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Railway cemetary
Gabor posted a topic in Industrial LocationsThis is the railway cemetary of Hungary, once honored, powerful machines now forgotten in the mud and dirt. Rust in peace!
Railway depot (visited 03/2019)
Andy posted a topic in Anything ElseThe railway depot was built next to the passenger station in the middle of the 19th century. It included workshops for the repair of trains, such as a carpentry and a locksmithing / metalworking. The first building was demolished at the end of the 19th century and has been rebuilt new & larger afterwards. In 1897 it had 12 locomotive stalls in the train shed, there were two turntables and three water cranes in the entire station area. On average, the new railway depot was initially responsible for 50 steam locomotives, in 1914, altogether it had 696 coworkers. Towards the end of the Second World War in 1944, 114 locomotives were based here, but only 18 trains were in operable condition after the war. The maintenance of the railcars remained here until January 1989, then the railway depot was shut down. Currently, there are considerations to demolish it. For the first time I visited the place in 2006, then twice in the following years. However, I never could enter the building, because it was always locked. But after all, on my last visit a few weeks ago the railway depot was accessible. Finally...! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
The highway Hawarden April 2019
Stevepg posted a topic in Manors, Mansions & Residentialhave passed this often and today thought lets have a look; it is a former station masters house on the hawarden Loop; a once thriving goods and passenger depot Well that was a waste of 15 mins I must say!!! still here is my wonderous adventure
Train Graveyard, Kent August 2018
btn_urbex posted a topic in Anything ElseHISTORY Tenterden Town railway station is a heritage railway station on the Kent and East Sussex Railway in Tenterden, Kent, England. When the railway line first opened in 1900, Rolvenden Station was known as "Tenterden". Its name was changed when the line extended north three years later and a station closer to Tenterden was constructed. The new Tenterden Town station opened on 16 March 1903.The line closed for regular passenger services on 4 January 1954 and all traffic in 1961. It reopened on 3 February 1974 under the aegis of the Tenterden Railway Company which bought the line between Tenterden and Bodiam. The station now houses the KESR's Carriage and Wagon works, and the Colonel Stephens Museum is located nearby. EXPLORE So we set out on our explore with a list of places We wanted to check out. After a few not amounting to much and the next couple being total fails, we parked up and regrouped! The Tenterden site had been on my radar for a while (although I couldn't be 100% about it's location) so after a little discussion we decided to take a chance and head out to try and find the Lost Railway and its Train Graveyard. We headed toward the closest point by road, parked up and set off along a short path way. The area was really quiet apart from the odd dog walker. After literally five minutes we knew we were in the right place and could see the abandoned trains hidden amongst the trees. Access was easy literally a small hop over the fence and down the bank, there they were! Its the first time any of us had ever done an explore of this nature and it was amazing... Anyway here are some of the pictures we took throughout the explore. Thanks for reading ?
End Line
Gabor posted a topic in Anything ElseThis place once was a coal mine transportline for train delivery, but since the mine exhausted its left behind to rust away. Just a simple line forgotten. But I liked its mood. Destination: Hungary, Bánk Captures made at 2011.08.28.
Clarborough Railway Tunnel - May 2018
farmer.ned posted a topic in Underground Exploreshi having finished a job fairly nearby it was time to do another one on my to do list that being clarborough railway tunnel. clarborough tunnel was built in 1850 and lies just over 2 miles from retford in nottinghamshire on the branch line of the sheffield to lincoln line which sees an hourly service between the 2 cities and occasional freight trains and is a site of special scientific intrest and houses clarborough nature reserve on top of the tunnel. proposed in 1844 and completed in 1850 by the manchester sheffield and lincoln railway ( MSLR) continues to trent junction where it joins the great northern and great eastern joint railway ( GN&GEJR) from doncaster and continues eastwards to cleethorpes via brigg and in a southerly direction to lincoln where it rejoins the east coast main line south of peterborough there was also a junction at clarborough which ran via torksey to sykes junction continuing on to lincoln and cleethorpes via market rasen this closed in 1959 but reopened in 1967 as far cottham to serve the power station all other freight traveling via gainsborough lea road . now a word of warning to would be explorers..... exploring live railway tunnels is not something to be approached lightly unlike dead tunnels they still have frequent trains running through them most are tucked out of the way and may be difficult to access but the main considerations are safety first dont do anything which would put yourself in danger and always be constantly on the look out for trains and most of all ensure you are not seen as nowadays they delay trains which incurs fines for the operator so BTP will not be sympathetic if you get caught and you may find yourself in front of the magistrate. that said clarborough tunnel is accessed fom church lane following the road for around a mile untill i found the line at cherry holt crossing on whinleys road a continuation of church lane my goal clarborough tunnel was around a quarter mile further on but not fancying playing dodge the train i parked the car at the locked crossing gates and set off on foot uphill again to find a way to the tunnel. passing cherry holt farm i attracted the attention of a rather loud doberman dog who proceded to follow me up the farmers field barking loudly being glad there was a large fence between myself and it walked in to the wood and nature reserve. following the main path through the wood i gained the nature reserve and found the ventilation shaft for the tunnel continuing on the right hand path found myself at the top of the east portal of clarborough tunnel. the next qustion was how to get down to it with a very steep bank and bushes after much probing found a gap and had to slide down the steep bank on my arse using my boots and grass as a brake eventually reaching the bottom and ensuring nothing was lurking walked towards the tunnel. an