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Netherton tunnel

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Philip

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Just interested to know if the canal tunnel at Netherton near Dudley was initially planned as a railway tunnel? All of the construction features (dimensions; width and height, the brickwork, portal style, blue bricks, ventilation shafts etc) all bear the hallmarks of a railway tunnel and it was constructed in the 'railway age' (1858). I don't know if trains could fit through the tunnel with the canal bed drained, but considering the size of the tunnel even with water in it, I wouldn't be surprised if they could.
 
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ac6000cw

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No - see https://www.ukwaterwaysguide.co.uk/map/new-main-line-bcn/netherton-tunnel-branch

A quote from there: "The Netherton Tunnel was built to relieve the bottleneck of the adjacent Dudley Tunnel. "

As the parallel OW&W (later GWR) railway route already existed nearby, it's only the LNWR who might have been interested in developing a branch southwards off their Stour Valley mainline for freight traffic, and I'm not aware of any plans to do that (and they could have interchanged traffic with canal boats as an alternative, or bought into the OW&W before it later amalgamated with the GWR).
 
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Dave W

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Funnily enough I was looking at the tunnel branch's wikipedia entry earlier. The Bumble Hole Line from Old Hill to Dudley did cross the Netherton Tunnel branch, around the large canal junction on Warrens Hall (I don't think the alignment is right for the extant bridge which I presume was for access to works, etc)

But my understanding was as above, that the Dudley Tunnel's confines was wreaking havoc with traffic and so a bigger tunnel was built to better link towards the main north-south routes of the BCN.
 

zwk500

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Just interested to know if the canal tunnel at Netherton near Dudley was initially planned as a railway tunnel? All of the construction features (dimensions; width and height, the brickwork, portal style, blue bricks, ventilation shafts etc) all bear the hallmarks of a railway tunnel and it was constructed in the 'railway age' (1858). I don't know if trains could fit through the tunnel with the canal bed drained, but considering the size of the tunnel even with water in it, I wouldn't be surprised if they could.
There exist many examples of canals (or plans for canals) converted to railway use, but I'm not aware of any where a railway plan was converted into a canal. Doubtless somebody will now dig one out and educate me!

By the tunnel dimensions listed on Wikipedia, a single track could definitely fit through. It's wide enough for 2 tracks, but you'd possibly have to dig the bed out below the tunnel walls to get clearance on the arch.
 

Dr Hoo

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The nature of the canal network in the Black Country was different from anywhere else. A dense network, largely on two 'levels' (453' Birmingham and 473' Wolverhampton) with numerous short three-lock connections linked very many traffic sources and destinations easily and cheaply. Traffic continued to grow well into the 'Railway Age' and needed 'high-tech' solutions such as double towpaths and continuous room to pass on busy sections. These included Netherton and Coseley Tunnels.

The local railway companies recognised that many of their customers already had private canal basins and wharves and there were no fewer than 27 rail-canal interchange basins. The canals functioned like local cartage but with loads of up to 30 tons or more.

It is slightly ironic that the canals have continued to provide transport links through the Dudley area after the local railways closed (albeit this is being partially remedied with the Metro/tram extension).
 

Rescars

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The nature of the canal network in the Black Country was different from anywhere else. A dense network, largely on two 'levels' (453' Birmingham and 473' Wolverhampton) with numerous short three-lock connections linked very many traffic sources and destinations easily and cheaply. Traffic continued to grow well into the 'Railway Age' and needed 'high-tech' solutions such as double towpaths and continuous room to pass on busy sections. These included Netherton and Coseley Tunnels.

The local railway companies recognised that many of their customers already had private canal basins and wharves and there were no fewer than 27 rail-canal interchange basins. The canals functioned like local cartage but with loads of up to 30 tons or more.

It is slightly ironic that the canals have continued to provide transport links through the Dudley area after the local railways closed (albeit this is being partially remedied with the Metro/tram extension).
If I recall correctly, GKN opened a factory in the late 1940s near Wolverhampton manufacturing nuts and bolts etc where all goods in and out were transported solely by canal to and from an adjacent interchange basin.
 

John Webb

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Perhaps that was just the 'design fashion' of the time?
I think this is probably as good a description as any. Tunnelling, developed originally for canals, expanded considerably as the 'Railway Age' got underway and improved techniques were developed. Dr Hoo, in post#5, points out how increasing traffic needed the larger tunnels and by then it was possible to build them.
 

billh

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Netherton canal tunnel had gas lights installed. Later changed to electric lights powered from a water turbine generator at one end (northern?) of the tunnel. The head of water for the turbine was derived from the upper "Old Main Line" canal that crossed the Netherton Branch here. A very modern canal tunnel compared to others!
 

Dave W

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I've been through a few canal tunnels, including Netherton and the south end of Dudley (on the museum canal tour). Nothing comes close to the claustrophobia of Dudley, even in the vaguely more modern bit the museum cruises do. Netherton's a palatial cavern in comparison!
 
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