Dingle Tunnel
in Liverpool.
This entry refers to two adjacent unrelated railway tunnels: the former CLC tunnel, and the abandoned Dingle Tunnel of the Liverpool Overhead Railway.
1862 'THE SHEFFIELD & GREAT NORTHERN COMPANIES and the LIVERPOOL TRAFFIC. The greatest activity prevails in the construction of the new line of railway between Garston and Liverpool, the terminus of which is to be in Sefton street, near the Brunswick Dock. This line will be of immense importance to the companies concerned, inasmuch as it will place them in direct and immediate connection with the traffic of the south docks, and open an entirely new and independent route between Liverpool, Manchester, and London. It will also be a great convenience to the inhabitants of the south end of the town. The line is being made jointly by the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire and the Great Northern Companies, and it is expected that it will be completed and ready for opening in about six months from the present time. Mr. Thompson, the eminent contractor, is constructing the line, and there are about a thousand men employed on the works between Liverpool and the present Garston terminus, which is six miles from Liverpool. Leaving Garston, the line passes through Aigburth towards Liverpool, running almost parallel with the Mersey, and continues to the Dingle through an uninterrupted excavation. At this point it enters a tunnel, which passes under the Pottery fields and extends to Beresford road, nearly opposite Mr. Jones's shipbuilding yard, at the Potteries. The entire length of the tunnel, from the Dingle to the Potteries, is about 1072 yards, or nearly two-thirds of a mile. The works, more especially on this part of the line, have been pushed forward with wonderful rapidity. The tunnel is entirely driven through, and the brick archway completed from one end to the other, whilst at different points large numbers of men are engaged in excavating the earthwork to the level of the intended line. The magnitude of the excavation from the mouth of the tunnel at the Potteries to the point where the line in- tersects the Mersey Steel and Iron Company's Works may be imagined when we state that it will require the removal of 50,000 cubic feet of stone and earthwork before the level ef the line is obtained, and already 28,000 cubic feet have been taken away. The terminus will be on a spacious plot of ground lying between Park street and Northumberland street, and bounded on the west side of Sefton street, which will be the principal entrance to the station. ... Liv. Merc.'[1]
1864 'The new line of railway between Liverpool and Garston where it joins the railway communication between Warrington, Manchester, and London, via the Manchester and Sheffield and Great Northern route, will be opened for public traffic on Wednesday next. This short but important link, which is three miles and three-quarters in length, from the present station in Northtemberland-street, opposite the Brunswick Docks, to the connection at Garston, has been constructed jointly by the Manchester and Sheffield and Great Northern Companies, who have already running powers over the Gareton and Warrington, and the Manchester, Altrincham, and South Junction Companies. The new line between Liverpool possesses several interesting feeturee. It passes through the Dingle and Aigburth, skirting in its progress the grounds of a number of villa residences, including those of the Rev. Dr. M'Neile, Mr. John Grant Morris, and several other gentlemen. The beautiful and picturesque character of the several villas in the locality of Aigburth, commanding as they do a charming view of the Mersey, would have been badly interfered with by the railway intersecting the grounds, had not the latter been preserved by an ingenious engineering design. In a great number of instances the railway passes right through the gardens and grounds of villas to which they are attached, and in some cases immediately under the windows of the houses themselves. The construction of the railway, therefore, was not only calculated to divide and separate the grounds by deep cuttings, but also to mar the prospect by the continual recurrence of steam and smoke. This objection, however, has been entirely met by the grounds having been reproduced, after excavating through them to the level of the railway, artificial tunnels having been formed by means of iron girders placed across the excavations, over which soil has been thrown, the grounds being thus restored to their original condition, avoiding the necessity of partition, and the railway being kept entirely out of view. The Dingle tunnel is 1,200 yards in length, and has been a very heavy and expensive portion of the line. It commences at the bottom of the Wellington-road, near the Potteries, and terminates at Dingle Point, in Aigburth. There are three stations between the Brunswick Dock terminus and Garston. The first is the St. Michael's-station, which stands considerably above the level of the railway, being built upon a bridge or short tunnel which the company have had to construct in forming the line. From the station the railway is approached by descending a flight of steps which lead down to the level of the line. The next station is at Otterspool, near the Aigburth Post-office and about a mile beyond is the Mersey-road-station, which is the last before reaching the junction at Garston. There a peculiarity about the stations, all of them being on a level with the ordinary road, which is considerably above the level of tbe railway; and in order to secure and guard against accidents a foot bridge is thrown across the line at each station, which prevents the necessity of crossing the railway on the level either in going to or leaving the stations. The goods station at Northumberland-street, Brunswick Dock, is the largest