aproaching train caused me to take cover behind a retaining wall after which i spent around 20 mins photographing and deciding the best way out. not really fancying a 650 yard walk through the tunnel then a quarter mile to the crossing and not having a timetable it had to be the same way i got in but this time up the side of the tunnel bank and across the tunnel top and after much climbing got over the fence and rolled myself a fag while i regained my composure returning back through the reserve picked up a big stick lest my 4 legged friend should be around and find a way through the fence at least i,d got something to brain it with. there was no sign of the dog and thought it had gone in for its tea untill a large shape rounded the corner barking furiously yes my friend was back and continued to follow me down the field to much barking. leaving my walking stick at the crossing for someone else to use managed to grab a couple of train pictures to add to my report and another explore crossed off the list. cherry holt crossing the adventure starts here.... clarborough tunnel in the distance the signs warn engineers they are entering a site of scientific intrest and must obtain special permission to work here. the crossing access board clarborough tunnel ventilation shaft looking down from the top of the tunnel looking towards lincoln i came down the steep bank on my arse on the left first view of clarborough tunnel,s east portal from the embankment trackside safety first from here on in lantern repeater signal TN 835 (thrumpton) stands guard in the clear position at the tunnel portal clarboroughs tunnel board some nice beams in the tunnel roof that extend right through the tunnel which can be seen as they disapear into the darkness a tunnel marker looking outside the tunnel is quite wet in places a brick reccess and signal cable my reccess was cut in with a steel lintel above it blast on the roof from its steam days climbing back up the bank the top capping stones and brickwork a broken drain pipe looking down the banking at the track as a northern railbus scoots into the tunnel another view of the capping stones clarborough nature reserve is right on top of clarborough tunnel and extends the full length of the tunnel back at the crossing as 66740 and 017 top and tail a coal train from cottham power staion out of the tunnel came across these on my way back up church lane think they are something to do with the fun day ...beautifull babs windsor wallace and grommit love this one british strawberries and cream
The Post Office Railway (Mail Rail) - London - 2015
Maniac posted a topic in Anything ElseThis was another one of those what the fuck just happened moments in my life. So I was on my way back from (not so) sunny South Wales with @The_Raw @extreme_ironing and @sentinel after visiting @Lenston when I got a call from a very excited @Frosty. "Mail Rail is doable." I know by now if he says something is possible then he's normally right. We had looked at ways into the network on many many occasions, each time being thwarted at the 11th hour by something so this was high on our list and deserved all our attention. Initially like a fool I passed on this trip. Well I was supposed to be at work early the next day and I was, for want of a better word, fucked. An enthusiastic night out drinking the night before had definitely taken it's toll. However on my home to sunny(er) Kent after dropping some people off in London, I realised what an immense idiot I was being and 4 hours later found myself back where I had just been with the people I had just been with (minus @sentinel who was sleeping off his weekend) emerging into the gloomy depths of the abandoned tunnels. It was an insane day. The Post office Railway (or Mail rail as it became known) is for many considered the 'holy grail' of exploration, especially in London. I can understand why, you've got an entire abandoned miniature underground railway complete with stations, rolling stock, miles of tunnel and the powers still on. It's pretty cool. You can walk for miles under London's streets and not really know where you are and it's also not that easy to access. It was constructed in the early part of the 20th century to link together some of the main London sorting offices and alleviate delays that occurred in moving mail around London on the surface. Construction started in 1915, but was suspended just over a year later due to labour shortages. The line was eventually completed and became available for use during 1927 and was in service from February 1928 onward. I could go into the detailed history of the railway and it's design, but I'd be writing for ages and there's plenty online about it if you want to do some research. Needless to say that by the early 2000's the system was in need of major investment to keep it working efficiently and now only had 3 stations out of the original 7 due to relocation of the sorting offices above. In 2003 the railway was officially mothballed, but has more-or-less been totally abandoned. It would take a significant injection of cash to even think about bringing it back into service and there wouldn't be much point as there's now only 2 live sorting offices located on the route, pity. In October 2013 the British postal museum announced plans to open part of the network to the public and indeed this is pressing ahead. In the coming years it will be possible to visit the station and workshops at Mount Pleasant and (apparently) go on a short train ride round one of the loops. I'm actually pleased at least part of the system is being preserved because it is a unique place and deserves it's place in history. I just hope they do a good job and don't make it too gimmicky. What you see here is only a small section of the line from Rathbone place to Mount Pleasant. I needed to get home so I left after we reached Mount Pleasant. Regretted it ever since because try thou we might we've not managed to get back in, but we have got oh so close (oh you have no idea!) So on with some photos. It won't be anything you've not seen before, but here is my take on the Post Office Railway. Rathbone station is now a tad damp because of the building work going on above it. Typical tunnel section twin tracks Before the stations, the twin tracks break into two smaller tunnels and split apart to go either side of the platform. This was actually an abandoned tunnel to the original western district office which was re-located in 1958. The abandoned tunnel was used as a siding to store locomotives and wagons in. Trains in tunnels Just before Mount Pleasant station, you have these massive doors, which I'm lead to believe are for flood protection. Coming up to Mount Pleasant And that's as far as I went. Thanks for Looking! Maniac.
