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A lost Birmingham tunnel? a piece of Birmingham Railway History ?

H

horsencart

master brummie
I now think that this tunnel that has been lost ? for many years has now been found, let me explain my theory, I think that this tunnel
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/21239279104/in/photostream/
this is a wider view

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/21675163559/in/photostream/
is a service tunnel that was used to build the Railway tunnel that runs into New Street Station when I say "a service tunnel" what I mean is that it would have been used to get rid of the rubble that had been used to make the New Street tunnel in the first place, it would been used to send the worker up and down to the workings, I think that when the New Street tunnel had been finished it was back filled as it was not needed again, the tunnel that has been unearthed is brick built, some years later ATV studios were built on top entrance to the tunnel, I do know that the New Street tunnel runs very close to where this tunnel is, If it is not a Railway tunnel then what was it A well?

I suspect that whatever it was it may not last for to long and be filled with concrete? and be lost again so do you agree with me or have I got it wrong ?
 
Horsencart

It does look remarkably like a ventilation shaft for a tunnel, not that I know much about these things but couldn't it equally be possibly be a canal ventilation shaft especially in that area.
 

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  • Canal Vent Shaft.jpg
    Canal Vent Shaft.jpg
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To the Left of the photo (but not seen) is a modern ventilation shaft, the shaft seen in my photo was for many years was under a stairway, the stairs that lead from the subway on Broad St a was out of sight and not used


Phil said:
Horsencart

It does look remarkably like a ventilation shaft for a tunnel, not that I know much about these things but couldn't it equally be possibly be a canal ventilation shaft especially in that area.
Click to expand...
 
About where on the map is the shaft?

map_c_1966-75_atv_studios.jpg
 
I recall there was a ventilation shaft around there in the 60's, we just assumed it was on the Gloucester Tunnel.
 
Is this not a ventilation shaft for the Birmingham West Suburban Railway Holliday (or Suffolk) Street tunnel which was near to Birmingham Central Goods Station (see https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/centralgoods.htm ) which was situated in the area bounded by Holliday Street, Severn Street and Suffolk Street. I remember when they were redeveloping the Worcester Wharf site before Alpha Tower was built you could walk down this tunnel (if you were brave enough!!) which I believe joined onto the main line a few hundred yards further on beneath the site of Paradise Circus.
 
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When Gas St. basin was leaking, was it in February, there was some talk that the water was leaking into a disused rail tunnel. Any connection? See Canals of Birmingham #670
 
No the canal was leaking into the old railway track near to Holiday St, the shaft I am talking about is the Live Railway tunnel that goes under Broad St

devonjim said:
When Gas St. basin was leaking, was it in February, there was some talk that the water was leaking into a disused rail tunnel. Any connection? See Canals of Birmingham #670
Click to expand...
 
horsencart said:
No the canal was leaking into the old railway track near to Holiday St, the shaft I am talking about is the Live Railway tunnel that goes under Broad St
Click to expand...

Yes the leak was into the old tunnel that took the railway under the canal from Granville Street into the Birmingham Central Goods Station.
 
hi horsencart
There use to be a tunnel (in a tunnel) that special mail trains use to stop at and get rid of the old money notes 1920,s 30, 40,50,s because the paper used to wear very bad ,so i was told, a furnace was down there as well where they were burnt
 
Tommy
I think you are referring to the connection to the old Bank of England. This was from the tunnel at Snow hill
 
horsencart said:
The sad thing is they are still breaking up the former shaft, just how far can they go without falling into the New Street Tunnel ? I would imagine there is a few feet between where they are and the tunnel itself ? the chap with the crash hat is standing on the shaft (I would not) https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofartshavelumps/21788297633/in/dateposted/
Click to expand...

Today the area was blinded with sand and shortly after lunch the two chaps began removing the exposed bricks no doubt to the level of the sand.

https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/images2/userpics/10449/P1030205-1.jpg

In the background were four segments of a circle which had recently arrived perhaps parts of a mould to form a concrete cap?

I popped into the Library and scanned a few relevant maps showing the area in 1889, 1952 and 2006.

https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/images2/userpics/10449/Broad_Street_corner_1889-1955-2006.jpg

The cross marks the location today which is within the area being developed for the "Arena Central Developments Ltd Proposal to Birmingham City University for the Potential Conservatoire Relocation" though I note that in their mission statement it says:

2.6 Abnormals
With the exception of the Registry Office the entire site has been stripped of asbestos, all services diversions have been undertaken and the site is ready for demolition.

The only site considerations to development are the two rail tunnels that run beneath the site as indicated on the Title Plan You will note that the siting of both options does not bring the tunnels into consideration

The second tunnel refers to the old link line connecting the Central Goods station once fronting Suffolk Street from the spur south of Five Ways station which is now a Network Rail vehicular access.
 
I gather this discussion referred to the air shaft marked on the section of the 1887 Ordnance Survey. This shaft would have been to provide air and allow smoke to escape from the Stour Valley Railway tunnel.

Airshaft xiv5 1887.jpg


The location of the shaft was of interest as it was on land used as part of the Old Wharf which belonged to the Birmingham Canal Company. The London & Birmingham Railway and Birmingham Canal Navigations arrangement act provided the means to alter canal company land and divert parts of the Canal.
 
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