By connecting communities and facilitating trade, railways tunnels are up there with some of the most important feats of engineering the UK has ever seen. In fact, without railway tunnels, the country’s development would have looked very different and it’s unlikely Great Britain would have gone on to become the industrial and commercial powerhouse that it did.
Some of our railway passages are now centuries old, with the oldest surviving example in the world said to be Fritchley Tunnel in Derbyshire which was built in the late-1700s. But have you ever wondered how these underground passages were constructed hundreds of years ago, long before the arrival of the modern machinery we have today?
If so then you’ve come to the right place as we’ve decided to shed some light on the fascinating history of railway tunnel construction, detailing the ingenious methods used to excavate and remove debris and soil, way before excavators and conveyor belt installations became a thing.
Early Railway Tunnel Construction
With limited tools at their disposal, the construction of railway tunnels was a formidable task. The process involved several key stages, which we’ll cover here to give you an idea of the ingenuity and sheer magnitude of performing such a task back in those days.
Surveying and Planning
Before any digging began, engineers would need to survey the tunnel’s proposed route, taking into account factors such as terrain, geology and the expected volume of traffic. Detailed plans were drawn up to guide the construction.
Excavation
This is where the true hard work would really begin. Manual labour played a central role in tunnel excavation and miners known as “navvies” used pickaxes, shovels and explosives to break through the rock or soil. This was back-breaking work and required an immense level of physical effort from the workers.
Debris Removal
The removal of debris was arguably the most challenging aspect of all. Just imagine how much soil, rock and other debris would be created by digging these tunnels which were sometimes hundreds of metres in length.
These days, a conveyor belt installation will take care of much of the legwork. But back then, with no such systems at their disposal, a lot of the time the navvies would need to manually shovel the excavated material into containers, which were then carried or transported out of the tunnel by labourers.
In other situations, engineers devised clever ways to transport the debris. Horse-drawn carts were utilised wherever possible, as were gravity chutes which allowed the workers to push carts or carriages along a sort of slide, which made things much easier for the labourers.
Debris Removal Innovations
Later on, as technology advanced, steam-powered hoists were introduced to lift debris to the tunnel’s surface – much to the delight of the navvies and labourers, no doubt! These hoists, often located at the entrance, could handle heavier loads and significantly reduce the physical strain on the workers.
Inclined planes were also used whenever tunnels were being built in hilly or mountainous regions. Loaded wagons of debris were hauled up steep inclines by winches or cable systems, before being lowered down the other side.
These methods that were used for debris removal in early days of railway tunnel construction may seem rudimentary by today’s standards, but they were true engineering feats in their day.
Advancements In Technology
As time progressed, technological advancements including the introduction of conveyor belt systems revolutionised tunnel construction, making it more efficient and less labour-intensive.
Today, these conveyor belts are integral to modern tunnel construction, allowing for the continuous removal of excavated material – without the need for horse-drawn carts and wheelbarrows!
Legacy of Early Railway Tunnels
Without the pioneering engineers and hard-working labourers working together to overcome challenging conditions and difficult terrains, our railway system would never become what it did.
The tunnels connecting these vital railway lines helped to keep communities connected and transformed economies by facilitating the transportation of raw materials, goods and people. This newfound accessibility helped trigger an economic boom, fostering trade, spurring urbanisation and in large part helping shape the landscape of today.
So that’s how railway tunnels were constructed before modern technology made things much easier. As you can see, the history of railway tunnel construction is a captivating journey of innovation and determination.
Although those early engineers may not have had the sophisticated machinery we have today, a successful combination of brains and brawn paved the way for the UK to prosper. The legacy of their ingenious solutions lives on in the intricate network of tracks and tunnels, many of which are still in use today.