The Post Office Railway (Mail Rail), London - 2015
The_Raw posted a topic in Anything ElseThe Post Office Railway, also known as Mail Rail, is a driverless underground railway 6 1⁄2 miles (10.5 km) long from Paddington to Whitechapel built to move mail between sorting offices. Inspired by the Chicago Tunnel Company, it operated from 1927 until 2003. Construction of the 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge tunnels started in February 1915 from a series of shafts. During 1917 work was suspended due to the shortage of labour and materials. By June 1924 track laying had started. In February 1927 the first section, between Paddington and the West Central District Office, was made available for training. The line became available for the Christmas parcel post in 1927 and letters were carried from February 1928. A Royal Mail press release in April 2003 said that the railway would be closed and mothballed at the end of May that year. Royal Mail had earlier stated that using the railway was five times more expensive than using road transport for the same task. Despite a report by the Greater London Authority in support of continued use, the railway was closed in the early hours of 31 May 2003. It has sat disused ever since but there are plans to open a museum in 2016. When I first got into this exploring malarkey one of the first people I met was a train geek who was obsessed with getting into mail rail. In fact the only reason he got into exploring was to find his way inside there. I'd never even heard of it at the time but it quickly went top of my list. We spent hours discussing how we could find an access point but we never really got any further than wandering around outside sorting offices peeking through fences. Silent UK's blog was a point of reference for us at the time yet mysteriously got taken offline not long after we'd seen it. Rumours circled that it had been taken down by the authorities and that individuals were facing legal action over it. It became clear that this site was going to be a force to be reckoned with. Around this time I was told by somebody that the one and only place we were really interested in trying was completely sealed and that nobody would ever be getting in that way. My friend at the time didn't hang around on the exploring scene for much longer after that. Roll on a couple of years later however and that is exactly the way that a load of us got in! More thanks to a tip off rather than a stroke of genius but who cares. Cheers to the guys who came along and made the night happen, one of the best nights exploring I've ever had. We covered about two thirds of the network that night I think. It was thirsty work for a group with nothing more than a 2L bottle of Fanta between us. This was a special one that took a couple of days afterwards to really sink in and even looking through my photos now makes me smile from ear to ear! My pics are a little bit jumbled up and a mixture of quality but the best I could come up with, hope you enjoy! 1. New Oxford Street station 2. 3. 4. Emergency escape shaft 5. 6. 7. King Edward Street station, a very derelict feel to this one 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Various sections of tunnel and midget trains 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. Floodgate Door 18. 19. 20. ....and last but not least, Mount Pleasant sorting office, where you just have to try and ignore the infrared cameras everywhere and go about your business even though you can hear London's busiest sorting office in action right above your head! Crazy in there 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. So that's Mail Rail. We saw a lot more of it than I've shown, some of my pics came out too naff and some things I didn't photograph because we were too pushed for time. It is one cool ass place to explore and I can only wish that one day I get the chance to see it again. Thanks again to all involved
Another local one that I've been wanting to do for ages, but never got round to it until now. It's filled full of asbestos, so I made sure to bring my good PP3 mask, but even that wasn't enough probably. History During World War 2, the Southern Railway took over the Deepdene Hotel near Dorking in Surrey for its wartime emergency headquarters. In the grounds they excavated an underground control centre taking advantage of a network of existing natural caves that had been acknowledged 300 years before in the diaries of John Evelyn. Because of the natural protection afforded by the location of the caves they were eminently suitable for the development of a bunker to house both the headquarters' telephone exchange and Traffic Control who also had their underground control centre there with underground divisional controls at Woking (South West Division), Southampton (Western Division), Orpington (South Eastern Division) and Redhill (Central Division) The Explore I got a message in the morning saying it's doable and to go soon. So a few hours later I was there and inside. I'd been meaning to do this one for a long time now, especially as its pretty local, so now was a good a time as any. It's actually not a very large bunker, but its nice for its modest size. The infamous 100 steps lived up to its reputation as terrifying. I only went up a few steps, but that's enough. I actually bumped into another explorer here who got the fright of his life as I turned the corner and shown my light at him in a moment of confusion and panic. Turned out to be someone else who got the memo and took a trip down to see it from a little further afield. A nice little bunker, rich full of history. Photos
Chain Hills Tunnel, Dunedin - May 2017
WildBoyz posted a topic in Underground ExploresHistory Unlike the railways in Europe or northern America, New Zealand tracks were rudimentary. They were built cheaply and hastily using light iron rails that had a narrow 3ft 6in gauge. Even the tunnels and bridges were minimalistic and usually made as small as possible to get the railways up and running as quickly as possible. It was always the intention, though, that the lines would be improved in the future as traffic and available finances increased. The four-hundred and sixty-two metre long Chain Hills Railway Tunnel, also known as Wingatui Tunnel, was one of the tunnels built in the 1870s, during New Zealand's brief period of industrialisation. The line itself was constructed to improve transportation of coal and other natural resources across the land to major ports, where the goods could then be shipped elsewhere. Like the Caversham Tunnel, the Chain Hills Tunnel was largely dug out by hand, but it is unique in the sense that it is a Victorian styled brick tunnel that would have taken longer to build than some of the others that were carved out. The Chain Hills Tunnel also sparked much excitement in Dunedin during its construction as workmen made an interesting discovery while making a cutting at the southern end of the tunnel. Thirty-five feet under the ground, which it is thought was once swampland, a large number of moa bones were found (a flightless bird endemic to New Zealand). The bones ranged in shape and size and were in a very good state of preservation owing to the high alkaline levels in the soil. The Chain Hills Tunnel was completed in 1875, and it was measured as being four hundred and sixty-two metres long. Progress was aided with the construction of brick kilns at either end of the tunnel, as this meant materials did not run short because bricks were constantly available throughout the project. However, finishing the tunnel proved to be a difficult and dangerous task. For years the project was plagued by regular flooding, which slowed progress, and workers were also encumbered by the hardness of the stone they were cutting through. Alongside these issues, six months before completion a rock fall occurred at the