Story behind the 'shortcut to Wales' (Bristol Evening Post 19/08/2010)

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

From the Bristol Evening Post:

Long story behind the 'shortcut to Wales' - the Severn Tunnel

As Brunel^s Great Western Railway marks 175 years, DAVID CLENSY ventures down into the labyrinth of shafts, culverts and pumping drains that allow more than four million people to travel safely through the Severn Tunnel each year. Pictures by DAN REGAN.

continues....

A large article with accompanying pictures, so not quoted in full here.

[Brucey]

Very interesting article.  I never knew about the second parallel tunnel.

[smokey]

HAPPY DAYS,    that brings back memories. I've only been Sudbrook Once in my early BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) days arond 1985,
The main picture in the articule Shows the Water pipes going up, I seem to remember the same pipes being green and looking quite rusty. On the Left is the service lift (top of car can just been seen) whilst on the right is the emergency ladder. 
IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) the ladder used to have just one maybe two rest platforms and was on the same side as the lift. 

I was aware the BRB^‡(resolve) sold the water (the spring water) to a local Brewery.

I got sitched up on my one and only visit, 4 off us came down the ladder and when we left to go back up I was told "you go first it will take you ages. we got 5 minutes more work".
So I climbed and climbed, oh and climbed, then when I  was up the top the others came up. 

Using the lift. 

[Electric train]

You probably can remember the pipe being green and rusty, the pumping system was replaced in the late 80's, the system there when you visited had 3.3kV submersible pumps the main switchboard was on the upper level next to the control room there was also a standby gen set which if I recall correctly was a Maybach (same make as the Western's engines).  Also on site is a large vent shaft with a large fan with multi speed 3.3kV motor to control the humidity there used to be a lot of problems with track circuits I think now axle counters are used. All the pumps and fans were replaced with 415V ones in the late 80's which have just been refrubished. I did one visit there to test some protection relays on the 3.3kV board. 

Sudbrook had a rescue train an 08 shutter (I think) the maintenance fitters at Sudbrook were passed out to drive it, the train had re-railing, fire fighting, first aid equipment etc don't think it was ever used in anger

Most of the "clean water" is sold to a papermill, so is (or was ??) to local houses and a brewery.

[inspector_blakey]

It was used once: tiny detail, but in this case I think it was an 09 rather than an 08. This was during the slightly chaotic response to the read end collision between a class 155 (no longer used in FGW^▸ (First Great Western) territory - most of these units were split up into single cars to form the 153s although a handful remain up north) and an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) in the tunnel in 1991.

Full details in the HMRI^▸ (Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate) accident report.

[Electric train]

It was used once: tiny detail, but in this case I think it was an 09 rather than an 08. This was during the slightly chaotic response to the read end collision between a class 155 (no longer used in FGW^▸ (First Great Western) territory - most of these units were split up into single cars to form the 153s although a handful remain up north) and an HST^▸ (High Speed Train) in the tunnel in 1991.

Full details in the HMRI^▸ (Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate) accident report.

It probably was an 09 few more gee gee's under the bonnet

[smokey]

It probably was an 09 few more gee gee's under the bonnet

IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly) Same Engine, but higher gear ratio so more MPH, 08=15mph(downrated from 20mph)  09=27mph