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Midway, Midland Railway, 104yds
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Midway tunnel's north portal. The south portal is buried. Nice sofa up for grabs. Midway is 104yds long and was one of two tunnels on the Midland Railway's Swadlincote Loop. Inside looking back from on top of the infill. Midway was the shorter of the two tunnels. The other, Woodville, was 307yds long but is now buried. Turn around from the last pic and this is what you see (That is John Squatting at the top of the infill)
Woodville, Midland Railway, 307yds Swadlincote Tunnel Map
swad_10_200.jpg This is the cutting at the North end of Woodville tunnel. The portal was 50 feet or so below and just in front of the viewpoint. The other end is buried under the grounds of a haulage firm which is on the same level as this photo. The portal would have been about 50yds into their fenced compound but 50ft lower. A source in the haulage firm told us that the ground above the portal regularly subsides and has to be re-filled at ground level! The subsidence suggests the tunnel was, at best, only partially filled and material is seeping in from above leading to subsidence in the haulage yard. We could find no possible manholes along the length of the tunnel.
Mineral Railway Tunnel, Approximately 25yds
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John on his way into the short, mushroom smelling, tunnel under the junction of Stanley Street and Church Street (No. 1 on the Map). Inside the tunnel looking back to the access point! The hole is the only source of fresh air and it was a bit musty down there! This tunnel is barely more than a bridge in reality, though the 1898 OS map clearly identifies it as a tunnel and it is shown on page 25 of the Midland Railway System Maps (Leeds to Leicester, etc, volume).
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The filled in end. Looking back from the top of the inflil towards the entrance. The tunnel is no more than 30yds long. Stalactites and the base of what looks like a road repair above.
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