north end of the tunnel. The incident claimed the lives of two men, Patrick Dempsey and Thomas Kerr. A third man was severely injured as both of his legs were shattered, leaving him crippled for the rest of his life. In the end, the tunnel did not remain in service for very long either as it was abandoned in 1914. A new dual-lane tunnel was constructed further south which meant there was no longer any need for the Chain Hills Tunnel. In the short period of time the Chain Hills Tunnel was operational it claimed another life – that of Irishman George Thompson. Reports indicate that late one evening in 1895, George took a shortcut through the tunnel to get home. Although there are several niches in the tunnel it is likely George was unaware of them, or simply too far away to reach one, before he noticed the oncoming train. Since its closure, however, no more lives have been lost. For a while the tunnel was used as a popular way of passing between Abbotsford and Wingatui, and for moving sheep between the two locations. Nevertheless, since the 1980s the tunnel has been closed to the public due to the deterioration of the tunnel's structural integrity and subsequent health and safety concerns. In recent years there have been plans to redevelop the tunnel into part of the proposed Otago Central Rail Trail (a cycle and pedestrian track). But, due to lack of funding and ongoing concerns surrounding the structural integrity of the tunnel, especially with the increased risk of it being damaged by an earthquake, the project has come to a standstill. The only recent work Dunedin City Council has carried out on the Chain Hills Tunnel has been to shift two vents from sewer gas reticulation pipes, to stop them from venting into the tunnel. Our Version of Events Having just returned from a South Island trip the previous night, we had no intentions of going exploring, until Nillskill rocked up that is. He was passing back through Dunedin so we decided while he was around to have a crack at the old Chain Hills Tunnel that's been on the cards for quite a while. We understand there was a public open day a few months ago, but going to an event like that would take away one of the most interesting parts of exploring – figuring out how to slip into these places. We loaded up the car with the usual gear and raided the fridge for all the beers we had spare, then set off in the direction of Mosgiel, a town that is apparently well-known for its local legends and myths. The drive didn't take too long, which is always good, but the next hour or so we spent trying to find the damn tunnel was a right challenge. To avoid a couple of nearby farms we headed into a patch of native woodland. This would most likely have been quite pleasant, if we'd been able to see where the fuck we were going. But, as we didn't want to risk using the torches with the farms being so close, we ended up getting very lost among the trees and bushes. After following a few false trails, we did eventually stumbled across the entrance to the tunnel. Just the faint sight of it in the distance raised our disheartened spirits. The next challenge, though, was to get past a locked gate. Fortunately, this wasn't as bad as it had first appeared, probably due to the fact that we've had plenty of practice in the art of contortion over the years we've been exploring. To keep it brief, despite some initial doubts about our ability to contort through the space available to us, we managed to worm our way inside. As expected, the inside of the tunnel was incredibly muddy. Even sticking close to the walls didn't help very much. As for the tunnel itself, though, it was, aesthetically speaking, very pleasant. It reminded us of an old Victorian railway tunnel you'd find in the UK. The condition of some of the bricks in the Chain Hills Tunnel are quite poor too, which enhances its overall photogenicity. Other than that, however, there isn't a lot else to see. That's the nature of old railway tunnels unfortunately. We did find a couple of niches and a few pipes belonging to the sewer system, but they're pretty standard finds in these places. Eventually, after what felt like a fair bit of walking, we found ourselves at the second gate. For some reason, the authorities had left this one open, probably due to the fact that the tunnel is inaccessible from this side. Whatever the reason, it gave us an easy exit from the tunnel, where we found ourselves on a narrow muddy trail surrounded by dense forest. Apparently, if you continue down the track for a while you eventually reach the present day railway line, but it's quite difficult for anyone to access the tunnel from this side. We didn't walk down the trail to find out if this is true mind, since we had a bottle of whisky to get started on back in Dunedin. Explored with Nillskill. 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14:
Queensbury Tunnel, Queensbury - December 2016
WildBoyz posted a topic in Underground ExploresHistory Queensbury Tunnel is one of the longest (2501 yards/1.4 miles) and deepest railway tunnels in England. It was part of the GNR line serving the northern industrial towns of Bradford, Halifax and Keighley. A railway connecting Halifax with Keighley was proposed in 1873; however, the local topography imposed many constraints, especially in the Queensbury area. As a result, several tunnels and viaducts were required to complete the line. A well-known prolific engineer named John Fraser, who was responsible for the construction of several other lines across Yorkshire, was appointed as head engineer for the project. Work on the Queensbury Tunnel began in May 1874. To begin with, cuttings were made into the hillsides at Holmfield and Queensbury through sandstone and millstone grit, and four observatories were subsequently erected to offer views over the construction of four of the major shafts. Eight shafts were originally planned, but the design was later revised to include only seven (the spacing between each was extended). Despite a good start, the first few months proved challenging due to a large influx of water. Although there was regular pumping provision during periods of heavy rainfall work had to be abandoned because the water would often still flood shafts five and six. In an effort to drain some of the water, additional shafts were dug into the hillside. Eventually, this seemed to speed up the progress of the tunnel. As progress of the tunnel continued, and it started to look much more 'tunnel-like', five of the original vertical shafts were reinforced and retained for ventilation purposes. Throughout the project several types of drilling machines were tried, but in the end only one was successful: Major Beaumont's machine that was suited to excavating harder materials. Beaumont's drill comprised a frame on which four drills were mounted, with compressed air harnessed as the motive power. It is reported that the use of the machine increased the rate of progress significantly. In terms of disasters during the construction period of the Queensbury Tunnel, the first casualties occurred on 10th October 1874, when Richard Sutcliffe suffered a fatal compound fracture when a rope used to haul a cage up shaft number one snapped. The cage plummeted to the bottom of the pit and landed on top of Sutcliffe. Two other miners were also struck, but miraculously they both survived. The next disaster occurred on 7th December 1875 at 3.40am, when six miners returned to their working face after having retreated to fire shots. They were all under the impression that all the blasts had been successful. However, it was quickly discovered that one shot had misfired, so Henry Jones and John Gough were sent to withdraw it. After getting it position to make the withdrawal it exploded, killing them both instantly. A third miner was also injured, suffering head injuries and a broken arm, but he was sent