An insight in to Totley Tunnel...

[RailProfileUK]

Hi everyone,

As some of you may know I work in the High Peak area and had to patrol Totley and Cowburn tunnel. Whilst patrolling I thought I would take some pictures and share them you with.

For the members who don't know what and where Totley tunnel is

Totley Tunnel is a 6,230-yard (3.5 mi; 5.7 km) tunnel on the former Midland Railway Manchester-Sheffield line between Totley on the outskirts of Sheffield and Grindleford in Derbyshire, England. It was completed in 1893 and was the longest mainline railway tunnel within the United Kingdom that ran under land for its entire length, until the eastern London tunnel of High Speed 1, which now holds this title. It is therefore the longest non-electrified tunnel in England.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totley_Tunnel


It's dark, wet, cold and not the nicest place to be and can be mentally exhausting when patrolling it. And if that isn't enough I have to patrol Cowburn after it, a very similar tunnel but instead of 6230 yards its 3703 yards long and the deepest land tunnel in the UK. In all including the walks from the access points to the tunnels the patrol is around 8 miles long. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowburn_Tunnel

The secret is have a good meal before you start!

Anyway here's some pictures for you to take a look at...

a few pictures of Cowburn tunnel to follow...

 

[tbtc]

It's dark, wet, cold and not the nicest place to be and can be mentally exhausting when patrolling it

What a great set of pictures though!

Is that a regular shift? (weekly/ monthly?) Part of me would be fascinated to do it, but it can't be much fun once the novelty wears off!

 

[yorksrob]

Fascinating pictures - particularly having traveled through it a few times!

 

[RailProfileUK]

Thanks guy's...

It used to be one of my regular patrols every Saturday night when I was rostered weekends. At our depot we (the inspection team) are now rostered Monday to Friday and all weekends are overtime for us, I normally do all the stressing (calculating the stress free tempature when pulling rail for a weld) at the depot on weekends but if there is no stressing jobs on I get assigned to patrolling which I don't really mind to be honest.

Your 100% correct! It was a novalty to start with and it has definitly wore off!

If anyone has got any questions about the pictures I will try my best to answer them, so feel free to ask.

 

[talltim]

Enjoyed the photos, thanks

 

[yorksrob]

Thanks guy's...

It used to be one of my regular patrols every Saturday night when I was rostered weekends. At Chinley depot we (the inspection team) are now rostered Monday to Friday and all weekends are overtime for us, I normally do all the stressing (calculating the stress free tempature when pulling rail for a weld) at the depot on weekends but if there is no stressing jobs on I get assigned to patrolling which I don't really mind to be honest.

Your 100% correct! It was a novalty to start with and it has definitly wore off!

If anyone has got any questions about the pictures I will try my best to answer them, so feel free to ask.

Out of interest, how long does it take you to inspect Totley tunnel ?

 

[RailProfileUK]

Around 3 hours Rob... The darkness plays a major factor when inspecting and it takes alot longer to inspect the tunnel than inspecting 3.5 miles of plain line track in the day time. There are always various fastenings out we have to put back in, the drainage has to be inspected in the 6 foot (between the two lines) and also the structure itself has to be checked for cracks and obvious signs of decay as well as the rail, sleepers, fastenings and top. All the phones have to be check on the patrol too, it is a basic visual inspection so we don't go scraping at every peice of corroded rail we see but if there is a severely corroded bit we do pay extra attention to it and make note on our TEF 3015 form for further examination.

I have done many other jobs in the tunnel, I used to be in technical department and I did a number of things such as; working with tampers, ballast regulators, doing designs for tamping lifts, lazer sweeping the tunnel to check the clearances of trains, taking measurements of datum plates and so on.

 

[EssexGonzo]

Jeez, rather you than me mate.

Do you do it alone or with others? It would give me the creeps.

 

[tbtc]

If anyone has got any questions about the pictures I will try my best to answer them, so feel free to ask

Okay then...

