Mystery tunnel at Westbournbe Park

[ole man]

Last night i spotted a mystery tunnel at the Westbourne park OHLE depot, does anybody know what and where this tunnel went and when was it closed?

 

[electra27000]

Last night i spotted a mystery tunnel at the Westbourne park OHLE depot, does anybody know what and where this tunnel went and when was it closed?

I lived in the area was 10 years, from 1989, and don't know of any disused tunnel in that area.

 

[RobShipway]

Last night i spotted a mystery tunnel at the Westbourne park OHLE depot, does anybody know what and where this tunnel went and when was it closed?

Are you sure that is not the tunnel that is being used as part of the Crossrail project?

 

[Joseph_Locke]

Something to do with the original Westbourne Park, closed in 1871?

 

[ole man]

Its a old tunnel with white tiles on the sides, its goes under Erskine Road by the looks of google maps.
Robbies please... i'm not that stupid!!!

 

[RobShipway]

Its a old tunnel with white tiles on the sides, its goes under Erskine Road by the looks of google maps.
Robbies please... i'm not that stupid!!!

Sorry, then it could be either from the Westbourne GWML station closed in 1992 or from the original station in 1871 as mentioned by Joseph.

Other than that the only thing I can think of is that it is an old WW2 bunker of some kind possibly?

 

[145Derek]

I joined BR Western Region in 1979 and the tunnel was closed then and in use as a workshop. It was always called Mousehole Tunnel.

 

[ole man]

So where did this line go or come from? its looks as if it came of the Relief lines then underneath somewhere was it a terminal station

 

[RobShipway]

So where did this line go or come from? its looks as if it came of the Relief lines then underneath somewhere was it a terminal station

I think this article explains the use of the tunnel: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ms.draper/Talks_Reports/mr1300.html

The following I found from another forum might be useful to note as well:

There is an old maps site which might help, the BTF Blue Pullman London - Birmigham in 5 minutes or whatever it's proper title is would definitely help ifyou can stopp the frames in the right place (not too difficult).

The station buildings were on the overbridge with steps down to the platforms - all separate from the next door LT station on the H&C. The station originally had 4 platforms but these were reduced to the island serving just the Relief Lines about the time of the 1967 resignalling when the Down Main line was realigned to increase speeds.

Google Maps is probably about as much use as a chocolate teapot for this area as it has changed out of all recognition since the period you have in mind, just about the only constant feature is the H&C line with the BR bit having changed radically in the 1967 and again in 1992 layout alterations and resignallings. Crimea mileage yard has gone, St Evans Road Goods has gone (although it was more or less just a small nest of sidings by 1967) the connection over the H&C to get to Crimea Yard went a few years before the 1967 resignalling, Paddington New Yard (goods) depot building is still there on the upside above what is now the 'bus depot but the yard associated with it has gone and the track at the Westbourne Park end of Mousehole Tunnel (opposite Westbourne Parks station) has also gone of course.

I would suggest you look for a copy of Middleton Press 'Paddington To Ealing' by Mitchell & Smith, ISBN 1 981706 370 which has some Map extracts and quite a few illustrations

 

[ole man]

Makes more sense now, by the sounds of it, it was a secret testing facility for BR.

www.york.ac.uk/.../IRS WP10 Engineering Research.pdf

Still doesn't tell me where this line went to though? was it a though route to somewhere did it connect with another line?

 

[RobShipway]

Makes more sense now, by the sounds of it, it was a secret testing facility for BR.

www.york.ac.uk/.../IRS WP10 Engineering Research.pdf

Still doesn't tell me where this line went to though? was it a though route to somewhere did it connect with another line?

I am wondering if the tunnel was part of the orignal route into Paddington and overtime or due to change in location of the station on the GWML the lines got moved?

 

[Ploughman]

Its a old tunnel with white tiles on the sides, its goes under Erskine Road by the looks of google maps.
Robbies please... i'm not that stupid!!!

White tiles to me would indicate some sort of pedestrian access not rail at all.

Could it have been a WW2 Bunker or Shelter?

 

[ole man]

You can see old cable routes on the side, looks like a underground station to me, and its big enough for two tracks.
Was there sidings at Westbourne Park?

 

[The Barlow Boy]

Wasn't it originally a connection to what was the Paddington to Farringdon Road stretch?

 

[ole man]

A early version of Crossrail then?

 

[spasmj]

Working link: http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/irs/irshome/academic/leaflet_transport_hist_files/IRS%20WP10%20Engineering%20Research.pdf

Makes more sense now, by the sounds of it, it was a secret testing facility for BR.

www.york.ac.uk/.../IRS WP10 Engineering Research.pdf

Still doesn't tell me where this line went to though? was it a though route to somewhere did it connect with another line?

 

[bILLOO]

Slighty off topic; are there any photos of Westbourne Park BR when it was open?

 

[The Barlow Boy]

The ticket barrier staff at Paddington used to have a nice little turn on the barriers at Westbourne Park. A bonus used to be the cheap lunch in the L.T. canteen there.

 

[Bill EWS]

If you are talking aboiut the same tunnel mouth as I'm thinking of it was the sight of Westbourne Park Loco Depot, which came before Old Oak Common was built. There is a story about a driver screwing down the safety valve on the boiler and the loco blowing up, with parts found as far away as Kensington Olympia station.

 

[NSEFAN]

Slighty off topic; are there any photos of Westbourne Park BR when it was open?

I managed to find this picture from 1990, but there aren't many of this station, sadly! I'm suprised it's not on the disused stations website.

Edit, just found this one of a DMU. Also, a 1950s photo.