Worcester & Birmingham, ufn btwn Gas st & Granville St

[john6767]

There looks like a lot less water there then in the previous pictures posted of the tunnel area, so it looks like the leak is in the drained area. Is it fully drained now?

[Ray T]

If the tunnel is still owned / maintained by Network Rail will they be responsible for some of the repair bill?

 

My thinking is that the canal was there before the railway.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Ray T

[Dave_P]

There looks like a lot less water there then in the previous pictures posted of the tunnel area, so it looks like the leak is in the drained area. Is it fully drained now?

There's a bit of water in the bottom.

If the tunnel is still owned / maintained by Network Rail will they be responsible for some of the repair bill?

 

My thinking is that the canal was there before the railway.

Those Johnny-come-lately railway companies, destabilising our canals with their new-fangled contraptions.

[trackman]

If the tunnel is still owned / maintained by Network Rail will they be responsible for some of the repair bill?

 

My thinking is that the canal was there before the railway.

Don't think that is relevant. There would need to be good evidence that the tunnel was in some way affecting the canal and having a causal effect on the breach.

 

More likely the tunnel owner could come after CRT for damage to their asset!

 

Btw, it's unlikely that such a disused tunnel belongs to Network Rail. Such stuff was left with British Rail Residual at privatisation. Bet they've no money anyway!

[Ange]

This to me is CWDF at its best. What a lot I have learned because a tunnel sprang a leak!

 

Thanks you folks,

 

Haggis

Seconded! Dave & I have been following this thread and accompanying links with fascination.

 

Thanks to everyone who's contributed, particularly our "on the spot" reporters.

[Theo]

I'm in not on the spot now until Saturday. I on am looking forward to seeing how much progress is made.

 

N

[Victor Vectis]

Seconded! Dave & I have been following this thread and accompanying links with fascination.

 

Thanks to everyone who's contributed, particularly our "on the spot" reporters.

Yes, wot she said!

 

But to get back to the really important stuff...............

 

Red Wharf had an argument with that poxy lift bridge at Hockley Heath last year. When I got to Brum I pulled up to sort out the tunnel lamp. I had to dismantle the lamp housing, and yes, you've guessed it, and one of the spring clips holding the lamp unit to the rim pinged into the cut. This was exactly in the middle of the drained bit, so................if any one fishes out a spring clip..............its mine!

[Kendal]

I was going to bed at 10:00 for an early start until I started reading this thread, but with the historic map links and Mr D's little 'episode' in the middle I was well and truly hooked. My thanks to all the contributors, please keep us up to speed with developments..............

[Ange]

Yes, wot she said!

 

But to get back to the really important stuff...............

 

Red Wharf had an argument with that poxy lift bridge at Hockley Heath last year. When I got to Brum I pulled up to sort out the tunnel lamp. I had to dismantle the lamp housing, and yes, you've guessed it, and one of the spring clips holding the lamp unit to the rim pinged into the cut. This was exactly in the middle of the drained bit, so................if any one fishes out a spring clip..............its mine!

Wouldn't you just love to put on a pair of wellies and go exploring! Reckon we could set up a very interesting shop with the stuff we fished out.

[Peter X]

It's no good, we have simply got to find out what the mystery electronics box is!

Is there any chance that someone on the spot can hoik it out with a long boathook?

 

It appears to have four round holes on the side, of a size to take something like a TV aerial cable or maybe a DIN plug, and four knobs corresponding to those plus a mystery bonus knob and a small LED or LCD display screen.

The general look of the case is very 1970s to me, but thinking back to the various modems and switching boxes I've seen in computer rooms I think they wouldn't generally have knobs, just switches. Some switching boxes, e.g. for connecting one of two computers to a VDU, would have a single larger knob.

My best guess is it's a crude sound mixer, with four channels fed in, a knob to control how much of each to use, and the bonus knob for some sort of overall control of output volume, going out through a socket on the other side or back of the box.

[Peter X]

As to the legal question of whether the railway tunnel owners are liable for the cost of works to keep their tunnel dry, I'd say they are indeed because if water leaks in that's the result of inadequate tunnel construction. It was up to the tunnel builders to line it well enough, because the canal was there first. The only exception I would envisage is if BW or CRT had done something later to create a problem, such as digging the canal deeper.

 

Similarly I'd expect that if any of London Underground's extensive tunnelling activities were to disturb buildings above they'd be expected to pay for the damage on the same basis. A recent documentary about Crossrail showed them going to great lengths to avoid causing any subsidence above.

[Suzie_q]

It's no good, we have simply got to find out what the mystery electronics box is!

Is there any chance that someone on the spot can hoik it out with a long boathook?

 

It appears to have four round holes on the side, of a size to take something like a TV aerial cable or maybe a DIN plug, and four knobs corresponding to those plus a mystery bonus knob and a small LED or LCD display screen.

