also Victoria Tunnel, Liverpool
The western part of the rail route connecting Waterloo Goods Station, Liverpool and Edge Hill went through Waterloo Tunnel (852 yards), while the longer section eastwards (2,706 yards) ran through Victoria Tunnel.
From Waterloo Dock, wagons were hauled by locomotive to Byrom Street cutting, initially on falling gradients followed by a stiff climb to Edge Hill, rising at 1:57 until a point close to the east portal where it eased slightly to 1:72.
The Electric Telegraph Co installed wiring through the tunnel, with bells and instruments at either end, allowing communication between Byrom Street and the winding engine at Edge Hill. The engine worked a continuous iron rope, 6,000 yards long and weighing 18½ tons, supplied by P. and H. J. Morton. The rope broke on 16th February 1895. Subsequently locomotives took over the duty.
The above information is condensed from here.[1]
1847 'VICTORIA TUNNEL. On Monday, the first stone of the grand entrance of the tunnel was laid at Edge-hill, by Edward Woods, Esq., the engineer, in the presence of many of the railway officers, and of a large concourse of Persons. The works of the tunnel commence by a splendid iron bridge, of two arches, across their railway at Wavertree-lane: several acres of land are in progress of excavation at Edge-hill, to be added to the present station, where there will be abundant space for the thousands who, in the summer season, avail themselves of the cheap trains. The grand entrance of the tunnel is under the road leading to the railway hotel, and several hundreds of workmen are already engaged on these gigantic undertakings. The tunnel is to pass in an oblique direction across the town, being carried in a direct line under the King's Monument, Christ's Church, the Friends' Meeting-house, the Chapel in Byrom-street, the North Dispensary in Vauxhall-road, and then under the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, to a station comprising several acres, between Great Howard-street and the, Waterloo Dock. These works have been contracted for by Messrs. Samuel and James and Holme, and Mr. M'Cormick, and considerable progress has been made at the various "eyes," as they are termed, along the whole of the line. The entire cost will be, we understand, about £200,000/'[2]
1849 'Large Wheel. — On Sunday an immense wheel, 18 feet in diameter, and weighing about 10 tons, was conveyed from Manchester to Liverpool along the Manchester and Liverpool line of railway. The wheel is to be used at the Victoria tunnel, Edgehill, Liverpool. This ponderous piece of mechanism was obliged to be conveyed on Sunday, as it could only be taken when all other traffic was stopped, its great width necessitating the use of the two lines of railway. Manchester Courier.'[3]
1849 'LARGE WIRE ROPE FOR THE LONDON AND NORTH- WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY.- One of Messrs. Kuper's patent wire ropes has been delivered this week at the to Edge-hill station of the London and North Western Raiway. It was supplied by Messrs. Francis and Henry Joseph Morton, of this town, and is, perhaps, the largest wire rope ever manufactured; it ie 6000 yards, or nearly three and a half miles long, and weighs eighteen and a half tons. It is intended to work the whole of the traffic from the north docks through the new tunnel to Edge-hill. A hempen rope to have done the same work must have weighed upwards of thirty tons.'[4]
1850 'On Monday an enormous wire rope, intended to work the London and North-western tunnel to Lime-street, arrived at Edge-hill. It weighed 20 tons and measured 6,000 yards in length and 4½ inches in circumference.' The Albion - Monday 11 November 1850