Building the last Main Line Railway

Catesby Tunnel and Viaduct

Additional pages divided on different thematic subjects are available by clicking on the links below:

Ref: gcrcs161 Railway Archive View of Catesby tunnel's southern portal which had still to be completed after the tunnel lining was complete

Ref: gcrcs80 Railway Archive View of Catesby tunnel's northern portal which also needed to be added after the tunnel lining was complete

Ref: gcrcs81 Railway Archive Looking along the contractor's temporary track towards the northern end of Catesby tunnel

Ref: gcrcs153 Railway Archive Looking along the contractor's temporary track towards the near completed southern portal of Catesby tunnel

Ref: gcrcs186 Railway Archive View of the northern portal of Catesby tunnel and the poorly laid contractor's temporary track in August 1896

Ref: gcrcs155 Railway Archive View of the cutting being widened by steam shovel at the northern portal of Catesby tunnel

Ref: gcrcs174 Railway Archive View of the Great Central's newly laid permanent way and the completed south portal of Catesby tunnel

Ref: gcrcs79 Railway Archive View of the northern portal of Catesby tunnel and the Permanent Way hut being built on the left

Ref: gcrcs76 Railway Archived Looking north along the inside of the northern section of Catesby tunnel to the mouth of the portal

Ref: gcrcs88 Railway Archive View of the timber framed headgear used to ferry men and materials up and down shaft No 7 of Catesby tunnel

Ref: gcrcs78 Railway Archive View of three labourers and a boy labourer preparing to descend down one of Catesby tunnel's shafts

Ref: gcrcs75 Railway Archive Another steam powered derrick being deployed in the construction of Catesby tunnel, circa 1897

Ref: gcrcs148 Railway Archive View of the heavy timber framed headgear sited at the top of Catesby Tunnel's shaft No 8

Ref: gcrcs150 Railway Archive View of one of Catesby tunnel's shafts employing a simpler type of headgear to gain access to the tunnel

Ref: gcrcs151 Railway Archive Another type of headgear employed above a shaft in order to extract soil as well as lower materials and men

Ref: gcrcs162 Railway Archive Eight labourers pose for the camera alongside another timber framed headgear erected over a shaft

Ref: gcrcs165 Railway Archive Looking down from the top of a spoil heap towards a section of circular timber shaft formwork

Ref: gcrcs159 Railway Archive View of one of the large square head frame used during the construction of the Catesby tunnel

Ref: gcrcs182 Railway Archive View of the timber head gear and winding cable employed during the sinking of Pit Shaft No 7

Ref: gcrcs180 Railway Archive View of the 'first tunnel shaft' taken in 1896 showing the method of disposing of spoil from the tunnel

Ref: gcrcs191 Railway Archive View up the slope towards the precarious looking head gear that lay at the top of tunnel No 9

Ref: gcrcs185 Railway Archive View of Shaft No 4 during the construction of Catesby tunnel showing the headgear and other related structures

Ref: gcrcs190 Railway Archive View of the headgear and loading wharf employed at Shaft No 6 at Catesby tunnel during its construction

Ref: gcrcs164 Railway Archive A panoramic view of the building of the twelve arch Catesby viaduct during its construction

Ref: gcrcs166 Railway Archive Looking across the valley and the River Leam along the line of Catesby viaduct as the brick piers start to rise

Ref: gcrcs122 Railway Archive View of one of the ventilation shafts employed to disperse the steam and smoke from Catesby tunnel

Ref: gcrcs163 Railway Archive View looking north alongside several of the thirteen piers being built to form the twelve arch Catesby viaduct

Ref: gcrcs160 Railway Archive Looking north from the rising ground above Catesby tunnel's portal along the course of the GC's Main Line

Ref: gcrcs189 Railway Archive View of the 'Survey Station' erected by the contractor above Catesby tunnel to aid its construction

Ref: gcrcs187 Railway Archive View of the Navvy hut settlement erected at Catesby to house the men building Catesby tunnel and viaduct

Ref: gcrcs77 Railway Archive View of a brick arch overbridge spanning the GC line to London being built north of Catesby tunnel