LMS Route: Evesham to Birmingham

Cofton Tunnel: mrcof1669

The entrance to Cofton tunnel can be seen beneath the early stages of the cutting being widening in the summer of 1928. A P&W Hut can be seen half way up the embankment with a footpath to the top. The location of the hut is most likely to be because of the ground conditions - the only place a building could be erected near to the track as faults plagued the construction of the tunnel and the widening of the cutting. The process of removing the tunnel and widening the cutting began with removal of the earth to one side of the tunnel, suitably angled, together with the soil above the tunnel. Once the top of the tunnel had been reached the section to the side was taken down further - immediately adjacent to the tunnel - so a concrete retaining wall could be built (see image see image 'mrcof1666'). Meanwhile on the other side of the cutting, where the extra tracks were to go, the earth was also removed, down to the top of the tunnel. At this point temporary (contractors) tracks were laid so that travelling steam cranes and wagons could run the length of the tunnel. Then, over the weekend of 26th to 18th January 1929, the tracks within the tunnel were protected by sleepers laid over the top allowing the brickwork to be dropped on top. The steam cranes then would lower square timber hoppers for the men to load the rubble in to and then lift these to be loaded into the contractors wagons to be taken away (see image 'mrcof1671'). Once all of the tunnel brickwork had been removed then the remaining earth to the side of the tunnel would be excavated until the cutting was at the required depth.

back