Severn Tunnel approaches: Why does the...

[James]

...up line coming out of the tunnel end up on an embankment high above the down line before levelling out at Cattybrook brick works? The up Patchway tunnel is on a lower level to provide an easier climb away from the Severn, but this would appear to be cancelled out by the extra height of the preceding embankment. Any ideas?

[mastermuddle]

If you were shovelling the coal you would not be bothered about the embankments I expect the engineers had it worked out.It is a brilliant piece of enginerring.

[jolly47roger]

What is now the down line was originally a branch to New Passage. It had a short steep gradient. With the Severn Tunnel, the up line was built with a shallower gradient that started nearer the river (hence the embankment) and finished nearer Patchway (hence the lower tunnel)

[Hobbler]

I am not sure if it should be described as a branch as I think it actually formed part of the main line route from London to South Wales with the ferry from New Passage to Portskewett connecting the railway sections prior to the construction of the tunnel.

[James]

What is now the down line was originally a branch to New Passage. It had a short steep gradient. With the Severn Tunnel, the up line was built with a shallower gradient that started nearer the river (hence the embankment) and finished nearer Patchway (hence the lower tunnel)

Makes sense. Thanks for the reply.

[jules]

There was also a short branch to the Severn Tunnel pumping station?

When the Tunnel opened, the original main line to New Passage was retained to serve the pump house, I believe.

When this line was extended to Severn Beach (ie via Pilning Low Level) I think the connection to the pumping station branch was altered to join the extended line from the opposite direction.

I'm away from my books at the moment so am working from memory only here ... Both my grandfather (Tom Cannard) and one of my great uncles were platelayers/gangers in the Severn Tunnel and at Pilning.

My grandfather did 45 years down the tunnel and I have his gold watch to prove it!

[Hobbler]

When built to serve the ferry I believe there was a terminal station roughly next to the New Passage Hotel . I did find what appeared to be the pit for a turntable in the undergrowth by the hotel car park many years ago .

As construction proceeded on the tunnel I think a siding to serve the pumping station was put in which branched off the line to the ferry near the site that was later used for New Passage Halt . When the tunnel opened the section of the line to the pier was lifted and part of the siding became part of the line into Severn Beach . I am not entirely sure but I think the siding access direction from the through line to Severn Beach was then changed to give access from the Avonmouth direction.

I do remember walking down the siding from the Severn Beach line to the pumping station probably in 1958 and there was a GWR clerestory coach stood in a field alongside the line in use as a residence.