Standedge-Tunnels

The Standedge Tunnel ( Standege tunnel [ ˌ stænɪd͡ʒ tʌnɫ̩s ] ) to cross the Pennines mountain range in northern England. The five -kilometer Road northeast of the city of Manchester has four tunnels, three standard gauge railway tunnel and a canal tunnel of Huddersfield Narrow Canal. Two of the railway tunnels have been decommissioned. The Channel Tunnel is the longest and highest in the UK. The northern tunnel portals are near the village of Marsden, the southern near Diggle.

History

Channel Tunnel

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The first tunnel under the Standedge was built by the Huddersfield Canal Company Channel Tunnel. The 5029 meter long tunnel is 196 meters above sea level and the maximum coverage measures 194 meters. The design was by Benjamin Outram, the chief engineer of the Huddersfield Canal Company. Construction on the tunnel began in 1795 and proved to be lengthy. 1798 reached the Huddersfield Narrow - channel from both sides already the tunnel portals, although one years thereafter were erupted only 910 meters of the tunnel. In the same year a flood devastated more than 25 km of the channel. The Huddersfield Canal Company had to take to repair the damage caused new money for shareholders. After the company hired a new surveyor, Outram left the project in 1801 without his place had been filled.

For obtaining the necessary knowledge about the operation of the tunnel attended a Commission 1804 Harecastle tunnel, the Butterley Tunnel and the Norwood Tunnel. She suggested the construction of a towpath through the tunnel, which was rejected due to lack of funds to finance additional works and to cover the resulting loss of revenue due to delayed opening. 1806 had again new money be taken and the Huddersfield Canal Company was given the right to impose additional duties for the use of the tunnel.

1807 Thomas Telford was consulted for advice; he developed a plan by which the completion of the expensive building finally succeeded. On 9 June 1809, the tunnel was penetrated, but there was again a setback as at November 29, 1810, the dam of the reservoir Swellands broke and caused a flood. The reservoir is used for water drainage in tunnels. On March 26, 1811, the tunnel was declared as finished. The opening ceremony took place on 4 April 1811. The cost was 160,000 pounds and made the tunnel to the most expensive canal tunnel in England.

The Channel Tunnel allowed the passage of a narrowboats without oncoming traffic. In the tunnel, the towpath was missing because the tunnel cross-section could be interpreted as smaller. The horses used for the train of the boats were therefore out of the woods, while the boats were moved by human power through the tunnel. It was here that as leggings ( means " movement with the legs " ) refers to methods used. In this case, one or more men pushed the boat by running motion to the tunnel wall or lying on the tunnel ceiling forward. The passage of an empty boat took about 80 minutes that a fully loaded three hours.

The channel is provided with four alternative locations where boats can cross. With increasing traffic, it always came back to bickering between the boat crews must also return to the ship which alternative location. The canal company therefore decided that the boats could only be guided by their own Leggern through the tunnel. Further, the traffic was over alternately for four hours in one direction and then for the same time in the other direction so that the tunnel junctions were no longer necessary. After the entrance of the last boat in one direction each grid was sealed at the entrance of the tunnel and the tunnel watchman went with the Treidelpferden the boats across the mountain to the tunnel portal to open the grid. 1848 a new system was introduced, in which the last boat was a document which reported this as the last boat, and additionally mitführte a red lamp. The tunnel guard at the other portal was thus able to identify the last boat in the convoy safely and release the traffic in the other direction after its arrival.

The tunnel has four ventilation shafts, which were also used during construction to create break out of the tunnel. You are at Pule 53.600072-1.946909, Flint Pit 53.593454-1.956319, Redbrook 53.588448-1.963304 and Cote Pit 53.578715-1.977193.

Railway tunnel

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• 3 railway tunnels: 4806 m

In 1846, the channel of the Huddersfield and Manchester Railway was acquired, which was taken over in 1847 by the London and North Western Railway. The railway company began construction of a single-track tunnel. The work was greatly facilitated by many transverse tunnels and four major cross tunnel to the Channel Tunnel and accelerated since the excavated material could be transported by water. When the tunnel was completed in 1848, he had swallowed 201 608 pounds and was with 4803 meters length of the longest railway tunnel in England. This record was only broken when in 1886, more than two kilometers long Severn Tunnel was opened.

The single-track tunnel was soon found to be a bottleneck, so a further tunnel was started. The parallel equally long tunnel was completed in 1871. Its construction costs amounted to 121,500 pounds.

In 1894 was put into operation due to growing traffic, a third tunnel, which was carried out twofold. It lies north of the Channel Tunnel, although the portals are located south of those of the channel. This means that this railway tunnel immediately behind its portals crossed the Channel Tunnel, the ceiling of which is reinforced in this area. The length of the tunnel is 4806 meters. With him Redbrook 53.58769-1.964452 and Flint Pit were built 53.594299-1.955068 additional ventilation shafts at Brunn Clough 53.575203-1.982137.

In 1963, the four-lane route under the Beeching Axe, a program for the reduction of the railway network, between Huddersfield and Stalybridge was stripped down to two tracks. This allowed the closure of two older railway tunnel and the repeal of the station Diggle.

Current usage

The Channel Tunnel was officially closed in 1944, the last commercial boat passage had taken place in 1921. The system fell into disrepair. At a cost of five million pounds of the Channel Tunnel was restored. It had the mud at the bottom of the tunnel to be removed, the mortar of the masonry will be repaired with rock bolts loose rocks are stabilized and some sections are treated with shotcrete. The renovated building was opened in 2001.

Initially allowed the pleasure boats go through the tunnel only in the drag of an electric boat, each barge trains with up to four boats were compiled. Between the boats, a floating spacer was installed that prevented that stern and bow strung together two boats can damage itself.

Since 2009, recreational boats are allowed to tunnel under its own power traveled with a companion by British Waterways. A distance between the boot 45 minutes is maintained so that the exhaust gases of the fore-running boat can be diluted sufficiently. Sometimes the operator of the tunnel also allows that boats are encountered in the traditional way by legging through the tunnel.

At the south portal at Tunnel End Marsden near a tourist center and an exhibition in the former Kanalpackhaus was established. The building served prior to the completion of the tunnel, the transhipment of goods on horse carriages. From here, start the sightseeing tours on the electric boat.

All three railway tunnels are still available, but currently only the dual-track operated. The oldest tube was set for emergency vehicles and serves on the remaining cross tunnel as an emergency exit. For the expansion of the railway network in the North of England is thought about a re-opening of disused tunnel.

Pictures

Visitor Centre in Marsden