# Catesby Tunnel Sep 2011



## Newage (Sep 14, 2011)

Hi All

Wanted to do this for a long time, and it just worked out that Fluffy and our mate the Prof all had the same week off work.
So with the car packed off we set, and what a day we had, the tunnel is a real monster.

Catesby tunnel was built in 1897 for the Great Central railway, the south end section was built using the
cut and cover method and further along normal tunneling methods were used.
The tunnel is 2997 yards long and was built to a european loading gauge, hence the overall size. The tunnel falls from south 
to north and has a main drain system running along the middle, these drains are OPEN and a steady stream of water can be
seen flowing. The Tunnel closed down to rail traffic in September 1966.

The North end of the tunnel is flooded to about 2 feet, but we still managed to spend 4 hours in there.

Anyway enough babble on with a few pictures.

Fluffy and the Prof standing under one of the air vent shafts.












This is one of two track gangers rooms about half way in to the tunnel.






Trying to find a way to light the tunnel is a real problem, the better pictures come from the north end
where there is more colour on the walls and floor. The vent shafts pose a real problem. Thanks to the Prof
for some help full hints here.











This is one of the OPEN drain pits, they are about 6 feet long and 2 feet wide and about 5 feet deep, 
but the only good thing is they run down the middle of the tunnel.






This shot is taken from just inside the south portal looking north, the dot of light in the middle is the north
portal.






it`s a lot further away than you think.

Great day guys, there are lots more pictures on my FlickR site so if you just need more tunnel porn
go over to :- http://www.flickr.com/photos/newage2/sets/72157627667673486/
Thanks for looking any and all comments are most welcome.

Cheers Newage


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## krela (Sep 14, 2011)

Newage said:


> This shot is taken from just inside the south portal looking north, the dot of light in the middle is the north
> portal.
> 
> 
> ...



1.7 miles, that's one hell of a tunnel. Lovely shots.


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## Black Shuck (Sep 14, 2011)

Blimey o reilly Newage, that's an absolute monster. This is why I love tunnels so much , make for shuch stunning results. Brilliant work Newage. I shall being partaking under the earth very soon!!


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## Newage (Sep 14, 2011)

*Catesby photography*

Hi Guys

I got to say massive thanks to Fluffy and the Prof for all the help and advice on how to take
better pictures in such a big black under ground space.

With there help I`m now starting to push my Nikon D40 to it`s limits. Wait till Fluffy puts some
of his pictures up.

Cheers Newage


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## Black Shuck (Sep 14, 2011)

Newage son.. what was your ISO and F stop for this, Bulb setting as well?


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## smiler (Sep 14, 2011)

Now that is stunning, loved it, Thanks.


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## TeeJF (Sep 14, 2011)

That's an impressive tunnel!


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## fluffy5518 (Sep 14, 2011)

Bloody Hell mate !! That is without a doubt the best set of piccies i've seen you post !! They are really stunning !! I agree that lighting this tunnel proved to be a real GIT ( it's just so large and dark that it consumes light like, like,.......WELL like a light consuming dark thing !!!) Thank the lord that i had just purchased me new Fenix LD 40 as the old tungstan babies didn't stand a chance !! Here's a few misc shots of mine !!!




















Really was a good day out !!! Bit naffed off that we missed the Half Way Marker stone though !!


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## Black Shuck (Sep 14, 2011)

Fookin brill Fluffster!!, what were your settings on the camera for this?..


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## sYnc_below (Sep 14, 2011)

Tidy....you should have gotten your feet wet with some north portal shots though


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## PaulPowers (Sep 14, 2011)

Nice and may I just say that is a big one


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## urban phantom (Sep 14, 2011)

great stuff thanks


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## Newage (Sep 14, 2011)

*Photo Details*

Hi All

The following is all the info about the pictures in my post taken from the picture EXIF data.
Camera is a Nikon D40 fitted with a Tamron 10-24mm wide angle .


