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View Full Version : Archived: Golgotha train tunnel / train graveyard, Shepherdswell Kent, Jan 2010



silverainbow
25-04-2011, 09:19 AM
Visited with Wevsky, SpaceInvader and PaulK

The East Kent Light Railway, opened in 1911, was projected primarily to serve the freight needs of the Kent coalfield, The line from Shepherdswell to Eythorne was to have run across flat land around a small hill, but disagreements with a landowner led to Stephens driving his only tunnel, the 550 yards Golgotha tunnel between those two stations.
This, approached from Shepherdswell via quite a deep cutting, was planned to be a single bore twin-track tunnel, and was equipped with appropriately wide portals, to save on costs only half the chalk was excavated and a single track laid through the opened-out western side of the structure.
The line through this tunnel opened for business in 1912, but was closed in 1987. It has subsequently been re-opened and is now used for trains operated by a railway preservation society based at Shepherdswell.

History courtesy of Subbrit.org

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx330/silverainbow34/Golgotha%20Tunnel/Golgotha006.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx330/silverainbow34/Golgotha%20Tunnel/Golgotha005.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx330/silverainbow34/Golgotha%20Tunnel/Golgotha019.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx330/silverainbow34/Golgotha%20Tunnel/Golgotha017.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx330/silverainbow34/Golgotha%20Tunnel/Golgotha014.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx330/silverainbow34/Golgotha%20Tunnel/Golgotha007.jpg

And some of the trains

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx330/silverainbow34/Golgotha%20Tunnel/Golgotha020.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx330/silverainbow34/Golgotha%20Tunnel/Golgotha022.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx330/silverainbow34/Golgotha%20Tunnel/Golgotha024.jpg

http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx330/silverainbow34/Golgotha%20Tunnel/Golgotha026.jpg

Was a nice little explore, my first one done on a cold crisp night

:o