immediately to Halifax Infirmary after being attended to by the works inspector. Several other incidents involving rock collapses also claimed a number of unfortunate miners, and this resulted in the construction project being known as 'the slaughtering lines' by local newspapers. The tunnel was finally completed in July 1878, and the Great Northern Railway company held a special dinner for the 300 men involved in its construction. The first train passed through the tunnel in later September as part of a preliminary inspection. Major General Hutchinson conducted the inspection and concluded that it was unfit for passenger traffic due to the incomplete nature of its works. As a result, it remained as a freight only line until December 1879, when Hutchinson revisited the line and re-inspected the tunnel. Nevertheless, soon after becoming part of a passenger line, significant defects were spotted in the sidewalls of the tunnel. This was partly due to poor workmanship, but also to the mining of coal from a seam adjacent to the tunnel. Although repairs were made, additional problems with excessive water build up intensified. A number of pumps were installed in an effort to control this problem. In the winter, though, new threats began to transpire as a result of the water problems, as large icicles would form on the ceiling of the tunnel. During the winter months the first train would be responsible for their removal. In the end, to counter this problem, engines would sometimes be left inside the tunnel overnight to generate heat and prevent the formation of ice. By 1933, the damaged caused by continuing seepage through the brickwork had resulted in the severe deterioration of parts of the structure. The Works Committee decided to employ G. A. Pillett & Son to fulfil the strengthening project. It took seven months to complete at a cost of £2,637. By May 1955, the line's passenger service was withdrawn. Freight trains continued to use the tunnel for another year, but in 1956 they too were stopped from using the line. The tunnel remained abandoned for a number of years, until it was revisited in 1963 to remove the tracks. Soon after their removal a seismological station was established inside the tunnel by two Cambridge University scientists. During the 1970s the scientists used an array of strain meters and seismometers to compare the effect of elastic inhomogeneities on surface waves from earthquakes and tidal strains. All of the recording equipment was housed in an onsite hut which was also sometimes used by the university's geophysics department to sleep in. Accessing the hut involved driving a van through tunnel which had to dodge the rubble that had been tipped down the overhead shafts when they were capped. By the end of the 1970s the station was moved to another site at Bingley owing to growing safety concerns over the deteriorating condition of the tunnel. For many years after the university vacated the structure, the tunnel's northern entrance remained bricked up, with maintenance access available through steel-plated gates. The wall was removed in 2012, however, and replaced with a palisade fence. Most of the time the southernmost portal is completely flooded, with the water level reaching the roof of the portal, owing to poor drainage provision. A number of pumps have been installed, though, and they are used to drain the water when access is required for maintenance. For a while annual inspections ceased due to low levels of oxygen, concerns about ground movement, the effects of vegetation and water, and considerable bulging and missing brickwork in certain sections of the tunnel. However, the tunnel has once again been drained and there are rumours of a major works programme being undertaken over the next four years. Our Version of Events Next on our journey to Liverpool for New Years, we wanted to check out Queensbury Tunnel. Fortunately, it was only around the corner from our previous explore, so it didn't take long to get there. Finding the actual location didn't prove to be too difficult either. The only bit of bother we really had was the last bit of driving down a rough poorly tarmacked track in a Ferrari F12 berlinette and a Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. The side skirts really weren't very practical. However, we eventually made it to the bottom where we were able to park up. Certain that the cars would be perfectly safe just at the side of the track, we hopped out and began to fetch the gear from the boot. It's amazing what you can fit inside a Ferrari if you make use of all the nooks and crannies. Bit by bit the items began to gather on the floor by the side of the car: a rope ladder, carabiners, slings, tripods, camera bags, the bevvy box, sandwiches for all eight of us, a picnic blanket, a lampshade, the emergency toaster, several boxes of Jaffa Cakes and eight cheese scones. Several minutes later and we were heading down the small footpath towards the entrance of the tunnel. It was muddy as fuck the entire way, and somehow got even more muddy right next to the entrance itself. After reaching the northern portal, though, we were halted in our tracks by a greater obstacle. The world's best security perimeter stood in our way. A large black gate loomed over us, slick with fresh anti-climb paint. Not just a slight splodge either, this thing was greased up better than a Girl's Gone Wild wrestling contender. A large coil of razor wire lay across the top, which has been wrapped around what looked like ordinary barbed wire. That wasn't all either. Behind this beast of a fence, there was the original palisade fence, also thickly coated in the black stuff. However, as there was no sign to tell us to 'fuck off', we were unsure whether we were allowed to venture beyond this mere obstacle. As there was no signage, we guessed that it must be acceptable to proceed onwards – with caution of course. Next, then, we decided to climb to the top of the portal to find a couple of decent sized trees. After wrapping a couple of slings around them, we clipped a home-made Blue Peter inspired rope ladder onto the anchors. We carefully lowered the ladder over the side of the portal and it slotted just nicely behind the second palisade fence. Champion. One by one we proceeded to descend the ladder, taking care not to lose our footing on the rungs. One little slip up and we'd look like failed POW escapees impaled on top of a Nazi-inspired barricade. Going over the ledge was the hardest part of the whole endeavour, since one of the crucial rungs was pressed up tightly against the top of the portal. Having said that, perhaps the most difficult part was getting the egg and cress sarnies over. Once inside, the situation looked grim. Our chances of climbing back out didn't look good. The ladder was now well and truly lubricated with mud and anti-climb paint. Our only option was to carry on into the depths of the tunnel. We were hoping that the pumps at the other end would still be working, meaning we could walk out rather than climb over the barricade. We set off, walking in the direction of the tiniest smidge of light in the distance. A couple of shots were taken here and there, but it suddenly dawned on us that we were in a former railway tunnel and there are hardly ever any remarkable changes in the features. It just kept going, and the light at the end of the tunnel never seemed to get any bigger. The one behind us definitely got smaller though, to the point that it too was the same size as the one ahead of us. How does that work? Structurally, then, the tunnel is absolutely fucked. There are many important bits missing (bricks and things), where there should be important bits, and several big collapsed sections. There's some evidence that scaff has been erected to perhaps begin reinforcement work, but that's not going too well by the looks of things since the tunnel is now resting on much of this scaffolding. We noticed that there's a bit of a leakage problem too, because we had to walk under three or four cascading waterfalls. Bad crack when you're trying to keep the scotch eggs dry. After walking for what felt like an eternity, we finally noticed that the light at the end of the tunnel was slowly getting larger. One point four miles underground certainly feels like a considerable amount of distance. Thankfully, the portal wasn't flooded, though, and the pumps were still doing the business, so we were able to climb the two palisade fences to escape. These haven't been greased up yet either, so the risk of losing a testicle from slipping is slightly reduced. Explored with Ford Mayhem, Rizla Rider and Soul. Queensbury Tunnel Back in the Day Queensbury Tunnel Today 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15:
Other Caversham Tunnel, Dunedin - November 2016
WildBoyz posted a topic in Underground ExploresHistory The construction of Caversham Tunnel, now a disused railway tunnel that was cut through a solid sandstone embankment, began in September 1871 in the Kaikorai Valley. Cutting work began on the Caversham side around the same time, but construction of that side of the tunnel did not begin until March 1872. Both sides were joined in almost perfect alignment on 26th September 1872. The 865-metre-long tunnel was fully completed by late February 1873, and a celebratory dinner was held to commemorate the occasion. The tunnel was officially opened for service by Sir Julius Vogel, the eighth premier of New Zealand (prime minister), in December 1873. A party made the first excursion of the line from Dunedin to the Green Island terminus which was located near the coal pits of Messrs Sampson and Brown. A celebratory luncheon was held in a nearby field on the same day. The first passenger service was run on the line in July 1874, from Dunedin to Green Island terminus. A one-way ticket cost fourpence, while a return-journey cost sixpence. Additional links, such as one to Balclutha via the Chain Hills, were later opened at the end of the 1870s. For the time it was operational, however, the tunnel is said to have claimed a total of three lives. In 1876, a Green Island police constable named Henry Vernon was hit by a train while walking through the tunnel. Later, in 1897, a farmer named Kenneth Kennedy fell from a train while it was passing through. And finally, in 1900 an assistant guard named Robert Burns slipped from the train while moving between carriages in complete darkness inside the tunnel. In spite of the seemingly high mortality rate, the service was used up until 1910, when a larger replacement dual line took over all rail traffic. The replacement line sits a few hundred metres away from the original Caversham Tunnel. Over the next few years the tunnel remained closed to the public and was almost forgotten, until there was a flood in 1923. Unfortunately, the deep cutting and tunnel provided a drainage conduit for the Kaikorai Stream which had burst its banks. As a result, the water was guided straight into the large flat areas of South Dunedin. Hundreds of people were forced to evacuate their homes, and many lost valuable possessions. It is reported that drainage issues with the tunnel were addressed at the outset of World War Two, when the tunnel was fitted out as an air raid shelter that could be used by the public in the event of an attack. After the war, ownership of the tunnel passed to the council. It was used during the sixties to lay electrical cables and sewage lines; however, the structure itself has since been left to slowly deteriorate. Lacking any means of proper drainage has resulted in the tunnel filling with thick mud and water, and it is now deemed a dangerous structure. To keep people out, the council erected a barbed wire fence around the Kaikorai Valley side, and a large gate on the Caversham portal. Although there have been talks to convert the tunnel into a pedestrian walk/cycleway, with locals offering to pay for the lighting, all formal proposal have been rejected due to 'theoretical cost estimates' and 'drainage problems'. Our Version of Events After a long night of drinking ale and whisky, we were hungover as fuck as we made our way over to Caversham to seek out the legendary 'secret tunnel of Dunedin'. According to local legend, the tunnel was said to be nestled among trees and concealed by the motorway. It took a fair bit of faffing around to find the exact location of the tunnel, and a little bit of running along the motorway (thankfully the motorways here are a lot different to European ones). With no footpath and a sharp drop to our right, we had to carefully choose a quiet moment and hit legs. With our vision slightly blurred, and everything swaying ever so slightly, we tried to keep our focus on the white painted line on the road as we jogged. With the taste of ale steadily returning to our mouths, jogging is all we could manage. By the time we reached the entrance to the tunnel, sweat was dripping from us. The post-alcohol effect was in full swing, but we were keen to get the tunnel under our belts. I stood in front of the wire fence and gazed up at the barbed wire fixed across the top for a while. I was waiting for it to stop moving so I could perhaps think about climbing over. The fence was spinning a little bit too, and no matter how hard we held it, it just wouldn't stop moving. Eventually, though, we managed to get onto the other side. We headed down a set of old decayed wooden steps. They were covered in foliage and, consequently, we stumbled our way down them as some of them had completely disappeared altogether. At the bottom we reached a large number of pipes poking up from the floor, and a small hut just to the left of us. These, as we quickly discovered seemed to be part of Dunedin's sewage system. Unfortunately, it was at that precise moment we became sober enough to notice the bubble-guts syndrome had begun. We were going to have to make this a quick explore, before nine pints of arse soup demanded to be set free from the trap doors. Stumbling over sewage pipes seemed to bring the sensation on ever more, so it was time to squeeze the cheeks together, tightly. One slight stagger over a pipe or tree root and that would be it. Disaster. Entering the tunnel itself wasn't difficult from here. But, the reports about the mud certainly don't exaggerate. The sludge was incredibly sticky and we very nearly lost our boots to it. The floor in the first sections resembled a swamp, and in parts was almost at welly breaching point. It's was almost as if the sewage pipes were leaking… Things got a little easier further on though, for some of us. With the help of a very handy handrail on the right hand wall, The Mexican Bandit was able to climb onto a ledge of raised mud that seemed to have solidified. Using the slightly rubbery feeling 'handrail', which was caked in years of slimy grime, he made quicker progress. He continued like this for quite a few metres, leaving us swamp dwellers far behind, until something caught his eye. Squinting, to properly focus his vision in the dark conditions, he could make out a sign plastered onto the 'handrail'. It read either 'DANGER 600 VOLTS', or '6000'. In the heat of the moment, his vision was playing tricks on him, adding zeros to the situation, but he swiftly let go in any case. Apparently wellies are excellent at preventing electrocution, but I guess he didn't want to test that theory out. For the most part, Caversham Tunnel is a bit samey throughout. It's a very different style to the railway tunnels we have in England though, so it felt quite unique being all natural rock rather than Victorian brick. There was a small brick section around 400 metres into the tunnel though, and for a very brief moment excitement made the hangover subside. Upon discovering that the brick section was more like an underground bridge, however, disappointment set in and the battle to hold the ale inside ensued once more. There were other interesting features of course, such as the millions of seashells which littered the floor (the swamp ends halfway through, and the remainder of the tunnel is relatively dry). They were all different shapes and sizes, but I have no idea why they were there. The final interesting feature to add to the growing list would be the sewer we found that runs beneath the main passageway. We'd managed to stumble across a semi-broken lid, so decided to have a peek inside to see if there was anything interesting. And behold, there was: Dunedin's shit floating about right beneath our feet. And to be perfectly honest, whatever you've been eating Dunedin, you need to stop… Explored with Nillskill and The Mexican Bandit. South Dunedin Flood (1923) 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14:
How to post a report - Flickr Guide
hamtagger posted a article in Technical HelpHow to post a report using Flickr Flickr seems to change every time the wind changes direction so here's a quick guide on how to use it to post a report... Step 1 - Explore and take pictures Step 2 - Upload your chosen pictures to Flickr like this.. Step 3 - Once your images are successfully uploaded to flickr choose a category for the location that you have visited... Step 4 - Then "Start New Topic".. You will then see this screen... Step 5 - Now you are ready to add the image "links", known as "BBcodes", which allow your images to display correctly on forums.. Step 6 - Then click "select" followed by "view on photo page".. Now select "Share" shown below.. Step 7-13 - You will then see this screen... Just repeat those steps for each image until you're happy with your report and click "submit topic"! You can edit your report for 24 hours after posting to correct errors. If you notice a mistake outside of this window contact a moderator and they will happily rectify the problem for you
Leeds Train Station (Subterranean Areas) - Aug 15
Hydro posted a topic in Underground ExploresSo as you all now know, Network Rail were kind enough to give us a tour of the lower levels of the Train Station as we had failed numerous times to reach these areas via stealth. Explored with Raz & Jord Bit of History; Leeds railway station (also known as Leeds City railway station) is the mainline railway station serving the city centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. It is the second busiest railway station in England outside of London. It is located on New Station Street to the south of City Square, at the bottom of Park Row, behind the landmark Queens Hotel; it is one of 19 stations managed by Network Rail. God knows what that is in the corner of this photo... Leeds is an important hub on the British rail network. The station is the terminus of the Leeds branch of the East Coast Main Line which provides high speed inter-city services to London and is an important stop on the CrossCountry network between Scotland, the Midlands and South West England connecting to major cities such as Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Derby, Nottingham, Reading, Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance. There are also regular inter-city services to major destinations throughout Northern England including Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield. It is also the terminus for trains running on the scenic Settle to Carlisle line. Leeds is a major hub for local and regional destinations across Yorkshire such as to York, Scarborough, Hull, Doncaster and Sheffield. The station lies at the heart of the Metro commuter network for West Yorkshire providing services to Bradford, Wakefield, Dewsbury, Huddersfield and Halifax. With nearly 28 million passenger entries and exits between April 2013 and March 2014, Leeds is the busiest railway station in the North of England and the second-busiest railway station in the United Kingdom outside London, after Birmingham New Street. The Tour; Jordan had arranged the trip underneath the station with a contact of his in the weeks beforehand, and they had agreed to show us the old offices and workings under the station, and we hoped that the rumours of the old ststion beneath the current one were true. Here are a few pics of where we were taken. We went through restricted areas such as the building works for the new south side entrace, through the British Transport Police car park, and of course through the warren of tunnels and corridoors which make up the bowels of this impressive termini. At one point our guide led us through a series of doors and down a shady elevator into the car park of the Queens Hotel... a very familar smell of the Dark Arches reached out nostrils and we soon found ourselves under the arches which we had already explored many times; http://www.oblivionstate.com/forum/showthread.php/9335-Dark-Arches-Revisit-July-15-(More-Photos) At this point we were all looking at each other with a slight smirk and sort of acting all like "Yeah this is cool, never seen this before... oh wow i bet its impossible to get down here" - AWKWARD!!!! And on the way out we nipped through the British Transport Police offices and as it turnes out they have a very pleasing staircase! Throughout this entire trip even though i knew i had permission to be there, i was shatting myself everytime a member of Network Rail staff came across us after a couple of years of avoiding security forces and workers!! Old habits die hard! So i leave you with this question, there is a massive amount of evidence to suggest the existance of a railway station beneath the current known working station, and we were given full access to the lower levels but we were not shown this... Is there more? Thanks for looking
The Devon and Somerset Railway tunnels The Devon and Somerset a Railway (D&SR) was a cross country line that connected Barnstaple in Devon, to the network of the Bristol and Exeter Railway (B&ER) at Norton Fitzwarren, near Taunton. It was opened in stages between 1871 and 1873. The line length was 43 miles and incorporated 2 viaducts at Waterrow and Castle Hill and 4 tunnels. Running through a rural area, it never achieved great importance, although it carried through services to the seaside resort of Ilfracombe for a period. The line closed in 1966. Travelling in a westerly direction from Norton Fitzwarren, the first tunnel is Bathealton Tunnel (440 yards), positioned between the stations of Wiveliscombe and Venn Cross. The eastern portal The stonework had been lined with a concrete plaster at some point. Most of this lining has now failed due to the damp conditions. About halfway in and again towards the western portal, are sections that have been reinforced with concrete, leaving egg shaped galvanised tin passages. These would seem to coincide with minor road crossing above. Western portal The next tunnel, Venn Cross (246 yards) is about the mile up the line. The western portal would see you enter Venn Cross station. The stonework in here is fairly good and it's reasonably dry underfoot. Eastern portal The next tunnel on the line is Nightcote Tunnel, but at only 44 yards long, it's more of a long bridge, so I've not included it. Castle Hill tunnel (317yards) is found between the stations of South Molton and Filleigh. It's now in the grounds of a private country estate. This wasn't all bad news, as once I'd found the portal, I was delighted to find a lack of testicle piercing pallaside gates!! South portal Nice stonework, does get quite wet though. Shape changes near the North portal North portal Really enjoyed checking these out. You can bet your life that blood, sweat and tears, literally, went into the construction. Props to the guys that blasted and dug them out. Hope you enjoyed this little report. Thanks for looking.