Picture 1- Lens lenght 10mm, Aperture f14, shutter speed 30sec, 400 ASA

Picture 2- Lens lenght 24mm, Aperture f4.5, Shutter speed 30sec, 200 ASA 

Picture 3- Lens lenght 19mm, Aperture f5.6, Shutter speed 15sec, 400 ASA

Picture 4- Lens lenght 24mm, Aperture f5.6, Shutter speed 20sec, 400 ASA 

Picture 5- Lens lenght 24mm, Aperture f4.5, Shutter speed 20sec, 400 ASA

Picture 6- Lens lenght 10mm, Aperture f14, Shutter speed 20sec, 400 ASA

Picture 7- Lens lenght 19mm, Aperture f14, Shutter speed 12.8sec, 400 ASA

Hope this helps, lighting was done with a combination of LED Lenser P7, and hand held flash and Fluffy
lighting the sceen as well in some shots but not all. 

Cheers Newage


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## Black Shuck (Sep 14, 2011)

That's cracking info Newage. How the devil did you intergrate the hand held flash?


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## night crawler (Sep 14, 2011)

Thought I spotted old Fluffy in the first photo, saw them on Flickr lunchtime, still great to look at again. Superb stuff guy's


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## Newage (Sep 14, 2011)

*Hand held*

poke and hope :-o

Used the test button, and fired the flash gun 3 or 4 times top, bottom, left and right then fill
the distance with my P7 LED Lenser.

Cheers Newage


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## phill.d (Sep 14, 2011)

Cracking set of photos fellas here well done. That monster looks a bit of a bugger to light up, those soot blackened ones always seem the worst to illuminate for shots. Did you walk through non stop one way, and how long did it take you? 
I walked Standedge tunnel once, it took me a full flipping hour lol


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## fluffy5518 (Sep 14, 2011)

phill.d said:


> Cracking set of photos fellas here well done. That monster looks a bit of a bugger to light up, those soot blackened ones always seem the worst to illuminate for shots. Did you walk through non stop one way, and how long did it take you?
> I walked Standedge tunnel once, it took me a full flipping hour lol



Blimey !! The tunnel king !!! Thanx for the comment !! It probably would have taken the best part of an hour non stop BUT we were too busy soaking up the atmosphere and half expecting an EE type 4 MONSTER on the up Master Cutler !!!


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## godzilla73 (Sep 14, 2011)

Awesome shots Fluff and Newage. That shot of the Prof and Fluff under the shaft is the kind of thing I'd have above my fireplace (if the two of them weren't in the shot that is) But seriously, this looked amazing. That Tamron lens is really doing the business!!
Godzy


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## fluffy5518 (Sep 14, 2011)

godzilla73 said:


> Awesome shots Fluff and Newage. That shot of the Prof and Fluff under the shaft is the kind of thing I'd have above my fireplace (if the two of them weren't in the shot that is)


 

Dont be silly Godzy that would look rediculous above the eight foot high cast iron and marble mantlepiece complete with alabaster hearth !! I mean you'd have to remove the head of the Alpine Ibex bagged by good ol' uncle Hector and shift the oil painting of Lord and Lady Godzilla (from the blue period !!)
PS Dont think the servants would much care for it either !!


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## godzilla73 (Sep 14, 2011)

Ho, ho, ho. Now people really will get the wrong impression.... Still, looks like it was a good 'un. I'd love to have a go at this one at some point in the future.
GDZ


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## fluffy5518 (Sep 14, 2011)

Godzy !! Youre always more than welcome !!


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## Madaxe (Sep 15, 2011)

What a monster.
Amazing photos guys. This place looks incredible. Good work on the lighting as well.


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## Pincheck (Sep 15, 2011)

nicely done some superb shots well done


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## StanfordYell (Sep 15, 2011)

*My photos (aka the prof)*

Getting the focus correct was the hardest job, my Canon 450D has a flash so switch to automatic mode and press shutter to focus (flash goes mental). Switch lense to manual focus (the lense then stays focused) and switch mode to exposure control and set to something like 15s. I used a 50mm fixed prime 1.8f.


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## godzilla73 (Sep 15, 2011)

Hard times focusing? That sounds like me - did the Fluffster moan at you a lot for not being able to focus? Careful Prof, soon he'll being giving you a hard time for living in Surrey....
GDZ


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## TK421 (Sep 16, 2011)

Top stuff there fellas, having just done my first tunnel I certainly now appreciate how difficult it can be to take any photos, let alone crackers like you have achieved here. Really well done all!


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