Railways in road-building

[Pacific231G]

231G

 

I remember that job being done. They used a couple of Ruston LBTor very similar locos.

 

K

Would they have used IC locos inside the tunnel? My recollection was of battery electrics but that could have been wrong as I was concentrating more on directing the cameraman and reporter than the details of NG working- I should have asked for a recce. but on a daily show we very rarely had time for those.

 

I've not been able to find any photos of the 1983-85 tunnel works but there is an interesting piece from about ten years earlier about the canal tunnel that caused all the railway's woes and the canal it was to be part of here.

http://www.hantsfieldclub.org.uk/publications/hampshirestudies/digital/1970s/vol33/Course.pdf

Edited June 24, 2017 by Pacific231G

[Nearholmer]

There was definitely one LBT, or the same thing with an exhaust conditioner, the model designation of which I don't know, possibly two. There may have been BEs too, but it is a large bore tunnel, and mainline diesels were running on the track that was open, so I have a feeling that it was treated as an open air job.

 

I'm working from memory, but Ive got a feeling there are photos on the web somewhere. Well I just found one on RMWeb http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13882

Edited June 24, 2017 by Nearholmer

[PhilJ W]

The most extensive narrow gauge construction railway systems of recent years was the Channel Tunnel and Crossrail. Both used diesel locomotives with exhaust conditioning.

[Nearholmer]

If you want to see a very pretty loco in Surrey CC Highways Department livery, see here http://www.lynton-rail.co.uk/railway/rolling-stock/bronllwyd-gp39

 

And a little bit of NG in a photo of the Winchester bypass under construction https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=File:Parabolic-arch-concrete-bridge-carrying-alresford-road-over-winchester-bypass.jpg

Edited June 24, 2017 by Nearholmer

[stadman]

Sometime between 1983-85 I made a film for the local BBC South Today programme about the relining of the Southampton Tunnel. This involved the intensive use of a narrow gauge railway running from the works access between the tunnel mouth and Southampton station and the worksite within the tunnel. 

 

Wasn't Nutall's the contractor?

I'm sure it's in a book about them, got one very poor shot of the Ruston somewhere.

[Pacific231G]

There was definitely one LBT, or the same thing with an exhaust conditioner, the model designation of which I don't know, possibly two. There may have been BEs too, but it is a large bore tunnel, and mainline diesels were running on the track that was open, so I have a feeling that it was treated as an open air job.

 

I'm working from memory, but Ive got a feeling there are photos on the web somewhere. Well I just found one on RMWeb http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13882

Thanks for finding the pictures which only go to show how false memories can be. The locos and other rolling stock were dirty white rather than yellow and you're probably right that they were IC locos with exhaust conditioners.  I don't think there were more than a couple of them in any case.

 

Now I know the contractor was Nuttall I've been able to turn up a few more images of the project. Loco and stock were a lot cleaner when the images here were taken.  http://www.geoffspages.co.uk/raildiary/soton83.htm

That's definitely the downside works yard as I saw it before we went into the tunnel and it was a particularly narrow site. I wish I could get hold of a copy of my film but it's probably  no more than the usual piece to camera by reporter, a few shots of the work inside the tunnel and an interview with someone from NSE, probably shot with the tunnel mouth behind, and possibly an interview with someone from Nuttall as well. I woud have tried to get a shot or two of the NG train in motion but can't remember whether or not I succeeded and it certainly wouldn't have been while we were in the tunnel.  

[Fat Controller]

The most extensive narrow gauge construction railway systems of recent years was the Channel Tunnel and Crossrail. Both used diesel locomotives with exhaust conditioning.

Many of the narrow-gauge locos used during the Channel Tunnel construction were later regauged to standard gauge, and still see regular use within engineers' possessions there. They can only be used within possessions as they lack TVM, and are deemed to be unreliable at actuating track circuits.

[37114]

Parts of the M5 were built on flyash from South Wales. To get to site, a spur was built through the ruins of Highbridge S&DJR, Dad took three photos of trains at the station. Something of a salt in the wounds experience.

 

Great photos, I love the BR arrow on the garden shed in the last photo. The Portishead branch was also used for similar purposes when they built the split level section through the Gordano valley.

[rockershovel]

Most narrow gauge locos used in tunnelling are white, depending on their age. Yellow used to be a common colour, you occasionally see old Greenbats or Claytons still painted yellow but that's rare these days.