Report - Harecastle Rail Tunnel

A visit was visit made to the above by members last year. There is alot of activity there at the moment (By Boathorse Road, at Goldendale). A tempory road has been put in and the trackbed cleared of alot of undergrowth and trees cutdown. I went to look at the tunnel two weks ago and it was pretty much as photographed by yourselves. Will try to go and see whats going on now...does anyone else know?

Watch yourself... Beeb News

Three maintenance workers became ill after breathing in fumes in a disused railway tunnel in Staffordshire.

Emergency crews were called to the Harecastle Tunnel in Kidsgrove just after 1100 BST.

[Alley]

I went through there a couple of years ago.
The main tunnel was quite well ventilated, with regular vent shafts, but there was a smaller passage to the side which two of the group entered then rapidly exited because they couldn't breathe.

After that news report I wouldn't go in without proper equipment.
It doesn't specify what kind of fumes, best to assume they could kill you.

[LittleMike]

If it's the side passage(s) I'm thinking about (there's one on either side), they had a very obvious hanging mist, blatantly no air flow.

[lock1999]

Had the same problem in October 1990, the heading that leads down from the west side of the tunnel is a death trap for the unwary!

Lock...You mention the side tunnels...Did you discover their purpose or enter them to any distance?

[lock1999]

Originally Posted by VECTRA

Lock...You mention the side tunnels...Did you discover their purpose or enter them to any distance?

The one that I remember (due to a close call) was in the west wall of the tunnel, it did not go very far, guessing about 30-40 yards.
From memory, it had a 90 degree left hand turn which descended several feet over the last few yards.
At this point it appeared to intersect a brick tunnel running at right angles and below the main railway tunnel, it also appeared that this was full of ochre.
The point that it appeared to break into the lower tunnel was at the top of its arch/lining.

I originally thought that it was a drainage level connected to the old canal tunnel, but pics from the 70,s show an explorer travelling this tunnel by canoe with a fair bit of airspace available.

Best of luck and be cautious.

[LittleMike]

I came to the conclusion that they connected to the two canal tunnels running beneath. There's a lot of rumours around the internet saying there is a connection, but internet rumours mean piss all.
It's the main reason I went down there actually, but I value my life too much to risk going down them without a detector and air supply.

[lock1999]

Originally Posted by LittleMike

I came to the conclusion that they connected to the two canal tunnels running beneath. There's a lot of rumours around the internet saying there is a connection, but internet rumours mean piss all.
It's the main reason I went down there actually, but I value my life too much to risk going down them without a detector and air supply.

I've been through the newer canal tunnel dozens of times, there are a few inlets at various point.
Perhaps I'll get the distances next time.

[lock1999]

These pics are claimed to be from inside the older tunnel, very variable water levels by the look of the stal/wall marks.

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?im...%3Den%26sa%3DN