Balcombe tunnel
Encyclopedia
Balcombe tunnel is a railway tunnel
on the Brighton Main Line
through the Sussex Weald
between Three Bridges
and Balcombe
. It is 1141 yards long.
during 1840-41. The engineer for the line was John Urpeth Rastrick
; the contractor responsible for the brick-lined tunnel is not known.
Ingress of water from the ground above was experienced during the construction of the tunnel, and this has remained a problem throughout its history. Rastrick described the tunnelling as very treacherous, requiring great caution on the part of the miners working it, as "it swells and effloresces as soon as exposed to the air."
Galvanised iron sheets were fitted to prevent the water falling on passengers in open carriages, but the blast from the steam locomotives and air pressure created by the passage of trains could result in the metal sheets being torn from the structure, creating a serious hazard. Thereafter drivers were warned about the hazard presented by hanging icicles.
The "railway murderer" Percy Lefroy Mapleton
left the body of his victim in Balcombe tunnel in 1881.
In July 1903 plans were finalised for the boring of a second Balcombe tunnel as part of the scheme to quadruple the Brighton Main Line
throughout, but these were never implemented.
In 2007 catchment trays were fitted under the tunnel's ventilation shafts to divert seeping ground water from the shafts into the track drainage system. The trays consisted of steel decking, gutters and flashings which were installed under limited track possessions.
Aerial view - see http://wikimapia.org/7962596/Balcombe-Tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
on the Brighton Main Line
Brighton Main Line
The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...
through the Sussex Weald
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
between Three Bridges
Three Bridges railway station
Three Bridges railway station is located in and named after the village of Three Bridges, which is now a district of Crawley, West Sussex, England...
and Balcombe
Balcombe railway station
Balcombe railway station serves the village of Balcombe in West Sussex, England. It is on the Brighton Main Line and Thameslink north of Brighton...
. It is 1141 yards long.
History
The tunnel was constructed by the London and Brighton RailwayLondon and Brighton Railway
The London and Brighton Railway was a railway company in England which was incorporated in 1837 and survived until 1846. Its railway runs from a junction with the London & Croydon Railway at Norwood - which gives it access from London Bridge, just south of the River Thames in central London...
during 1840-41. The engineer for the line was John Urpeth Rastrick
John Urpeth Rastrick
John Urpeth Rastrick was one of the first English steam locomotive builders. In partnership with James Foster, he formed Foster, Rastrick and Company, the locomotive construction company that built the Stourbridge Lion in 1829 for export to the Delaware and Hudson Railroad in America.-Early...
; the contractor responsible for the brick-lined tunnel is not known.
Ingress of water from the ground above was experienced during the construction of the tunnel, and this has remained a problem throughout its history. Rastrick described the tunnelling as very treacherous, requiring great caution on the part of the miners working it, as "it swells and effloresces as soon as exposed to the air."
Galvanised iron sheets were fitted to prevent the water falling on passengers in open carriages, but the blast from the steam locomotives and air pressure created by the passage of trains could result in the metal sheets being torn from the structure, creating a serious hazard. Thereafter drivers were warned about the hazard presented by hanging icicles.
The "railway murderer" Percy Lefroy Mapleton
Percy Lefroy Mapleton
Percy Lefroy Mapleton , a journalist, was the British "railway murderer" of 1881...
left the body of his victim in Balcombe tunnel in 1881.
In July 1903 plans were finalised for the boring of a second Balcombe tunnel as part of the scheme to quadruple the Brighton Main Line
Brighton Main Line
The Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...
throughout, but these were never implemented.
In 2007 catchment trays were fitted under the tunnel's ventilation shafts to divert seeping ground water from the shafts into the track drainage system. The trays consisted of steel decking, gutters and flashings which were installed under limited track possessions.
Views
North portal - see http://www.safeguardeurope.com/case_studies/tunnel_waterproofing_balcombe.phpAerial view - see http://wikimapia.org/7962596/Balcombe-Tunnel