and most commodious for the purpose of which Liverpool can boast. Its area is 400 feet in length and 300 feet in breadth, exclusive of the yard and enclosure. It has been designed and constructed upon the latest and most approved principle, for the expeditious receiving and delivery of goods. There are two levels of rails inside the station, the lower level being constructed to suit the cotton and similar traffic, and the upper level for goods coming to the station and intended outwards. The traffic inside the station will be managed by steam cranes, worked by shafting in tunnels underneath the ground-floor of the station. This plan, which is altogether novel, leaves the several station platforms free from machinery, and will materially facilitate the removal of goods. The only portion of the machinery to work the cranes situated above ground is in the upper warehouse. There is also, in addition to the above, a further novelty in the working of cranes, which is an entirely new invention, and introduced here for the first time. The principle is that of circular cranes, which are suspended from the ceiling of the room over the upper warehouse floor, the cranes having no pillar whatever. They work remarkably well, and are found materially to economize labour. This crane is the invention of Mr. Brydone, the engineer of the line. We may remark that Mr. James Holme has constructed the railway, whilst the erection of the station and machinery has been entrusted to Mr. George Thompson. Although for the present the passenger station will be at Northumberland-street, it is intended ultimately to have the terminus near the centre of the town, and it is not improbable that it will run into the proposed Liverpool Central Station, for which parliamentary powers are now being sought. In the meantime omnibuses will run in connection with the trains between Lower Castle-street and the station in Northumberland-street. The opening of the line will doubtless be a great accommodation to the inhabitante of Aigburth and the district, through which it passes.'[2]
1896 'The whole party embarked on a speial train at the James Street Station, and were conveyed at once to the Herculaneum Station, the present south-end terminus of the railway. From here a good view can be obtained of the extensive viaduct works involved by the new extension to the Dingle. Briefly described, the extension consists of about 250 yards of iron viaduct and 800 yards of tunnel, the viaduct portion crossing Sefton-street, a corner of the Cheshire Lines Goods Yard, and a portion of the dock. Owing to the Dock Board objecting to any encumbrances in the way of pillars or supports, this part of the viaduct will consist of one enormous span 220 feet long, the girders being 25 feet deep. The latter are being made by Messrs. Pearson and Knowles, of Warrington, and the contractors for the tunnel are Messsm H. M. Nowell and Co., this part of the work being superintended by Mr. Charles Braddock. The journey through the tunnel, which, by the way, runs through fairly hard sandstone rock, although not of sufficient strength to enable it to be used for the side walls, was of a very interesting character, the visitors having the opportunity of gaining an insight into the actual method of excavation. The atmospheric conditions were, of course, somewhat embarrassing, being flavored with naphtha fumes, gunpowder, and candle grease, but the little inconvenience caused to over-sensitive lungs aad throats, was of a transient character. Everybody felt they had had enough of it when two-thirds through the boring, but with ever-watchul consideration Mr. Cottrell, with the assistance of Mr. Alfred Gregory, of the Waterloo Hotel, had provided a luxurious repast at the a terminus of the new line, which quickly dispersed any bad effects which might otherwise have arisen from the subterranean atmosphere.
It may be interesting at this point to recall a few of the salient features in carrying out the work. The tunnel was commenced by sinking five shafts at different points, from which headings were driven in each direction until they met. As showing with what mathematical accuracy this work was accomplished, we may mention that in every case the headings met within three-quarters of an inch. Once the headings were through, "break-ups" were started in various places, and now the full-sized, finished tunnel is being eompleted at the rate of about for 40 yards per week. The terminus of the extension is in Park-road, at the corner of the Dingle, and the platform will be approached by means an of a slightly-inclined subway. Considerably great engineering difficulties had to be surmounted in connection with the construction of this tunnel, the most important feature being that where the new tunnel crosses the tunnel of the Cheshire Lines Railway. At this point one tunnel is within about three feet of the other, and in order not to put any additional weight on the Cheshire Lines tunnel a relieving screen arch is being built immediately over the Cheshire Lines tunnel arch, and on that the side walls carrying the Overhead Railway tunnel will be built. Provision has also been made so that at any future time the Cheshire Lines can double their tunnel, and to illow for this the Overhead Railway Company are building a portion of a subsidiary tumnel parallel with the existing Cheshire Lines tunnel. By this means, when the Cheshire Lines double their tunnel, there will be no need to interfere in any way with the Overhead Railway traffc. The new station at the north of the exiting Herculaneum Station is being built by Messrs. Holmes and King. It will be connected with the footbridge at present crossing the Cheshire Lines Railway, so that there will be an approach direct from the high land at the west side of the railway as well as from the level of the street. ....'[3]