My wife has just been given a certificate that belonged to her grandfather. This is the certificate that he recieved from Sir Archibald Salvidge and the Mersey Tunnel Joint Committee on the occasion of the two heading tunnels meeting and breaking through to each other in 1928. He also had the medal that was presented to him on the opening of the tunnel, which my wife now has too. Does anybody know any history on these pieces? Were they presented to everyone who worked on the building of the tunnel? Does anybody else have one of these?
I notice that they broke through in 1928,yet it wasn't officially opened until 1934.I realise there was still an awful lot still to do but six years does seem a long time,but perhaps I am judging them by today's standards.
To give an idea of how much more was to be done after the breakthrough.
The breakthrough was in the lower pilot tunnel. There were two of these tunnels, each only 15 x 12 feet. The final diameter of the tunnel was 46 feet. Here's a diagram.
All info. is from the book "The story of the Mersey Tunnel". This was, and probably still is, available from the tunnel HQ at George's Dock.
We went to the Museum of Liverpool yesterday. They have a display with items from the building and opening of the Birkenhead tunnel. They had the same silver medal in the display case along with a bronze/copper one exactly the same. In just a couple of days we've gone from not even knowing they existed to having seen three of them and owning one. Chriskay, yes it is nice to have the certificate that goes with it, it makes it special and personal to me.
There is an interesting article here with apparently shows the original dig of the Liverpool side of the tunnel which was abandoned because of a fault in the rock face, but it doesn't say where. Anyone know where they originally planned the entrance/exit?
"The video shows a short, hidden stretch that at one point was the original path of the Liverpool side of the Queensway tunnel."
The fault is under the Mersey, St George's dock was still the starting point for the pilot tunnels and the re-route didn't affect the planned entrance. Most of the section from St George's dock to the Liverpool entrance was cut and cover up Dale Street.
The railway tunnel had a number of abandoned pilot sections.
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