Boxing Clever
24 May 2005
Railway structures designed and built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel have stood the test of time, but when hundreds of feet underground they need checking and maintenance.
A team from Owen Williams Railways has been carrying out extensive structural examinations of the famous Box Tunnel, located between Bath and Swindon. The team is also working on two of the St. Anne’s tunnels in Bristol.
Two miles long, the limestone Box Tunnel descends on a gradient of 1:100 and, when completed in 1841, was reputedly the second longest tunnel in the world. The St. Anne’s tunnels were completed in 1840 and pass 90ft under the ground, running beneath a former coal mine.
Tunnel number three, which features a Victorian gothic portal at the western end, is 1,017 yards long. Tunnel number two is 154 yards long. Rail staff have had to use various ways to access all nook and crannies of the tunnels, including abseiling - to inspect the numerous air shafts.