Disley Tunnel
Encyclopedia
Disley Tunnel [UK] was built by the Midland Railway
in 1902 on its line between New Mills South Junction and Manchester Central
, which was more direct than the congested and difficult lines through Stockport Tiviot Dale.
It was the most expensive work on the line and at 2 miles, 346 yards (3,535 m), the second longest tunnel on the Midland system.
By means of a connection on to the old LNWR
line from Buxton
at Hazel Grove
that was opened in 1986, it is now part of the Hope Valley Line
into the present-day Stockport railway station
.
There is also a short (174 yard) Disley Tunnel nearby on the Buxton Line
.
found that with the boom in railway traffic during the last decade of the 19th C, the pressure on railway routes was intense with the volume of passenger and goods traffic increasing. This problem was present in all parts of the UK - though the Midlands, especially the Main Line to Manchester and Liverpool, was particularly crowded. The London and North Western Railway
and the Great Northern Railway
owned the Main Line to Manchester, which meant that the Midland's trains had the lowest priority.
The Midland joined with the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
company to form the Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee
with the intention of building a "new line" that would bypass the main line, and give priority to their own trains, thus speeding up the service. Various routes were tried, including the "Manchester South District Railway Company" from Heaton Mersey to Chorlton-cum-Hardy. However, congestion continued.
, the tunnel runs under High Lane
and Disley
. The New Mills and Heaton Mersey Railway line goes underground where the Middlewood Way (the old Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple Railway
), crosses the line, about 1/4 mile north of the A6 in High Lane
. The tunnel passes under a housing estate, the Macclesfield Canal
, Disley golf course and finally the Peak Forest Canal
, just before emerging at Disley
, meeting the Buxton to Stockport line.
purchased the land above the tunnel in order to sink the shafts - boundary markers made of old rails, with the initials "M.R.", remain along the line of the tunnel.
A surface standard gauge contractors line was set up, using steam locos and a "steam navvy", following the subterranean path of the tunnel.
into the area. They were housed in temporary villages at New Mills and Wybersley, and in specially-built houses near the Rising Sun pub in Hazel Grove, which still exist, and are known as the "Navvy Mansions". A church made of tin was erected at Wybersley, where the Midland Railway had a local administration office. Three hundred of the navvies' children attended the local schools.
The line was fast, with trains reaching 100mph along the track. In 1959 a train recorder timed a Britannia Class
train, the Iron Duke (No 70014), doing 89 mph between Cheadle Heath and Didsbury.
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
in 1902 on its line between New Mills South Junction and Manchester Central
Manchester Central railway station
Manchester Central railway station is a former railway station in Manchester City Centre, England. One of Manchester's main railway terminals between 1880 and 1969, it now houses an exhibition and conference centre named Manchester Central.-History:...
, which was more direct than the congested and difficult lines through Stockport Tiviot Dale.
It was the most expensive work on the line and at 2 miles, 346 yards (3,535 m), the second longest tunnel on the Midland system.
By means of a connection on to the old LNWR
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
line from Buxton
Buxton railway station
Buxton railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Buxton in Derbyshire. It is managed and served by Northern Rail. The station is 25¾ miles south east of Manchester Piccadilly and is the terminus of the Buxton Line.-History:...
at Hazel Grove
Hazel Grove railway station
Hazel Grove railway station is on the Stockport to Buxton / Sheffield line, serving the village of Hazel Grove, Greater Manchester, England. It was built for the Stockport, Disley and Whaley Bridge Railway by the London and North Western Railway and opened on 9 June 1857...
that was opened in 1986, it is now part of the Hope Valley Line
Hope Valley Line
The Hope Valley Line is a railway line in England linking Sheffield with Manchester. It was completed in 1894.From Sheffield, trains head down the Midland Main Line to Dore, where the Hope Valley Line branches off to run through the Totley Tunnel .It emerges in the stunning scenery of the Hope...
into the present-day Stockport railway station
Stockport railway station
Stockport railway station is in Greater Manchester, England, 8 miles south-east of Manchester Piccadilly station on the West Coast Main Line from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston. It was opened on 15 February 1843 by the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, following completion of the large...
.
There is also a short (174 yard) Disley Tunnel nearby on the Buxton Line
Buxton Line
The Buxton Line is a railway line in northern England, connecting Manchester with Buxton in Derbyshire. Passenger services on the line are currently operated by Northern Rail and most continue through Manchester from Blackpool North.-History:...
.
The "new line"
The Midland RailwayMidland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
found that with the boom in railway traffic during the last decade of the 19th C, the pressure on railway routes was intense with the volume of passenger and goods traffic increasing. This problem was present in all parts of the UK - though the Midlands, especially the Main Line to Manchester and Liverpool, was particularly crowded. The London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
and the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
owned the Main Line to Manchester, which meant that the Midland's trains had the lowest priority.
