# Drakelow Tunnels



## bobblehead (Nov 29, 2010)

Can't compete with some of the excellent photos already on here (D-UK etc) but here's a few of mine anyway. Highly recommend a look at this place - it's ACE !


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## King Al (Nov 29, 2010)

Great pics BH! that clock is fantastic


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## fluffy5518 (Nov 29, 2010)

Nice one Bobblehead !!
As the two previous gentlemen have stated it really was an excellent explore !! I managed to get back on Sat for the second time in 7 days and still reckon i would need to visit it another three or four times before i could say that i'd photo'd most of it !!


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## bobblehead (Nov 30, 2010)

*Drakelow*

I really didn't expect it to be as good as it was. I wish I'd gone the week earlier as well. I will definitely be going on the next trip, although I hear that might not be until 2012


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## Derelict-UK (Nov 30, 2010)

bobblehead said:


> although I hear that might not be until 2012



True, but in 2 years time the place may look totally different so will be a good comparison shot between now and then


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## godzilla73 (Dec 1, 2010)

It was a great day out underground. I personally learnt quite a lot (most notably the difference between an RSG and RGHQ, which means I must now re-label my posts about Crowborough) and it was really great to be able to roam around. Big thanks must go to D-UK and all the Drakelow people who made it happen.Here are some of mine - I liked lots of the small details, as you will see....

A peace protestors sign, doubtless confiscated





Another clock (not the main one)





What looked like a very old Apple or Commodore Computer (I'm bound to be wrong on this one!)





An electric handcart





Various bits of electrickery





















The bar!





Various bits of signage









A time office, where the workers clocked in and out when the facility was a shadow factory





And finally, the ubiquitous tunnel shots.....





















And a good day was had by all....
GDZ


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## Derelict-UK (Dec 2, 2010)

Thanks Godzilla!

The computer is a commodore 8096 or 8024 I can't remember.

There were also modem blocks for internet use!


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## krisan (Dec 2, 2010)

what gets me about the clock is that it tells two different times on each side! it confused the hell out of me when i saw it!!!!!


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## godzilla73 (Dec 2, 2010)

Derelict-UK said:


> Thanks Godzilla!
> 
> The computer is a commodore 8096 or 8024 I can't remember.
> 
> There were also modem blocks for internet use!



Yes - that Racal modem/switch set up in the same room looked like it could have been switched on and pressed into service straight way - though it probably only processed a few KB per second! I guess that the RSG must have had its own internal network, as it looked like there had been a server in there as well at some point. Ahh, the early days of networking! Happy times....


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## Foxylady (Dec 2, 2010)

What intrigues me is the sound mixer/editing board. Did it have it's own radio/broadcast system? I don't mean just outside comms, but an internal DJ type radio broadcast, that is...which sort of seems odd in a way, but I suppose could have been for those working there. lol
Good stuff, guys.


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## godzilla73 (Dec 2, 2010)

According to Fluffy (who is the expert here) the WW2 shadow factory had an internal broadcast system that played music and announcements to the workers. This is not surprising really, as the place is the size of a small town, one might have expected it to have a radio station! This was apparently common in the WW2 factories, and our discussion led me to relate the tale of Morrisons in Croydon, (the aircraft factory, not the supermarket) which had its very own orchestra that played to the workers at break and lunchtimes. Anyway, as usual, I digress.....There are lots of pieces of that broadcast system still lying around, such as tannoy horns, which the Fluffster(or others) may have some photos of.
GDZ


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## Badoosh (Dec 2, 2010)

Foxylady said:


> What intrigues me is the sound mixer/editing board. Did it have it's own radio/broadcast system? I don't mean just outside comms, but an internal DJ type radio broadcast, that is...which sort of seems odd in a way, but I suppose could have been for those working there. lol
> Good stuff, guys.



There was a Tannoy system in the shadow factory but not sure whether it was hooked up to this.


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## Foxylady (Dec 2, 2010)

Cheers Godzy and Badoosh. It does make sense...I guess I hadn't fully grasped how huge the place is. lol
Love the story about the orchestra.


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## bobblehead (Dec 4, 2010)

*Drakelow -BBC studio*

There was an internal broadcast system but the BBC radio system was for broadcasting to the outside world once the bomb had gone off. The guy running the tour told us that the equipment in the studio was not actually originally from the RGHQ but was old equipment from Radio Shropshire which had been mocked up by the previous owners of the tunnels. I was a bit disappointed but it makes sense as the rest of the RGHQ was stripped out.


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