150th Anniversary of Box Tunnel Eric Hayman and Robert and Patricia Coles, May 2021
The Great Western Railway organised celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Tunnel on 30 June 1991. Eric Hayman and Robert Coles attended the day’s events and these are their memories and photographs, starting with Eric.
I visited Box for the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Tunnel on 30 June 1991 and I was one of the crowd who enjoyed the celebrations, including the open-air play called The Devil’s Device put on in the field above the tunnel’s western end. Thanks to my maternal grandfather I have been a railway enthusiast all my life. Born in 1890, my grandfather was a Victorian, both in body and mind, and for him progress largely ended in 1914. His “Good Old Days” were pre-World War I. Nostalgic for what I had never known, I began by reading everything about the GWR and Brunel. It was only natural that I should have a similar interest in anything else Brunel built – from the Thames Tunnel with his father Marc Brunel (I’ve been on tours through it twice) to the Clifton Suspension Bridge and his three ships. And, of course, Box Tunnel.
30 Jun 1991 InterCity Swallow Class 47834 Fire Fly and cast of A Devil's Device near the Box Station site (courtesy Eric Hayman)
A Devil’s Device
When the Cornish mining engineer Richard Trevithick built the first passenger-carrying steam locomotive in 1801, he called it the Puffing Devil. It carried six passengers for a 1-mile journey and established the principle that steam-power could revolutionise travel. His first railway locomotive to haul a load, Pen-y-Darren, was a real step on the way to railway development. When the play came along in the evening, I wanted to attend as part of the anniversary. I was living in London at the time, and my wife and I stayed at a B & B near Box to make sure we could enjoy the whole event at our leisure. I wanted to photograph the whole day’s events and I decided to shoot in black and white for two reasons: because of the era in which the tunnel was built, and so that I could more readily touch out anyone not in the play before I copied the first print. I was using a medium format camera, which provided finer grain when it came to producing the final results.
When the Cornish mining engineer Richard Trevithick built the first passenger-carrying steam locomotive in 1801, he called it the Puffing Devil. It carried six passengers for a 1-mile journey and established the principle that steam-power could revolutionise travel. His first railway locomotive to haul a load, Pen-y-Darren, was a real step on the way to railway development. When the play came along in the evening, I wanted to attend as part of the anniversary. I was living in London at the time, and my wife and I stayed at a B & B near Box to make sure we could enjoy the whole event at our leisure. I wanted to photograph the whole day’s events and I decided to shoot in black and white for two reasons: because of the era in which the tunnel was built, and so that I could more readily touch out anyone not in the play before I copied the first print. I was using a medium format camera, which provided finer grain when it came to producing the final results.
Above: The cast gathered near the site of Box Station on 30th June 1991 and
Below: Taking a bow at the end of that day’s performance (photographs courtesy Eric Hayman)
Below: Taking a bow at the end of that day’s performance (photographs courtesy Eric Hayman)
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Celebrating the Tunnel Opening
The play wasn’t the only dramatic event on the anniversary and in the evening the GWR put on a magnificent fireworks display, echoing the same event 150 years before. Robert Coles wrote to us about this:
Not living in Box, we learned of the firework display to mark the 150th anniversary of the Tunnel either from a newspaper article or at the Box Revels which that year had a railway theme and what a theme a full size Great Western Pannier Tank from I believe the Severn Valley Railway on a low loader in the pub car park. It was in steam and with frequent blowing of its whistle, a sound not heard in Box for many years, apart from rare steam specials. In the Selwyn Hall was a very large live steam model railway layout run by the friendly and approachable members of the Gauge One Model Railway Association. Outside on the field there were also many stalls and activities quite an amazing event. I was impressed having only heard of the event by chance.
In the evening we stood on the pavement on the A4 bridge. It was a pity that the pavement was on the west of the road as at the crucial moment with fireworks exploding overhead and an HST illuminated by their glow leaving the Tunnel. A Bath-bound bus was fast approaching and I though it unwise to risk my life running across the road. I wish now that I had taken the chance. The photos were taken in the days of film when the ability to work in low light was not as good as in to-day's digital age and colour was out of the question. I did not consider the negatives worthy of printing and were stored in an envelope until they only came to light during the period of lock down which gave time for some sorting out.
The play wasn’t the only dramatic event on the anniversary and in the evening the GWR put on a magnificent fireworks display, echoing the same event 150 years before. Robert Coles wrote to us about this:
Not living in Box, we learned of the firework display to mark the 150th anniversary of the Tunnel either from a newspaper article or at the Box Revels which that year had a railway theme and what a theme a full size Great Western Pannier Tank from I believe the Severn Valley Railway on a low loader in the pub car park. It was in steam and with frequent blowing of its whistle, a sound not heard in Box for many years, apart from rare steam specials. In the Selwyn Hall was a very large live steam model railway layout run by the friendly and approachable members of the Gauge One Model Railway Association. Outside on the field there were also many stalls and activities quite an amazing event. I was impressed having only heard of the event by chance.
In the evening we stood on the pavement on the A4 bridge. It was a pity that the pavement was on the west of the road as at the crucial moment with fireworks exploding overhead and an HST illuminated by their glow leaving the Tunnel. A Bath-bound bus was fast approaching and I though it unwise to risk my life running across the road. I wish now that I had taken the chance. The photos were taken in the days of film when the ability to work in low light was not as good as in to-day's digital age and colour was out of the question. I did not consider the negatives worthy of printing and were stored in an envelope until they only came to light during the period of lock down which gave time for some sorting out.
Do you have any memories of the play or photographs of the events? We would love to hear from you and publish more details if you kindly get in touch with us.