History and development Thames Tunnel

1 history , development

1.1 construction

1.1.1 1828
1.1.2 re-opening


1.2 pedestrian usage
1.3 use railway tunnel
1.4 influence

history , development
construction

inside thames tunnel during construction, 1830

at start of 19th century, there pressing need new land connection between north , south banks of thames link expanding docks on each side of river. engineer ralph dodd tried, failed, build tunnel between gravesend , tilbury in 1799.

in 1805–09 group of cornish miners, including richard trevithick, tried dig tunnel farther upriver between rotherhithe , wapping/limehouse failed because of difficult conditions of ground. cornish miners used hard rock , did not modify methods soft clay , quicksand. thames archway project abandoned after initial pilot tunnel (a driftway ) flooded twice when 1,000 feet (305 m) of total of 1,200 feet (366 m) had been dug. measured 2–3 feet 5 feet (61–91 cm 1.5 m), , intended drain larger tunnel passenger use. failure of thames archway project led engineers conclude underground tunnel impracticable .

however, anglo-french engineer marc brunel refused accept conclusion. in 1814 proposed emperor alexander of russia plan build tunnel under river neva in st petersburg. scheme turned down (a bridge built instead) brunel continued develop ideas new methods of tunnelling.

brunel patented tunnelling shield, revolutionary advance in tunnelling technology, in january 1818. in 1823 brunel produced plan tunnel between rotherhithe , wapping, dug using new shield. financing found private investors, including duke of wellington, , thames tunnel company formed in 1824, project beginning in february 1825.

the first step construction of large shaft on south bank @ rotherhithe, 150 feet (46 m) river bank. dug assembling iron ring 50 feet (15 m) in diameter above ground. brick wall 40 feet (12 m) high , 3 feet (91 cm) thick built on top of this, powerful steam engine surmounting drive excavation s pumps. whole apparatus estimated weigh 1,000 tons. soil below ring s sharp lower edge removed manually brunel s workers. whole shaft gradually sank under own weight, slicing through soft ground rather enormous pastry cutter. shaft became stuck @ 1 point during sinking pressure of earth around held firmly in position. weight required make continue descent; 50,000 bricks added temporary weights. realised problem caused because shaft s sides parallel; years later when wapping shaft built, wider @ bottom top. non-cylindrical tapering design ensured did not stuck. november 1825 rotherhithe shaft in place , tunnelling work begin.

the tunnelling shield, built @ henry maudslay s lambeth works , assembled in rotherhithe shaft, key brunel s construction of thames tunnel. illustrated london news described how worked:

diagram of tunnelling shield used construct thames tunnel



a scale model of tunnelling shield @ brunel museum @ rotherhithe

the mode in great excavation accomplished means of powerful apparatus termed shield, consisting of twelve great frames, lying close each other many volumes on shelf of book-case, , divided 3 stages or stories, presenting 36 chambers of cells, each 1 workman, , open rear, closed in front moveable boards. front placed against earth removed, , workman, having removed 1 board, excavated earth behind depth directed, , placed board against new surface exposed. board in advance of cell, , kept in place props; , having proceeded boards, each cell advanced 2 screws, 1 @ head , other @ foot, which, resting against finished brickwork , turned, impelled forward vacant space. other set of divisions advanced. miners worked @ 1 end of cell, bricklayers formed @ other top, sides , bottom.

each of twelve frames of shield weighed on 7 tons. key innovation of tunnelling shield support unlined ground in front , around reduce risk of collapses. however, many workers, including brunel himself, fell ill poor conditions caused filthy sewage-laden water seeping through river above. sewage gave off methane gas ignited miner s oil lamps. when resident engineer, john armstrong of ingram northumberland , fell ill in april 1826 marc s son isambard kingdom brunel took on @ age of 20.

work slow, progressing @ 8–12 feet week (3–4 m). earn income tunnel, company directors allowed sightseers view shield in operation. charged shilling adventure , estimated 600–800 visitors took advantage of opportunity every day.

the excavation hazardous. tunnel flooded on 18 may 1827 after 549 feet (167 m) had been dug. isambard kingdom brunel lowered diving bell boat repair hole @ bottom of river, throwing bags filled clay breach in tunnel s roof. following repairs , drainage of tunnel, held banquet inside it.

