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Urban Exploration - Camden Rat Hole

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trentside

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As much as I don't like the idea of people trespassing in places like this, I can't help but find the pictures fascinating. I'm presuming the tunnel with the track is the abandoned section of the Great Northern & City line.
 

Pumbaa

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We had a thread on it many months ago which had all the answers on. I'll see if I can dig it out.
 

Chris125

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As much as I don't like the idea of people trespassing in places like this, I can't help but find the pictures fascinating. I'm presuming the tunnel with the track is the abandoned section of the Great Northern & City line.

Your thinking of Finsbury Park, this is Camden - the 'rat hole' took ECS from the west side of the lines down Camden Bank (north of the disused carriage shed), to the east side near the Roundhouse.

Chris
 

trentside

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Your thinking of Finsbury Park, this is Camden - the 'rat hole' took ECS from the west side of the lines down Camden Bank (north of the disused carriage shed), to the east side near the Roundhouse.

Chris

Thanks Chris. I was thrown by the similar looking tunnels and didn't even register the location properly. :oops:
 

pitdiver

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Your thinking of Finsbury Park, this is Camden - the 'rat hole' took ECS from the west side of the lines down Camden Bank (north of the disused carriage shed), to the east side near the Roundhouse.

Chris

Is this the tunnel that runs under the canal. If it is i had the pleasure? of a cab ride a number of years ago along this very route. I had come all the way from MKC in the cab of a 321 courtesy of a very friendly driver running ECS to Euston. I hasten to add I was in LUL uniform.;)
 

dggar

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Is this the tunnel that runs under the canal. If it is i had the pleasure? of a cab ride a number of years ago along this very route. I had come all the way from MKC in the cab of a 321 courtesy of a very friendly driver running ECS to Euston. I hasten to add I was in LUL uniform.;)

I didn't think this tunnel was ever electrified. It's purpose was to move coaching stock from Willesden to the long distance departure platforms at Euston (without fouling the main running lines) in the days of steam operation.
 

Chris125

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I didn't think this tunnel was ever electrified. It's purpose was to move coaching stock from Willesden to the long distance departure platforms at Euston (without fouling the main running lines) in the days of steam operation.

Apparently it was used up until the 90's, though its days were always numbered with the move towards fixed formations and the reduction of ECS moves.

Chris
 

paulb1973

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I didn't think this tunnel was ever electrified. It's purpose was to move coaching stock from Willesden to the long distance departure platforms at Euston (without fouling the main running lines) in the days of steam operation.

I was under the impression that the Up Empty Carriage Line was electrified although clearances between the wires and the tunnel roof must have been tight. Presumably the early AC-electrics ran through this line with empty WCML coaching stock?

In this Flickr picture:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16523911@N06/4155832419/in/faves-23917561@N03/

..it shows the 'rat hole' line from the Euston side of the Primrose Hill tunnels, there appears to be a mark on the brick retaining wall where OHLE catenary was once fixed.

Seems other Flickr members have been down this way: http://www.flickr.com/photos/urdex/sets/72157629248987662/
 

Trog

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I think the carriage line tunnel was enlarged for electrification. With the side segments replaced with flatter ones hence the eliptical shape compared with the rounder Primrose Hill DC line tunnels that were built at about the same time.
 

Railcar B

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I think the carriage line tunnel was enlarged for electrification. With the side segments replaced with flatter ones hence the eliptical shape compared with the rounder Primrose Hill DC line tunnels that were built at about the same time.

It definitely was electrified. I remember travelling through it on a service train (a 310) back in the 1970s, being very surprised at the time that we were going that way. I never found out the reason for the diversion.
 

dggar

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It definitely was electrified. I remember travelling through it on a service train (a 310) back in the 1970s, being very surprised at the time that we were going that way. I never found out the reason for the diversion.

My understanding is that trains carrying passengers were not permitted to use this line as the clearences were so tight that slam doors could not be opened in the tunnel, thus making an ermergecy evacuation impossible.
 

QJ

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My understanding is that trains carrying passengers were not permitted to use this line as the clearences were so tight that slam doors could not be opened in the tunnel, thus making an ermergecy evacuation impossible.

There is an exception to the rule for virtually everything. I travelled on a railtour (two class 303 units) that ran through the rat hole and I know of diversions because of engineering work that were routed through the rat hole as well.

A friend of mine was travelling on a Euston bound IC train not long after the railtour (see link below) ran. He was in the process of explaining to someone where the rat hole was and how he had managed to travel over the up empty carriage line on the aforesaid railtour when the train he was on promply disappeared down the rat hole itself.

http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/80s/820904wi.htm
 
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