Guildford, St Catherine's Tunnel (WPH1 @ 31m 13ch - 31m 19ch) after internal collapse on 23 March 1895
Also known as Sand or St Catherine's Hill Tunnel. An ink drawing showing the aftermath of the collapse. The Board of Trade inspector had expressed concern about the condition of the tunnel, which was driven through sand, when he saw it in August 1849, prior to opening. A few months afterwards, there was a fall of sand which was cleared away. Then, just after midnight on Saturday, 23 March 1895, an empty passenger train from Petersfield to Guildford ran into a mass of bricks and debris fallen from the roof at the north end of the tunnel. The first two coaches piled up and smashed behind the locomotive. There was then a further, larger roof fall which buried the engine and the front part of the leading carriage
ROMA ID: 030685E