Anyone been inside? I'm looking for confirmation that the drain from the stream at the blaenrhondda end is a viable way in or if I need climbing gear to descend the airshaft...
Spar
BlackMountainSite Forum » Tunnels
Rhondda tunnel
(44 posts)-
Posted 2 years ago #
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Would definitely be interesting to have this confirmed. To be honest, I think the airshaft might actually be a better option if we have the right gear, though it'll definitely take balls of steel to attempt either way in!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Personally I think the drain is a myth. If it was possible I'm sure it would have been reported on sites such as 28dayslater. I know photos of the drain have been on there but someone would have done it if it was viable.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I've found an old OS map showing the tunnel portal, and I think it's possible the drain does reach back into the tunnel, but by my estimates it would have to go through nearly a 90 degree bend and be about 250m long. Dark places has the photos of the drain (external end and inside the tunnel) here:
http://www.darkplaces.co.uk/phpBB2/album_page.php?pic_id=10076
And here is the old map of the area:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thereggy/3258467678/sizes/l/
We have visited the location of the tunnel and we have seen the drain, it's definitely there.
Posted 2 years ago # -
The drain is not a myth. I recently was in the tunnel and the drain at the foot of the Portal mouth,does indeed run for about 200-250m down to the stream,under the infilled cutting,to take away access water build ups from out of the tunnel.There was only a trickle flowing down out of the tunnel,which was surprising,considering the amount of water ingress coming through the tunnel walls at the Northern end.The southern end is completely breezeblocked up,with no access shaft to the surface.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Yeah, I recently got confirmation from a chap at dark places about the drain being the only way in; I don't know what happened to the original airshaft. The long drain is intersected by a vertical shaft quite close to the portal, here on google maps:
51.676095,-3.569342
But I understand it's heavily concreted over, otherwise this would be a better way in :(
Posted 1 year ago # -
Yes it has had a hefty chunk of concrete atop it for many years,but now the Powers That Be have put a more conventional steel lid on it.Double padlocked,i might add !
Posted 1 year ago # -
Having read endless speculation and hearsay i can now give a definate update on The Rhondda Tunnel,as i was in just recently.Yes the storm drain/cuvert exists,and as the huge chunk of concrete on the Access shaft prevented entry,this was the only way in. However i fear the new Conventional Metal lid that has been fitted,may not deter the more desperate explorers. One thing i do know,is that the Old Bloke who owns the Paddock in which the Access shaft resides,is keeping his eye on the Double Padlocked Shaft and says that if he see's any damage to it,he is going to get straight on to the relevant authorities.I think he fears a weekend invasion onto his land.You got to respect the guy as he grazes his animals in there.As for the Storm drain,only the brave would have taken on a 250 meter crawl in pretty confined,wet conditions.This is indeed the one that appears on a couple of other forums.Looks like there is a manhole intersecting this about half way from the stream to the portal.As for inside the tunnel,you cant beat it.Plenty to shine the lights on,plenty of water coming in on the northern end but pretty much dries off after 100 meters or so.Some debate is brewing over the South Portal.The Air shaft appears to be only a few meters away from the Breeze blocked portal,which is weird.More like that the Blockwall was built a bit further in,and then infilled.This would correspond with Local folks tales of using approaching trains Steam coming up the air shaft,as a time marker to walk down on to the platform to catch the train.So maybe the true portal is well and truly buried.Maybe we will never know.Anyway,the airshaft is Sealed and filled,untraceable at ground level,but on demolition of it,it appears that the outer walls were simply bashed in and droppd down onto the tunnel floor.There is definatley no access shaft at the Southern end,which may be a suprise,considering the nearby Water culvert/stream which runs down off the hills,was moved over a few meters in connection with landscaping at the Blaenrhondda end when the tunnel was sealed.The only thing of note in this area is a Rusty metal fence post,in the undergrowth,which may or may not be a marker to where the Air shaft once came out.New houses & the road to serve them completley wiped out the Station area and overbridge,but the old road down to the station overbridge is still in situ,used as a footpath.