1828

the tunnel flooded again following year, on 12 january 1828, when 6 men died. isambard extremely lucky survive this; 6 men had made way main stairwell, emergency exit known locked. isambard instead made locked exit. contractor named beamish heard him there , broke door down, , unconscious isambard pulled out , revived. sent brislington, near bristol, recuperate; there heard competition build became clifton suspension bridge.

financial problems followed, leading in august tunnel being walled off behind shield , abandoned 7 years.

re-opening

in december 1834 marc brunel succeeded in raising enough money (including loan of £247,000 treasury) continue construction.

starting in august 1835 old rusted shield dismantled , removed. march 1836 new shield, improved , heavier, assembled in place , boring resumed.

impeded further floods, (23 august , 3 november 1837, 20 march 1838, 3 april 1840) fires , leaks of methane , hydrogen sulphide gas, remainder of tunnelling completed in november 1841, after 5 , half years. extensive delays , repeated flooding made tunnel butt of metropolitan humour:

cutaway illustration of thames tunnel excavation around 1840

good monsieur brunel

let misanthropy tell

that work, half complete, begun ill;

heed them not, bore away

through gravel , clay,

nor doubt success of tunnel.

that mishap,

when thames forced gap,

and made fit haunt otter,

has proved scheme

is no catchpenny dream;—

they can t twill never hold water.

the thames tunnel fitted out lighting, roadways , spiral staircases during 1841–1842. engine house on rotherhithe side, houses brunel museum, constructed house machinery draining tunnel. tunnel opened public on 25 march 1843.

pedestrian usage

although triumph of civil engineering, thames tunnel not financial success. had cost £454,000 dig , £180,000 fit out – far exceeding initial cost estimates. proposals extend entrance accommodate wheeled vehicles failed owing cost, , used pedestrians. became major tourist attraction, attracting 2 million people year, each paying penny pass through, , became subject of popular songs. american traveller william allen drew commented no 1 goes london without visiting tunnel , described eighth wonder of world . when saw himself in 1851, pronounced himself disappointed in still left vivid description of interior, more underground marketplace transport artery:

entrance shaft thames tunnel

amongst blocks of buildings [in wapping] separate street river, notice octagonal edifice of marble. enter 1 of several great doors, , find ourselves in rotunda of fifty feet diameter, , floor laid in mosaic work of blue , white marble. walls stuccoed, around stands sale of papers, pamphlets, books, confectioners, beer, &c. sort of watch-house stands on side of rotunda next river, in fat publican, or tax gatherer. before him brass turnstile, through permitted pass, on paying him penny, and, entering door, begin descend shaft, flight of long marble steps descend wide platform, next series of steps descends in opposite direction. walls of shaft circular, finished in stucco, , hung paintings , other curious objects. halt few moments on first platform , listen notes of huge organ occupies part of it, discoursing excellent music.

you resume downward journey till reach next story, or marble platform, find other objects of curiosity engage attention whilst stop rest. , go down – down – bottom of shaft eighty feet; walls meanwhile, being studded pictures, statues, or figures in plaster, &c. arrived @ bottom, find in rotunda corresponding entered street, round room, marble floor, fifty feet in diameter. there alcoves near walls in sorts of contrivances money, egyptian necromancers , fortune-tellers dancing monkeys. room lighted gas, , brilliant.