The general look of the case is very 1970s to me, but thinking back to the various modems and switching boxes I've seen in computer rooms I think they wouldn't generally have knobs, just switches. Some switching boxes, e.g. for connecting one of two computers to a VDU, would have a single larger knob.

My best guess is it's a crude sound mixer, with four channels fed in, a knob to control how much of each to use, and the bonus knob for some sort of overall control of output volume, going out through a socket on the other side or back of the box.

I said previously I thought it was a mixer,but it reminds me of early effects pedals. Maybe a floor pre-amp for connecting pedals. As you say from about 70s but defiantly more audio than computer I would think.

[madcat]

This is one of most interesting threads , thanks everybody especially our man on the spot.

 

I too would love to go treasure hunting but elf n safety wouldn't be mad keen on that idea I imagine.

 

The "mixer" looks familiar , can't say for certain what and from where. 70's pub rock bands maybe . My memories are somewhat clouded by beer or cider depending on the venue.

 

I wonder who will end up with the bill ? There's a lot of things lurking under the city and not all are known or feature on maps and plans .

 

Paws crossed it's fixed soon.

[RLWP]

Wouldn't you just love to put on a pair of wellies and go exploring! Reckon we could set up a very interesting shop with the stuff we fished out.

 

Where's Aunty Wainwright?

 

Richard

[PaulG]

It's no good, we have simply got to find out what the mystery electronics box is!

Is there any chance that someone on the spot can hoik it out with a long boathook?

 

It appears to have four round holes on the side, of a size to take something like a TV aerial cable or maybe a DIN plug, and four knobs corresponding to those plus a mystery bonus knob and a small LED or LCD display screen.

The general look of the case is very 1970s to me, but thinking back to the various modems and switching boxes I've seen in computer rooms I think they wouldn't generally have knobs, just switches. Some switching boxes, e.g. for connecting one of two computers to a VDU, would have a single larger knob.

My best guess is it's a crude sound mixer, with four channels fed in, a knob to control how much of each to use, and the bonus knob for some sort of overall control of output volume, going out through a socket on the other side or back of the box.

I thought it might be an audio mixer, but it's unusual for these to have connectors on the side.

My best guess at the moment would be that it's a control unit for a set of security cameras

[Victor Vectis]

Wouldn't you just love to put on a pair of wellies and go exploring! Reckon we could set up a very interesting shop with the stuff we fished out.

Please Ange, don't go giving Libby (aka Little Else in this 'ere parish) ideas!

 

[OldGoat]

The sockets in the offending box look to me like those used in professional microphones - whose name I can't recall. Aha good old Google - XLR plugs / sockets. In which case it suggests a mixer or balance unit. XLRs were used for loudspeakers as well with balance transformers - ' 110V' to extend the signal over a long distance. That might account for why the box is large?

 

I'm over 200 miles away - so I can't see the detail well enough.....

 

 

[RLWP]

How about if you stand on a chair?

 

Richard

[PaulG]

The sockets in the offending box look to me like those used in professional microphones - whose name I can't recall. Aha good old Google - XLR plugs / sockets. In which case it suggests a mixer or balance unit. XLRs were used for loudspeakers as well with balance transformers - ' 110V' to extend the signal over a long distance. That might account for why the box is large?

 

I'm over 200 miles away - so I can't see the detail well enough.....

 

 

They could be XLR's, but I don't think it's an audio mixer. It would be every unusual to have sockets in the side of an audio mixer.

It looks like there are red 7-segment led displays in the sloping part of the top. In an audio mixer of this ('70s to '80s) vintage you'd expect to see VU meters.

Intriguing isn't it?

[Sea Dog]

How about if you stand on a chair?

 

Richard

Tickled me!

[haggis]

It couldn't be part of a childs toy, could it ? :-)

 

haggis

[madcat]

I reckon it's a secret device installed by CRT to eavesdrop on boaters who have become radicalised and are plotting a peoples popular front for the waterways.

 

Maybe it's a device dropped by Aliens to monitor boat movements , they will be heading to earth in a spacecraft cunningly disguised as a big Northwich with a pea green cabin.

[Dave-Shrop]

Looks as if the tunnel lining has failed, cast iron curved sections bolted together leaking between joints. The tunnel should be water tight. Cannot see the tunnel was put in after the canal unless the canal was drained. The height of the tunnel roof is at about the same level of the bottom of the canal.

[RLWP]

Looks as if the tunnel lining has failed, cast iron curved sections bolted together leaking between joints. The tunnel should be water tight. Cannot see the tunnel was put in after the canal unless the canal was drained. The height of the tunnel roof is at about the same level of the bottom of the canal.

Well, the canal was built in 1797 and the railway in 1887

 

Richard

[Nightwatch]

Did it start as a pedestrian tunnel or horse and carriage tunnel.

 

Ignore me I don't know what I'm saying.

 

Martyn