LMS Route: Rugby to Wolverhampton

Kilsby Tunnel: lnwrkt3562

The inside of Kilsby Tunnel, which is south of Rugby, on 8th July 1837. This image shows a loaded railway wagon being winched up a ventilation shaft, so that the spoil can be dumped. A man can just be seen riding on the spoil wagon. The tunnel diggers encountered a number of problems, including quicksand and frequent flooding of the workings. The single line contractor's or 'temporary' track appears to be more substantial than often seen in later photographs being apparently laid on stone blocks much as the original 'permanent way' track was at first before being replaced by timber sleepers. Stone blocks caused the riding of the train to be hard not having the 'give' that timber sleepers laid on ballast provided.

Drawing and caption courtesy of Greg Martin of www.railalbum.co.uk

back