now thames tunnel before you. consists of 2 beautiful arches, extending opposite side of river. these arches contain each roadsted, fourteen feet wide , twenty-two feet high, , pathways pedestrians, 3 feet wide. tunnel appears ventilated, air seemed neither damp nor close. partition between these arches, running whole length of tunnel, cut transverse arches, leading through 1 roadsted other. there may fifty of them in all, , these finished fancy , toy shops in richest manner – polished marble counters, tapestry linings gilded shelves, , mirrors make appear double. ladies, in fashionable dresses , smiling faces, wait within , allow no gentleman pass without giving him opportunity purchase pretty thing carry home remembrancer of thames tunnel. arches lighted gas burners, make bright sun; , avenues crowded moving throng of men, women , children, examining structure of tunnel, or inspecting fancy wares, toys, &c., displayed arch-looking girls of these arches ... impossible pass through without purchasing curiosity. of articles labelled – bought in thames tunnel – present thames tunnel .

drew perhaps charitable in view of tunnel, came regarded haunt of prostitutes , tunnel thieves lurked under arches , mugged passers-by. american writer nathaniel hawthorne, writing in 1855, took more negative view of tunnel when visited few years after drew:

it consisted of arched corridor of apparently interminable length, gloomily lighted jets of gas @ regular intervals ... there people spend lives there, seldom or never, presume, seeing daylight, except perhaps little in morning. along extent of corridor, in little alcoves, there stalls of shops, kept principally women, who, approach, seen through dusk offering sale ... multifarious trumpery ... far present use concerned, tunnel entire failure.

use railway tunnel

1870 view of train exiting thames tunnel @ wapping



inside tunnel, 2010

the tunnel purchased in september 1865 east london railway company, consortium of 6 mainline railways sought use tunnel provide rail link goods , passengers between wapping (and later liverpool street) , south london line. tunnel s generous headroom, resulting architects original intention of accommodating horse-drawn carriages, provided sufficient loading gauge trains well.

the line s engineer sir john hawkshaw noted, w. h. barlow, major re-design , completion of isambard brunel s long abandoned clifton suspension bridge @ bristol, completed in 1864.

the first train ran through tunnel on 7 december 1869. in 1884, tunnel s disused construction shaft north of river repurposed serve wapping station.

the east london railway later absorbed london underground, became east london line. continued used goods services late 1962. during underground days, thames tunnel oldest piece of underground s infrastructure.

it planned construct intersection between east london line , jubilee line extension @ canada water tube station. construction require temporary closure of east london line, decided take opportunity perform long-term maintenance on tunnel , in 1995 east london line closed allow construction , maintenance take place. proposed repair method tunnel seal against leaks shotcreting concrete, obliterating original appearance, causing controversy led bitter conflict between london underground wished complete work , cheaply possible , architectural interests wishing preserve tunnel s appearance. architectural interests won grade ii* listing of tunnel on 24 march 1995 (the day london underground had scheduled start of long-term maintenance work).

following agreement leave short section @ 1 end of tunnel untreated, , more sympathetic treatment of rest of tunnel, work went ahead , route reopened – later anticipated – in 1998. tunnel closed again 23 december 2007 permit tracklaying , resignalling east london line extension. extension work resulted in tunnel becoming part of new london overground. after reopening on 27 april 2010, used mainline trains again.

influence

commemorative plaque @ rotherhithe underground station before east london line closed in 2007

the construction of thames tunnel showed indeed possible build underwater tunnels, despite previous scepticism of many engineers. several new underwater tunnels built in uk in following decades: tower subway in london; severn tunnel under river severn; , mersey railway tunnel under river mersey. brunel s tunnelling shield later refined, james henry greathead playing particularly important role in developing technology.

the historic importance of thames tunnel recognised on 24 march 1995, when structure listed grade ii* in recognition of architectural importance. plaque seen above stairs descending rotherhithe platforms before temporary closure. plaque removed safe keeping duration of works, reinstated on tunnel wall , can seen passenger staircase station platforms.

in 1835, italian poet giacomo leopardi parodied construction of thames tunnel in lines 126–129 of poem palinodia al marchese gino capponi .