Posted 1 year ago # -
i was at the rhondda tunnel in 1973. i took photos of the ventilation shaft, outside and inside, and the whole site was still recognisable as a station as the tunnel only shut in 1968. i also took shots of the other end, and everything is remarkably tidy looking, both ends being open(blocked up with steel doors, but doors open) as i was on my motorbike, (B.S.A. A.10. 650) i couldn,t walk through, i wouldn,t on my own anyway.the sole ventilation shaft was almost at the blaengwynfi portal, and was only 58 ft. deep, so it,s a mystery why it was so close. it was probably impacticable to provide others due to the depth of the tunnel. i know the tunnel was very expensive to maintain, as there was always a lot of water penetrating it. the photos are obviously old black and white prints, and as i don,t possess a scanner i can,t post them. i,ll put a few post,s on about other tunnels i visited later on
Posted 1 year ago # -
A few pics of both ends of this tunnel from early 70's have come to light recently,but if you do indeed scan your old pix,it would be great to see them as strangely,there are not all that many pix of this remarkable structure,around.Whilst on this subject,rumours are,that the newly fitted shaft cap at the Eastern end,now has 2 x combination locks fitted.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Good info on this tunnel.
http://www.tunnelsuk.com/site_visits/2010/june/06_s_wales_01/rhondda.htmlPosted 1 year ago # -
In the above link, how did he open the locks ? More to the point, how did he close them afterwards ?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hmmm I was thinking the same. It doesn't say outwardly, but I think he picked them.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I don't know.
If you amble around his site, here for example - http://www.tunnelsuk.com/site_visits/2010/june/06_s_wales_01/s_wales_01_index.html you see that he wrote -
When we got back the landowner was there. He was very good about us piling onto his land (we didn't know it was private, it looks public). He was none too pleased, though, that ( as he thought) we had broken the locks to get in. When he saw we had a key he was a bit more chilled but he does not want hoards of people turning up. He said that the first time the locks get broken he will get onto BRB(R) to have the access permanently sealed... so don't do it have respect for the guy (and borrow a key then go in the dead of night!).
This gives the impression they had a key (or some sort) but also reading the bit before this, that they had to scout about to find the actual locked cover. If someone gave them the key, then you'd think they'd have told them where the locks actually were !
Also, in the 12th picture on the original link posted by crunchbunch, the lock on the left looks damaged but in the very last picture from the set, he says the locks have been all locked up again !?!?
I can't imagine BRB(R) giving out the key willy nilly to anyone who asks seeing as they go to great lenghts to keep people out of tunnels. The only thing I can think of is that they had a skeleton key of some sort which placated the aforementioned landowner who thought they were original keys when the locks were opened (and locked) with no breakages.
Interesting though.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hi there,i am from blaencwm born and bred,from 1970 untill 1979 myself and my friends walked through the tunnel many times every summer every week,scratching our names in the large recess many times,i have always wanted to go back in there,so today i went to the entry shaft where it is padlocked,hoping to unlock them ready for next sunday morning to enter the tunnel once more,30 years after the last time i did so,i was very dissapointed to see that the locks are now a very good quality heavy duty combination locks,i spent 2 hours there with no luck,but did hear good clicking sounds when i was trying to open them,i will be returning this friday afternoon after work with a very knowledgable friend,who is 100% he will crack the codes,fingers crossed for me,if any one wants any stories of my tunnel days(i have many)fact and fictional,in fictional i mean locals always say(even today down the pub)about will the leg??,i have many more,ok hope some one replies,and if there is a few who would like to go in the tunnel just get in touch,and i know the land owner very very well,so there is no problem there,by the way i still live in blaencwm
Posted 1 year ago # -
rossrich92
Best of luck on Friday ! I'm sure there are many on here, myself included, who would like to hear the stories you have - be they fact or fiction - and would literally jump at the chance of seeing it first hand.
It is afterall, the daddy of all Welsh tunnels and has taken on something akin to mythical status since it was infilled at both ends !
