# Old Warden Tunnel. Bedford to Hitchin Railway. Jan 10.



## Black Shuck (Jan 20, 2010)

Ok I had a trip to Bedfordshire with Labb who is very much into the Railway side of Dereliction as am I!. The weather was as foul as fould could be as we strolled along the top of the Spoil Heap above the Tunnel made by countless Navvies by the Cut and Cover technique of Tunnelling used back in 1854 when the Tunnel was first Constucted. It opened with much fanfare in early 1857 along with the rest of the line, although it passed through a very Rural part of Bedfordshire, and as a result traffic receipts began to dwindle as a result of poor passenger Usage and the fact the Line had no Industrial Hinterland around it to provide freight either. The Tunnel is a masterpiece of Construction being 882 yards in length and on a slight downwards Gradient of around 1 in 100 towards the South. Labb and I stood admiring the Ovoid shape and the proceeded into the gloom and Void which is Old Warden, heres what we found! Heres the North Portal of Old Warden on the L.M.S.R 

 The Trackbed looking back towards Bedford, overgrown a a tad!

 This is the Southern Portal where there was a large puddle of Orange Gooeyness, hence the fact I didnt venture too close!





 A yellow coloured Refuge. This was Soot Encrusted around the outside, over 40 years since the last Train passed by!



 Looking back at the North Portal from the Midway Point of the Bore!

 A Modern Addition to the Tunnel Wall



 A Totally sooted up Refuge

 Calcification caused by Water Ingress through the Tunnel Brickwork from Above



 Newer Brickwork falling away in the Tunnel when the Blue Engineering Brickwork was totally Sound. Those Victorian Brickies new their Jobs!

 Looking Back down the Trackbed and approach Cutting towards Cardington Station and Bedford!. Thats all from me once again, but I will be back very soon!


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## smileysal (Jan 20, 2010)

Oooooooooh I like this,  Love the difference in the quality of the victorian brickwork, and the shabby brickwork of a few years ago. We'll have to get down there at some point this year. :0

Cheers BS, good pics. 

 Sal


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## mexico75 (Jan 20, 2010)

I love the way they've gone to all the trouble of bricking up and meshing one end and left the other wide open


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## godzilla73 (Jan 20, 2010)

Lovely stuff. My dad used to use this line to go to school in the 50's so I'm off to show him these now. Thanks Shuck!!!


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## Black Shuck (Jan 21, 2010)

smileysal said:


> Oooooooooh I like this,  Love the difference in the quality of the victorian brickwork, and the shabby brickwork of a few years ago. We'll have to get down there at some point this year. :0
> 
> Cheers BS, good pics.
> 
> Sal


Thanks Sal, this one wasnt the longest I have walked but was very good all the same!


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## Black Shuck (Jan 21, 2010)

mexico75 said:


> I love the way they've gone to all the trouble of bricking up and meshing one end and left the other wide open


I know mate! Its supposed to be a Batgrill at the top with a Breeze Block Wall at the bottom, but its got a whacking great hole in it!!!


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## Black Shuck (Jan 21, 2010)

godzilla73 said:


> Lovely stuff. My dad used to use this line to go to school in the 50's so I'm off to show him these now. Thanks Shuck!!!



Thanks Godzilla, hope your Dad likes them! Im hoping to finally break the 1000 yard Tunnel Barrier this year!!! My record at the moment stands at 971 yards.


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## Black Shuck (Jan 21, 2010)

Has anyone out there done Barnsdale Tunnel on the Hull and Barnsley Line.?


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