Time Machine - Ramsey - September 2009

[TheVicar]

With a day off work and more good weather, I thought I'd pay a trip to Time Machine - discovered by Zero, Dsankt and Loops last year.

This culvert stuck in my mind for being a bit different in that the water running through it originally powered a clock on the street above.

There was very little water running through this drain which wasn't surprising as it hadn't rained in this area for 3 weeks.

The infall
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/thevicarspics/TimeMachine/IMG_0600.jpg

From the infall to the clock mechanism, the tunnel is a decent size, approx 12ft wide and 15ft high.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/thevicarspics/TimeMachine/IMG_0598.jpg

A short distance in and the roof is collapsing, but has been bodged by filling the hole from above with a road sign and tarmacing over it. It appears that a water main above has been damaged as fresh water is pouring in here. It won't be long before this section falls in completely!

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/thevicarspics/TimeMachine/IMG_0597.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/thevicarspics/TimeMachine/IMG_0596.jpg

Just on the left is this little feature:

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/thevicarspics/TimeMachine/IMG_0595.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/thevicarspics/TimeMachine/IMG_0592.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/thevicarspics/TimeMachine/IMG_0594.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/thevicarspics/TimeMachine/IMG_0589.jpg

What's left of the rusty clock mechanism:

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/thevicarspics/TimeMachine/IMG_0585.jpg

Here the tunnel splits into three. The two small side tunnels were originally for sewage and judging by the smell and grey stanky seepage, the right hand side tunnel is fed from a CSO.

Minging CSO
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/thevicarspics/TimeMachine/IMG_0582.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/thevicarspics/TimeMachine/IMG_0579.jpg

The left hand side tunnel is fed from the pipe in picture #6 and seems to be road water drainage.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/thevicarspics/TimeMachine/IMG_0583.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/thevicarspics/TimeMachine/IMG_0584.jpg

Continuing down from the clock mechanism, the tunnel is generally straight apart from a couple of turns. The further on you go, the deeper the water level gets. There were loads of fish down here, some of which were quite large near to the outfall.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/thevicarspics/TimeMachine/IMG_0577.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/thevicarspics/TimeMachine/IMG_0575.jpg

Finally, the outfall and the now electrically powered clock.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/thevicarspics/TimeMachine/IMG_0602.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff137/thevicarspics/TimeMachine/IMG_0603.jpg

[concreteJungle]

Good explore there mate, that collapsing roof is well dodgy. You would think it would be cheaper to repair now instead of when half the street falls into the culvert. The same thing happened in Derby with the Markeaton culvert and a main street had to be closed for a while. It was cool to see the top of the brickwork as they uncovered it to work on it though.