1. Having used the tunnel a few times over the years (living in Sheffield), I've wondered whether the tunnel is so long that there's a bit in the middle where you can't actually see out of either end? i.e. total darkness?
   
2. Does this have to be done at every tunnel every week?
   
3. Is there a strategic fleet of steam locos in the middle of the... nah, only kidding

 

[yorksrob]

Around 3 hours Rob... The darkness plays a major factor when inspecting and it takes alot longer to inspect the tunnel than inspecting 3.5 miles of plain line track in the day time. There are always various fastenings out we have to put back in, the drainage has to be inspected in the 6 foot (between the two lines) and also the structure itself has to be checked for cracks and obvious signs of decay as well as the rail, sleepers, fastenings and top. All the phones have to be check on the patrol too, it is a basic visual inspection so we don't go scraping at every peice of corroded rail we see but if there is a severely corroded bit we do pay extra attention to it and make note on our TEF 3015 form for further examination.

I have done many other jobs in the tunnel, I used to be in technical department and I did a number of things such as; working with tampers, ballast regulators, doing designs for tamping lifts, lazer sweeping the tunnel to check the clearances of trains, taking measurements of datum plates and so on.

Goodness - must be a relief to get out of the other end !

I'm always taken aback by the amount of time it takes to go through it in a Pacer.

 

[Ploughman]

Reminds me of every other tunnel that I have worked in.
Not had the pleasure of that one though.

They still all look the same.
Cold, Wet, Covered in dirt, Rusted rails and fastenings, Recesses filled up with rubbish, Rails laid about etc etc.

 

[RailProfileUK]

Two patrollers inspect it every Saturday night/Sunday morning, the tunnel actually has a slight curve at the Grindleford end so it's not possible to see right through both ends from any point and there is a slight hump in the track so even if it was straight you would not be able to see right through. Half way in the tunnel is a massive room called the chapel, it's absolutely massive, it was used by workers to turn 60ft peices of rail for transposing back when it was jointed track.

FAO tbtc: In the corner of the room sits a Black 5, fully restored just incase another war breaks out...

 

[Wyvern]

Wasnt the Chapel a natural cavern that was discovered when they dug the tunnel?

 

[RailProfileUK]

This is something I have always thought about...

There are a few theories, one is the one you have just mentioned although both tunnels Totley and Cowburn share an identical chapel structures in the middle. I personally think it may have something to do with the way they were constructed, if the workers dug a central shaft first and tunnelled out as well as in then they could have the tunnel dug in half the time of the conventional method end to end. This would mean they would have needed a big storage room for tools and equipment first hence creating the chapel. Other people say it was for the workers to sleep in after there shift instead of walking back to the tunnel entrance.

But I know it was used to transpose rail at somepoint because it's not possible to spin a 60ft peice of rail in there for transposing. So rather than take it out 2miles and bring it back in spun round they used the chapel.

Anyone else got any other idea's?

 

[Wyvern]

It was usual in tunnel building in those days, to sink a number of shafts and cut headers in either direction till they met. That way they could get more workers on the job. Some would remain for ventilation, others would br cloed off.

 

[RailProfileUK]

Your right there, all the tunnels in the area have a large number of shafts and in each of the chapels there is a large shaft in the centre of it. There are 6 shafts in Totley tunnel including the one in the chapel, all are in the Totley half of the tunnel, there are non towards the Grindleford end.

 

[Ploughman]

There is a similar "Chapel or Cavern" in the middle of the single bore Standedge tunnels.
Currently used as a turnround point for staff vans when working in the tunnel.

 

[RailProfileUK]

I've been up to the entrance of Standedge tunnels but never been in. We only really went as far at Diggle box to inspect the S&C when I was in the tech team out of Stockport, one of the tunnels is dissused is that right?

 

[Ploughman]

If you were at Stockport then the tunnel would have been out of your area.
Boundary is at the West end portal.
The 2 single bore tunnels are disused by rail traffic but used by vans etc to get staff access to the tunnel by means of cross passages between the main running tunnel and the single bore.