m3henry wrote:Dave Worley wrote:There's a huge network around Dudley with tunnels over 2 miles long in places.
I wondered if that would come up,
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
and one of those tunnels is shut because it is too small/not enough ventilation
"... one of ..."?
Excuse me?
To whom are you speaking? I know a lot more about the Midlands and its transport history than you, Henry.
I was fully aware that
many of (not "one of") the tunnels on the network are closed because of non-navigable water, but that does not mean that at one or another time that did not exist for the purpose of moving traffic.
Please don't try to patronise me - I don't enter these discussions like an exicted 14 year old Emo with limited knowledge - I know what I am talking about. Thank you.
EDIT: When I was about 7, I went on a Santa Special boat that sets off from a small boathouse in Dudley, into the tunnel, out at Tunnel Junction (a large expanse of water in what can only be described as a man made gorge) with five tunnels. Two of these were non-navigable. One tunnel had visibly caved in, whilst the other had been boarded up. There was an urban legend that I have read in some local history books that the caved-in tunnel was abandoned with valuable goods left stranded inside. The local "yoof" have since tried to get in - it's actually quite a trip, and wouldn't be easy - luckily the canal water hasn't been too deep when they've fallen in. Dickheads.
Anyway, there were often huge caverns underground, and even coalfaces. Remember that the coal in The Black Country was so abundant it actually laid on the surface and turned the soil black, so you wouldn't have to go very deep to get good coal, and the goods were brought out on coal barges.
Anyway, I digress, this Santa Special went into one of two parallel tunnels, stopped at an underground quay, reversed along a short link tunnel to the other parallel tunnel, stopped for Santa to hand over his presents at a man-made "hole-in-the-wall" (actually a huge coalface), then slipped back out of the tunnel at Tunnel Junction.
Fascinating stuff. Proof that being patronising doesn't work.