The Midland joined with the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was formed by amalgamation in 1847. The MS&LR changed its name to the Great Central Railway in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension.-Origin:...
company to form the Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee
Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee
The Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1869 as a joint venture between the Midland Railway and the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway.-Origins:...
with the intention of building a "new line" that would bypass the main line, and give priority to their own trains, thus speeding up the service. Various routes were tried, including the "Manchester South District Railway Company" from Heaton Mersey to Chorlton-cum-Hardy. However, congestion continued.
New Mills and Heaton Mersey Railway
To relieve the congestion through Stockport Tiviot Dale a new line, to be called the "New Mills and Heaton Mersey Railway", was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1898. The plan was to create a railway line that would take four tracks, and most bridges and cuttings were constructed with this width in mind.Location
Despite being named after DisleyDisley
Disley is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located on the very edge of the Peak District, in the Goyt Valley, very close to the county boundary with Derbyshire at New Mills, and south of Stockport, Greater...
, the tunnel runs under High Lane
High Lane
High Lane is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. Historically within Cheshire, it is five miles from Stockport, on the Macclesfield Canal. It has a population of 5852.-Governance:...
and Disley
Disley
Disley is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located on the very edge of the Peak District, in the Goyt Valley, very close to the county boundary with Derbyshire at New Mills, and south of Stockport, Greater...
. The New Mills and Heaton Mersey Railway line goes underground where the Middlewood Way (the old Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple Railway
Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple Railway
The Macclesfield, Bollington and Marple Railway was a railway line, 16 km long, linking Macclesfield with Marple in east Cheshire, England, opened in 1869 by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway and the North Staffordshire Railway , as a part of an alternative link between...
), crosses the line, about 1/4 mile north of the A6 in High Lane
High Lane
High Lane is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. Historically within Cheshire, it is five miles from Stockport, on the Macclesfield Canal. It has a population of 5852.-Governance:...
. The tunnel passes under a housing estate, the Macclesfield Canal
Macclesfield Canal
The Macclesfield Canal is a canal in east Cheshire, England, one of the six that make up the Cheshire Ring.-Route:The canal runs from Marple Junction at Marple, where it joins the Upper Peak Forest Canal, , southwards , before arriving at Bosley.Having descended the 12 Bosley Locks over the course...
, Disley golf course and finally the Peak Forest Canal
Peak Forest Canal
The Peak Forest Canal, is a narrow locked artificial waterway in northern England. It is long and forms part of the connected English/Welsh inland waterway network.-General description:...
, just before emerging at Disley
Disley
Disley is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located on the very edge of the Peak District, in the Goyt Valley, very close to the county boundary with Derbyshire at New Mills, and south of Stockport, Greater...
, meeting the Buxton to Stockport line.
Construction
The construction method used was to drive the tunnel bore from both ends, while also sinking 11 shafts from the top of the hill along the path of the railway. Work began in 1900, and the miners worked both directions from each shaft, which allowed 24 simultaneous working faces. Ten of the shafts were later used for ventilation, and are still in use - they are visible as large blue brick towers following the line of the tunnel. The Midland RailwayMidland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
purchased the land above the tunnel in order to sink the shafts - boundary markers made of old rails, with the initials "M.R.", remain along the line of the tunnel.
A surface standard gauge contractors line was set up, using steam locos and a "steam navvy", following the subterranean path of the tunnel.
The navvies
The construction of the tunnel brought a small army of navviesNavvy
Navvy is a shorter form of navigator or navigational engineer and is particularly applied to describe the manual labourers working on major civil engineering projects...
into the area. They were housed in temporary villages at New Mills and Wybersley, and in specially-built houses near the Rising Sun pub in Hazel Grove, which still exist, and are known as the "Navvy Mansions". A church made of tin was erected at Wybersley, where the Midland Railway had a local administration office. Three hundred of the navvies' children attended the local schools.
Operation
The first section of the line opened in 1901 from Heaton Mersey to Cheadle Heath where a large station was built to serve Stockport. The second section from Cheadle Heath to New Mills South Junction opened to passenger traffic on July 1st 1902. A local passenger station at Hazel Grove (South) was constructed, but this closed in 1917 as the main purpose of the line was express trains.The line was fast, with trains reaching 100mph along the track. In 1959 a train recorder timed a Britannia Class
BR standard class 7
The BR Standard Class 7, otherwise known as the Britannia Class, is a class of 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive designed by Robert Riddles for use by British Railways for mixed traffic duties. Fifty-five were constructed between 1951 and 1954. The design was a result of the 1948 locomotive exchanges...
train, the Iron Duke (No 70014), doing 89 mph between Cheadle Heath and Didsbury.
See also
- Midland RailwayMidland RailwayThe Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
- List of tunnels in the United Kingdom
- Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' CommitteeSheffield and Midland Railway Companies' CommitteeThe Sheffield and Midland Railway Companies' Committee was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1869 as a joint venture between the Midland Railway and the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway.-Origins:...
- Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway
- Hope Valley LineHope Valley LineThe Hope Valley Line is a railway line in England linking Sheffield with Manchester. It was completed in 1894.From Sheffield, trains head down the Midland Main Line to Dore, where the Hope Valley Line branches off to run through the Totley Tunnel .It emerges in the stunning scenery of the Hope...