Posted 1 year ago # -
Rossrich that's music to my ears, I'm desperate to go in and have a look but what has always kept me away is the fact that it's on someone's land, and I don't like intruding on peoples property. If you know the chap, and can act as a go-between for now, that's brilliant; please let him know I have a few people on the site interested in a visit, and reassure him that we are well equipped to do so (I have access to hard hats, gas testers etc).
I'd much rather it was done that way than just sneaking down there. Good news.Posted 1 year ago # -
Just got back from entry shaft(could not wait untill tomorow)i had no luck with the damn locks,i was on my own though,my mate will be with me friday,when we get the locks open i will relock them ready for the descent down,i will leave you know as soon as we do this(thats if we ever do)where do you live by the way?and just to leave you know,back in the 70s me and my friends used to leave old no6 fag packets up in the centre of the church in the middle with all our names in,and all write little notes,(the church is what we called all the sleepers stacked up in the middle,every one thought they was for safety and that the tunnel was caving in,but we was there outside when they was being stacked,and they were being stored,the reason we named it the church because of the cross you see as you aproach it,at that point our torche had run out,so we was then all linked arm in arm,(that hapened very often)often we walked the whole length with no light at all,singing all the way,any way got loads more to tell,will keep u informed
Posted 1 year ago # -
ross
How long did it used to take you to walk end to end ?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hell of a place for your torch to pack in ross! Stories are all good, they make me want to visit all the more. We're in Porth by the way, and my two friends who'd definitely want to come are in Cwmbran and Pontypool.
Spar
Posted 1 year ago # -
Our times walking the tunnel varied,as we never just walked straight through without stoping,we alays took a break at the large recess to write our names,and always stoped at the church,but i should think the walk will take about 45 mins to an hour??(we shall soon find out again)many times on our arrival at blaengwynfi our voices could be heard by the local boys,so when we all emerged from the tunnel,we would get bricks thrown at us,some of us making a hasty retreat back inside,some of us like myself throwing the stones back up above the entrance,then making a quick dash back inside,but never once do i remember the blaengwyfi kids coming to our side of the tunnel,maybe they did who knows?we as all prepared for it by having piles of railway stones ready on top of the tunnel entrance just incase,but they never appeared when we was around the entrance,and i may add thats where we always was nearly every day for the whole summer hols,because just up to the right hand side of the tunnel was a river,and thats where we built a damn for swimming,so we never heard blaengwynfi voices,just on my break from work now,will be leaving for the entrance hole about 3.30,i am not that confident about those locks though
Posted 1 year ago # -
Waiting for news with bated breath (what does that means:)
Posted 1 year ago # -
No bloody luck,but got another idea up my sleeve,on the same lines,and the same entrance?And what does that mean! crunchbunch??be back off up the tunnel later on today
Posted 1 year ago # -
Good luck with your idea.
Does a JCB or petrol disc cutter come in to it. :)Posted 1 year ago # -
would not dream of doing any damage to lid on entrance hole,i think that would make the brb fill it all with concrete,and then that would be the end of the tunnel for good,was there for 3 hours yesterday,and as u can guess,same story,idea was good but not good enough,back today with 2 more ideas and 2 more friends,i wiil have success with this??,i have also been through the tunnel by train,when i was 3 i may add,but with no memory of the trips through at all,labour club trips to aberavon my mother told me,ok off now will write on here tonight
Posted 1 year ago # -
ok back on here again,and the news is not good,i have given up on the idea now,so just the memories of my trips from the 70s,ok thats it from me,very very sad but at least the 70s will keep me happy
Posted 1 year ago # -
SUCCESS,BEEN DOWN AND THROUGH AT LEAST 3 TIMES EVERY WEEK,SINCE I CRACKED THE COMBINATIONS,NO ONE HAS BEEN ON HERE MUCH SINCE MY LAST POST,WELL BYE ALL,OFF DOWN AT DUSK YET AGAIN
Posted 1 year ago # -
Well, when are we getting our invites????
Posted 1 year ago # -
rossrich, let's get a meet-up sorted out man, this is missing from my life (and website)
Posted 1 year ago # -
Good stuffs and well done.
Posted 1 year ago #
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