Old Tunnels
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trainman74
Engineer
Excited to hear this -- I have a copy of this book, "London's Secret Tubes," and it discusses the Mail Rail (among many others). I might be in London for a couple of days later this year, but it looks like they won't have the Mail Rail open to the public yet at that point; guess I'll have to content myself with the non-secret tubes.
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PerRock
Engineer
It's mainly on the surface but does have a few tunnels, Paris's Abandoned 'Belt Railway'
http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/2012/04/chemin-de-fer-de-petite-ceinture-abandoned-belt-railway-loops-around-paris/
There are a few segments on the line which is still used.
I'm also surprised no one has mentioned (including myself) the Chicago Tunnel Company tunnels:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Tunnel_Company
Someone photographed a tour 'recently' (ie 5-10 years ago) of the tunnels now, but I cannot seem to find the website.
Chicago also has a few streetcar tunnels here & there which are now abandoned. Most aren't really that interesting (going under a few roads, etc) but you can still find their remnants on the surface. You can see one of the 'ramps' here (on washington st, underneath oligive) it isn't much, but that black line in the road is a rubber gasket bordering a concrete pad covering the hole.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.883188,-87.639901,3a,37.5y,219.92h,71.47t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1shIjcIXHog0e4xh_6S40T_A!2e0
And while not RR, but still in the Windy City, there are a vast tunnel network built up outside of the loop for the mob to use during their alcohol smuggling.
Back internationally, and a footnote about the London Postal subway, they are planning on opening up the subway (or part of it) for tourists to ride on.
peter
PS One more: Detroit started construction many moons ago on a subway system. Rumour has it that there are some tunnels & station-like area underneath the city for the subway. But it never got anywhere near completion. The other rumour is that there are some testing/bore tunnels, not ever designed for usage, and nothing else. There are some places where you can see the remains, such as concrete pads where station entrances would have been.
http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/2012/04/chemin-de-fer-de-petite-ceinture-abandoned-belt-railway-loops-around-paris/
There are a few segments on the line which is still used.
I'm also surprised no one has mentioned (including myself) the Chicago Tunnel Company tunnels:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Tunnel_Company
Someone photographed a tour 'recently' (ie 5-10 years ago) of the tunnels now, but I cannot seem to find the website.
Chicago also has a few streetcar tunnels here & there which are now abandoned. Most aren't really that interesting (going under a few roads, etc) but you can still find their remnants on the surface. You can see one of the 'ramps' here (on washington st, underneath oligive) it isn't much, but that black line in the road is a rubber gasket bordering a concrete pad covering the hole.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.883188,-87.639901,3a,37.5y,219.92h,71.47t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1shIjcIXHog0e4xh_6S40T_A!2e0
And while not RR, but still in the Windy City, there are a vast tunnel network built up outside of the loop for the mob to use during their alcohol smuggling.
Back internationally, and a footnote about the London Postal subway, they are planning on opening up the subway (or part of it) for tourists to ride on.
peter
PS One more: Detroit started construction many moons ago on a subway system. Rumour has it that there are some tunnels & station-like area underneath the city for the subway. But it never got anywhere near completion. The other rumour is that there are some testing/bore tunnels, not ever designed for usage, and nothing else. There are some places where you can see the remains, such as concrete pads where station entrances would have been.
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This history of the Hotel New Yorker (still open) includes photos of the tunnel leading between the hotel and Penn Station.
Exploring the Forgotten Art Deco Artifacts of the New Yorker Hotel
Exploring the Forgotten Art Deco Artifacts of the New Yorker Hotel
Very interesting Charlie!
Like lots of people, I've known about the New Yorker but never stayed there or even went inside!
Wonder if they'll ever reopen the tunnel to Penn Station and the subway?
It seems like it would help attract travelers to stay in the hotel that ride the rails to/from Penn Station!
Like lots of people, I've known about the New Yorker but never stayed there or even went inside!
Wonder if they'll ever reopen the tunnel to Penn Station and the subway?
It seems like it would help attract travelers to stay in the hotel that ride the rails to/from Penn Station!
The photographs on that page are everything. Soooooo much art deco... sooooo much fashion...
I think I saved just about every one of them.
NorthShore
Conductor
The streetcar tunnels were three or four (total) under the river.
Who are you? Geraldo?
What existed (and to some limited extent still exists here and there) were vaults in the sidewalks with elevators for product delivery (sometimes alcohol, sometime other products.) While there may be passageway connecting up a building or two from particular vaults, the idea that they were covert liquor running passages or any sort of extensively connected network is an overblown, romanticized idea.
