Hi for a while I briefly worked for Network rail IPEM (Infrastructure Projects East Midlands) based in Derby and was fortunate enough to have a site visit to Clay Cross tunnel in December 2017 (in a night time possession, I might add) when AMCO started a 12 month contract to carry out repairs to the tunnel. There are some unusual features inside the tunnel such as missing brickwork that reveals a worked-out coal seam behind it! Also calcium carbonate deposits on the tunnel walls that have formed like sharks gills i.e. in the direction of the draft from the trains passing. The reason that the northern portal is ornate was to impress the passengers on their way to London whereas it wasn't that important to impress the passengers going north! Years ago a guy called Cliff Williams from Clay Cross wrote a book titled "Driving the Clay Cross tunnel".
my grandad spent his working life on steam, diesels and then on HST to retirement, used to blast the engine horns to "on ilkley moor by tat" as he went through it and my grandma used to listen out for him passing on his St pancras runs . the noise would come up through the tunnels and she would hear it all the way down in Bertrand Ave.
Hi for a while I briefly worked for Network rail IPEM (Infrastructure Projects East Midlands) based in Derby and was fortunate enough to have a site visit to Clay Cross tunnel in December 2017 (in a night time possession, I might add) when AMCO started a 12 month contract to carry out repairs to the tunnel.
There are some unusual features inside the tunnel such as missing brickwork that reveals a worked-out coal seam behind it! Also calcium carbonate deposits on the tunnel walls that have formed like sharks gills i.e. in the direction of the draft from the trains passing.
The reason that the northern portal is ornate was to impress the passengers on their way to London whereas it wasn't that important to impress the passengers going north!
Years ago a guy called Cliff Williams from Clay Cross wrote a book titled "Driving the Clay Cross tunnel".
Great video alongside interesting and informative commentary.
my grandad spent his working life on steam, diesels and then on HST to retirement, used to blast the engine horns to "on ilkley moor by tat" as he went through it and my grandma used to listen out for him passing on his St pancras runs . the noise would come up through the tunnels and she would hear it all the way down in Bertrand Ave.
Great video with interesting narrative.
Kind of you to say so - I enjoyed doing it.
Cool
😊
👏👏good footage. 🤗🙏
I appreciate the feedback. Cheers.