Steam in its Glory Various Contributors December 2022
Castle class locomotive 7029 Clun Castle emerging from Middle Hill Tunnel with The Merchant Venturer (courtesy Peter Devrell)
Pete Devrell Wrote
As a Railway enthusiast I was pleased to see an excellent photograph in issue No 38 of the Railway workers at Box Station around the turn of the century. I live in Bath and for many years travelled through Box each day on my way to work at Corsham.
Now retired, last week in the course of my hobby I returned to Box to photograph Castle Class Locomotive No 7029 Clun Castle emerging from Middle Hill Tunnel with The Merchant Venturer, a special steam excursion that ran from Solihull to Bristol and back on Tuesday 6th December 2022. I have attached a picture from the video footage that I recorded should you wish to publish it in your next magazine.
As a Railway enthusiast I was pleased to see an excellent photograph in issue No 38 of the Railway workers at Box Station around the turn of the century. I live in Bath and for many years travelled through Box each day on my way to work at Corsham.
Now retired, last week in the course of my hobby I returned to Box to photograph Castle Class Locomotive No 7029 Clun Castle emerging from Middle Hill Tunnel with The Merchant Venturer, a special steam excursion that ran from Solihull to Bristol and back on Tuesday 6th December 2022. I have attached a picture from the video footage that I recorded should you wish to publish it in your next magazine.
Photo courtesy Varian Tye
View of Box Tunnel
This is the view of Box Tunnel that often greets visitors standing on the viewing platform on Box Bridge. The integrity of the tunnel entrance is often compromised by the Millennium Woods and the overgrown embankments of the cutting, despite the efforts of Box Parish Council and Network Rail to keep the vegetation restricted.
This is a very different view to the original image of the Tunnel that greeted visitors.
This is the view of Box Tunnel that often greets visitors standing on the viewing platform on Box Bridge. The integrity of the tunnel entrance is often compromised by the Millennium Woods and the overgrown embankments of the cutting, despite the efforts of Box Parish Council and Network Rail to keep the vegetation restricted.
This is a very different view to the original image of the Tunnel that greeted visitors.
Postcard of Box Tunnel from around the turn of the 20th century (courtesy John Currant)
John Currant Wrote
This looks like a fairly standard photo of Box Tunnel from days past, but the portal to Box Tunnel looked very different in the days of steam trains with no trees obscuring the view. The undergrowth was kept low because of fear of wildfires caused by engine sparks and was regularly scythed to keep the growth low. The area was in regular public use as the flat tops of the railway banks were public allotments (seen black in the postcard) and my father Arthur Currant had a patch of allotment on the right.
This looks like a fairly standard photo of Box Tunnel from days past, but the portal to Box Tunnel looked very different in the days of steam trains with no trees obscuring the view. The undergrowth was kept low because of fear of wildfires caused by engine sparks and was regularly scythed to keep the growth low. The area was in regular public use as the flat tops of the railway banks were public allotments (seen black in the postcard) and my father Arthur Currant had a patch of allotment on the right.