The Story of the Thames Tunnel

A brief introduction to the story of the Thames Tunnel, and therefore of the Brunel Museum. Presented by Katie, a museum volunteer.

[@skoodledoo]

I'm a train driver and have driven through it over 10k times since I started. Every single time I'm still in awe at the history and engineering of it. I really want to do a walk through it one day.

[@daimlerfan9498]

After the East London line was discontinued and converted to the Overground I had the opportunity to walk through this tunnel. A fantastic experience. Probably with the constant train service never to be repeated!

[@oasisjuani]

Lovely video. Such an engineering masterpiece. Regards from Argentina!

[@lou626]

ooooh amigo de argentina

[@theviper1999uk]

Excellent documentary, it shows me something I never think about before. What a miracle of engineering. Thank you

[@2H80vids]

Most of what I've seen, or read, about the tunnel was from a railway point-of-view and it's usually described as a bit of a failure, seldom used as a railway tunnel until more modern times. It was nice to hear a different perspective. The original investors must have made 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 of their money back in the early days, when the tunnel was a giant, long circus and a tourist attraction.

[@shawnli4746]

That "volunteer" presenter showed up like a professional content creator in her own right

[@sarac.3259]

Very interesting video. Hope to visit the museum soon. We owe so much to these engineers for their ingenuity and perseverance, working in such dangerous conditions.

[@davidnash41]

Thank you. Fascinating.

[@apl175]

Definitely going to visit the museum on my next trip to London.

[@sergiohenriquedefaria9624]

Brilliant video 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@tedstrikertwa800]

I'm currently reading a very old book on the life and achievements of Isambard Brunel. It covers the building of the Thames Tunnel & Marc Brunel at the beginning of the book. I thought I would check out if there were any videos on KZbin on the subject. Pleasantly surprised!

[@CamdenArtsCentre]

amazing video, love it !

[@stoyanfurdzhev]

In tune with the trousers.

[@shahjhanhaider26]

It's all beautiful ,

[@windwhipped5]

We tried building an underground tunnel here in NYS. Carrying the GVCanal in 1840's..It too caved in but it was never completed..The same canal, 30 miles North, that was abandoned in 1878, consisted of an aquaduct over the Genesee River in Rochester, NY. It was later filled in to hold a city street..Underneath the new street a subway was to be built but it too was never completed..Whether it turns into a tourist attraction remains to be seen..

[@mujibrahman6538]

Thanks for information

[@RuwinduGunatilake]

Legend says that Mr. Brunel led to build the Thames tunnel all because of whiskey from old innisown.

[@jamiehughes8725]

Somewhere i'd like to visit.

[@johnjephcote7636]

The intended ramps for carriage/road traffic were never realised, pedestrians only being doomed to descend by staircases. This set the seal on its original usefulness.

[@garryferrington811]

Britain was in the forefront of technology.

[@Listenerandlearner870]

What is the distance from the tunnel roof to the bottom of the Thames ?

[@davepowell7168]

Good question.

[@Listenerandlearner870]

@@davepowell7168 the Thames isn't very deep at that point.

[@davepowell7168]

@@Listenerandlearner870 The flooding was dealt with by 1000s of cubic ft of material dumped from boats

[@bytheway1031]

Marc Isambard Brunel 🎂 25-04-2023

[@christopher-ke9nj]

God, well it had to happen flooding God rest them

[@YanestraAgain]

This was quite interesting but I miss some facts, like: Does the the tunnel still exist and what is it used for now? What purpose had the shaft and why is it still there?

[@PastPresented]

As the video implies (4:27) the tunnel is now used for trains. It was acquired by the East London Railway company in 1865, after the Metropolitan Railway, opened in 1863, had demonstrated the feasibility of running steam trains in reasonably long tunnels. The shaft originally had the same purpose as a mine shaft, to provide an efficient route from the surface to the excavation depth. The original intention was to provide much larger shafts at each end, containing very long spiral ramps for horse-drawn traffic through the tunnel, but the budget was eaten up by the flooding disasters.

[@ronaldskmyd5304]

Detailed excact history logistic.

[@davepowell7168]

If it was said 'You could cross the Thames river stepping from boat to boat' the tunnel was a bit pointless. The Brunels were only here to avoid the French revolution, crafty guillotine dodgers. Splendid engineers though. 👌

[@johnandersonjjr]

Would’ve been nice to hear some specifications depth, length how far below the river bed how deep is the river etc Is it still there but it’s forbidden to see?wtf?

[@paulsengupta971]

It's not forbidden to see if you're riding on one of the trains which pass through it! 🙂

[@sarac.3259]

Visit the museum and you can find out those things!

[@johnandersonjjr]

@@sarac.3259 that would be quite difficult as I’m in Canada

[@Dranok1]

@@johnandersonjjr And yet Katie Anderson manages to be a volunteer there! Come on, follow your namesake's example

[@BBMalloy]

POV: You're here after Hoziers cover of the Humours of Whiskey ✌️

[@mrgonzo2139]

No I'm here from the dude that burned alive in the bakery factory

[@likklej8]

The Thanes Tunnels neighbour is a different experience You’ve got to have lungs of steel to walk the Rotherhithe Tunnel it was bad enough walking it in the 60/70s! Proof of being a real Londoner they used to say.

[@admiralcraddock464]

I did some work in rhe old Blackwall tunnel and had to walk along the elevated very narrow walkway. That was a scary experience watching out for rhe truck cab mirrors as they flew by at head height.

[@BobMonty99]

She says that she couldn’t achieve anything as women were in those days about the woman in petticoats, but not a word about the people digging, why no women digging there ? Not a thought?

[@jasonchui7256]

The squalid repair temporally introduce because doll cephalometrically sparkle in a steadfast athlete. succinct, rigid danger

[@DadaPoopoo]

Yes. I agree completely.

[@chrisstephens6673]

All very good but were women barred/banned from higher education or just not welcome? Dont want to fill their pretty little heads with pointless knowledge when the children need looking after.😉

[@PastPresented]

Neither of England's early universities, Oxford and Cambridge, allowed women to attend lectures until the 1860s- and decades more passed before they were allowed to receive degrees.

[@JonathanTaylorW]

No, women were banned from attending university

[@chrisstephens6673]

@@JonathanTaylorW a little go ogling suggests women started going to university ( non degree courses) in 1868, with first degrees in 1880.

[@JonathanTaylorW]

@@chrisstephens6673 Great reply mate, do you want to maybe do a little Googling about when the Thames tunnel was opened?

[@chrisstephens6673]

@@JonathanTaylorW why. Is it of interest to you? Personally I can't see the significance but just for your sake I'll take a look, which Thames tunnel are you concerned about there are so many?

[@12_ON_DEPRESSION]

I watched it at school