midland line". There are plenty of tunnels like Catesby that are still in use, but Catesby captures our imagination precisely because it is (or was) derelict.
A beautiful, majestic structure. In one way I am pleased that it's not mouldering away, half forgotten except for enthusiasts, but being used for testing, with a minimal and sympathetic restoration, leaving original features in place(and the bats at the northern portal)...on the other hand, can you imagine high speed trains of all kinds using it, then out on to Catesby viaduct as originally intended? It would be nice if the company that are using the tunnel could put a small amount towards the upkeep of Catesby and Helmdon viaducts as Highways England are a liability! Our industrial and cultural heritage needs looking after, not knocking down, filling in, or just letting rot away...
I wonder who owns Catesby Viaduct. I wonder if it's the local land owners.
I fully agree though. Would be some sight seeing modern trains flying between tunnel and viaduct.
Thank you for the interesting tunnel tour today. In a great shape after all these years. Thanks again Paul, for the tour! See you on the next! 🇬🇧🙂👍🇺🇸
Thanks Martin. See you on the next one
It's amazing that you could still walk through the tunnel up to 2014, I wish I'd been railway exploring then, would have been straight in there.
I often think, what if I'd been doing it 10 or 20 years ago. I suppose some of the stuff we look at might not be there in 10 years too.
@@WobblyRunner Exactly, that's why it's so important that it's documented now by the likes of us.
Good one Paul them tunnels were a work of art all them blue bricks and man power and hours building it.
… and fat sweaty arsed tossers like Beeching shut them down with a pen stroke… such an insult to the men, their efforts and the lives lost, treated like dirt
You're right Chris. Works of art
Before they started the test facility work you could walk in & through the tunnel;a neighbour & I just went into the south portal in 2009.The line through Rugby from Onley lane to Abbey St is now a heritage/nature walk which,no doubt,you,ll have(will be) covering.We moved to Rugby just after the amazing "birdcage bridge" over the West Coast main line was demolished on Christmas Day 2006;you can still see the abutments at Abbey St.At the old Central Station site in Hillmorton Rd the Rugby Rotary Club have laid some track sections.Of course as Rugby was once a major railway hub with 5 lines running in/out/through,there is plenty to explore today.
Great stuff. Part 8 will be from the old station at Rugby 😊. There's so much more I'd like to see around Rugby. I might have to ask my wife if we can have a 2 week holiday in Rugby next year. We ran out of time to see the site of the old birdcage Bridge, but plenty to get stuck into for future videos.
@@WobblyRunnerlet me know when you do there's loads around Rugby, including a couple of bonus bits too.
Good Morning Paul,
Hope your well.?
Anyway I'd just like to say that I am enjoying your new series on the GCR, and can't believe how much old railway infrastructure is still here in the 24th Century 😮😮 it really amazes me!!!!!
Looking forward to the rest of the series too, you and Jim make a great team, with both of you with great knowledge of the area too, which makes great watching.
On another note, maybe for future video's, is there any chance you could do some videos on the old colliery sites, which are still here today as museums in the Nottinghamshire area please?
Places like Pleasley and Clipstone Colliery at Mansfield and maybe Bestwood colliery just outside of Nottingham?
Anyway I'll leave it up to you as your the film maker, but just thought I'd give you a few more ideas for your channel.
Anyway like I always say, keep up the good work that you do.
All the best from.
Devon Mike 🚂
Thanks Mike.
I do keep meaning to take the drone down to Clipstone. I did a video on the old sidings next to the colliery a few years ago.
Yes that's right you did.
You've done that many great videos on RUclips, that I've lost track of what you've done in the past lol 😂 meaning that in a jokey bit of banter way.
Anyway keep up the good work mate, it's always a pleasure to see where you go off to in your videos.
Excellent Paul, just think there is another tunnel that didn't need to be built about 3 miles from where you are... and open 😅
Spinkhill?
A fantastic piece of engineering 😊 just over 30 million bricks used in its construction. The bricks were manufactured in various places throughout Staffordshire.
GCR used blue brinks as at the time they where far stronger than red brinks and most importantly the bricks where 99% water resistant, this made them ideal for tunnels and bridges as they don’t allow water to absorb into them, less chance of frost or ice damage to the bricks over time.
As always, another superb video, keep the bacon butties and interesting walks coming, thank you 😊👍
30 million. Hard to get your head around that number isn't it.
@@WobblyRunner I’d love to know the total bricks used for the entire line, might have to do some research into that one 😊👍 they certainly didn’t skimp on construction back in the day 😊
Hi Paul i love this tunnel its stunning with the blue brick & huge portal! Ive seen inside this tunnel when @middyexplores drove through it. Fab blue brick shafts as well. ❤😊👍
👍 I'd have loved to had a look inside 😄. I suppose after a few minutes though it would all look the same.
@@WobblyRunner yes that's true Paul especially now it's a test track. Impressive shafts though aren't they? ❤️😄
Hi paul just been watching your Stavely to Arkwright town brings back memories when my daughter and grandchildren lived in Bolsover 5 years ago and l saw most of the landmarks shown in your video what a shame it all had to go just like where l live in Beighton a few hundred yards from the east midland line have you finnished all your filming in Beighton
Anyway take care
Kev Beighton Parkway Sheffield
oo guage layout name
Hi Kev. Good to hear from you. I've still got more stuff to do in Beighton. The lost stations next i think 👍
@@WobblyRunner Hi paul thanks for your reply if you come to beighton would be nice to have a chat about all the old railway infrastucture around the back of beighton miners welfare where l live let me know if that fine by you
Kev Beighton Parkway