Report - Wapping tunnel, Liverpool, August 2015

[stranton]

I wonder what the gongs were for?

an advance warning of a semaphore signal,
the train hit the gong which then returned to its original position via a spring back mechanism.

there's 2 in Wapping & 1 in Queensbury tunnels

 

[stranton]

What had me also curious was wondering how the tunnel could have been used with the Merseyrail tunnel blocking the top half of it. It turns out the original 1870s tunnel* to Central ran above this tunnel,but the track and tunnel were lowered into it in the 1970s [after closure in 1972] as part of the construction of the Link since the new Merseyrail line was now underground and no longer a surface terminus.

Wapping & Mersey rail tunnels are both 1800s structures,
originally a girder bridge must of crossed here as there's no evidence of structural changes to the arch of either tunnel.

The Wapping tunnel closed 0n 15th May 1972,
both the Mersey rail modernisation & the Wirral loop opened in 1977 so wouldn't of affected Wapping tunnel operation.
There's enough clearance between the 2 tunnels, (maybe 1/2 a foot track drop) for trains to pass
as mersey rail utilises 750 v dc 3rd rail rather than overhead wires.