The southbound bore is open to the public as a cycle path, and I have visited many times over the years. But it is the closed northbound bore that has always held my interest. Firstly, due to the curve, you cannot see through it, unlike its counterpart. Secondly, it has a few items cluttering the tunnel, and thirdly, there are no photos on the internet of the inside of the tunnel. I first visited the twin tunnels in 1994, so was very lucky to finally see inside the closed tunnel. It was rewardingly very different from the public tunnel. Its curve leaving it pitch black in the centre, leaking water, bulging sides threatening collapse, unusual ceiling recesses, colours, and gated ends are all interesting features. An enjoyable explore with JuJu, KM Punk, & Stranton. The Northampton to Market Harborough line opened in 1859 and had tunnels at Great Oxendon and nearby Kelmarsh. The original tunnel was single-track (422M), and when the line was doubled a second single-track tunnel was built. The second tunnel had an airshaft, and is now a cycle path all the way to Northampton. The line closed in 1981. Thanks as always
Intro I was up Norfolk/Suffolk for a few days and had a few visits planned, nothing went as it should and ended up feeling a bit rubbish. I needed somewhere I could sit on top of and relax for a bit. I found this and was incredibly glad I did. Sometimes you don't need to travel far to find what you're looking for. All fisheye, a bit gritty and a bit crap, but it was fun. Enjoy. History, present and future Then it was refurbished... ...Sort of http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/railway_bridge_footpath_reopens_as_630_000_refurbishment_of_vauxhall_bridge_in_great_yarmouth_is_completed_1_2819542 £630,000 and they only half finished it? The rotting side is slowly falling into further disrepair and you get the feeling it's loosing hope, It shouldn't be red, it never was originally and it doesn't look original or as characteristic as the black side. Shame, Hopefully it'll all be done up and they'll finish the job before it's too far gone falls into the Yare. The visit and pictures So it was one of those weeks Had a crappy few visits that didn't go as planned and didn't quite feel too brilliant I'd had a day of fails and then missed the train I was intending to catch After many wanders I'd found my way back and took a rest, I couldn't relax and needed to get up somewhere Google came to the rescue and then there I was I needed to get to this, at least do something and then there I was, in the end the trip wasn't wasted It had a lot of character and it was a great night, dark skies highlighted with clouds and a pretty strong wind blew the bridge sideways I was in and it felt relaxed, again you sit up somewhere and it's all the same, big rush, then you chill at the top, the pictures are always different but every time you climb down, you want to be back up again The thing swayed like anything but that added to it It had character and for some reason it just felt good to be there It wasn't even high, it was just fun, like a climbing frame that had been neglected, waiting for some numpty like me to sit on it Even better, the public wandered below me oblivious, to be fair, I was oblivious to them It was just silent The fresh air cleared my head but the wind was as if you were even higher up I clambered down and casually crossed back over on the public section right passed the locals Then I got to the point where you look back for one more look and then onto the next No tripod, No light but luckily I had a bit of time and bridge The images don't show it as it's best but that's not the reason I climbed it It was fun And it was windy I hope you enjoyed! Cheers
Air Bridge
Infraredd posted a topic in Anything ElseAn old footbridge that cannot be used by feet. By day By night The first time I lit the wire wool whilst balanced on the middle of the bridge I dropped it by accident and had to climb all the way down & back up to get the shot I wanted. Cue my entire vocabulary of 4 letter words!
Railway factory - visit 10/2014
MiaroDigital posted a topic in Anything Else1. Bahnbetriebswerk rocked 01 by MiaroDigital, on Flickr 2. Bahnbetriebswerk rocked 02 by MiaroDigital, on Flickr 3. Bahnbetriebswerk rocked 03 by MiaroDigital, on Flickr
Railway operation factory - visit 06/2012
MiaroDigital posted a topic in Industrial Locations1. LokschuppenWest01 von MiaroDigital auf Flickr 2. LokschuppenWest02 von MiaroDigital auf Flickr 3. LokschuppenWest03 von MiaroDigital auf Flickr 4. LokschuppenWest04 von MiaroDigital auf Flickr 5. LokschuppenWest05 von MiaroDigital auf Flickr 6. LokschuppenWest06 von MiaroDigital auf Flickr 7. LokschuppenWest07 von MiaroDigital auf Flickr 8. LokschuppenWest08 von MiaroDigital auf Flickr
Barnsdale Tunnel, Yorkshire, Mar14
The Wombat posted a topic in Underground ExploresFirst explore en route to Sheffield. Also visited the Doctor's House, and one other fail. Still, 2 out of 3 is good, and the site that defeated us will get a return visit in the future. First tunnel I've been able to take the DSLR down, and despite how dark it is in there, I'm quite pleased with some of the results for a first attempt. The Hull & Barnsley line passed through the Barnsdale tunnel in a very straight 1226 yards in length, and was opened in the 1880's. The last passengers passed through in 1932, although goods trains worked through here until 1959. The three airshafts have been capped. capped airshaft The Wombat Eastern portal Thanks for looking
East Norton tunnel, Leics, Aug13
The Wombat posted a topic in Underground ExploresThis tunnel is an old favorite of mine so I returned to do some light painting, and catch some new shots in full summer overgrowth, and thought I would share the photos. The north portal is surrounded in undergrowth, whilst a grove of trees has grown around the south portal. The tunnel remains in excellent condition considering its age, and 50 year neglect. The good thing about derelict tunnels is its all natural decay, and unlike buildings, can't get raped and pillaged by pikies. The tunnel is home to an assortment of rusting farm implements and tractors. refuge north portal Thanks for looking
Railway Repair Depot (Oct2013)
Axel M posted a topic in Industrial LocationsThe web should be full of posts of the RAW (Reichsbahn Ausbesserungs-Werk) probably...was there in Oct 2013, I believe it�s the most colourful abandoned place I ever saw (might have exaggerated just a bit ;-) Lots of construction underway around, maybe high time to see... Cheers, Axel
Another Oakamoor! (Visited 2012-) 2013
The Elusive posted a topic in Anything ElseI see there are 2 posts of this place already in existence, ill not replicate with the history and just post me pics that are different, with my old point and shoot oh I had an interesting encounter with a van full of men, who shouted out they knew we where here and looked around a bit but didnt find us, alarmingly, where we were sitting very quietly............................... was a pile of used shotgun shells directly under the carriage!
Other Abandoned railway tunnel (2013)
northerngeek posted a topic in Underground ExploresAbandoned railway tunnel in Oslo, Norway. One of my first splores. Location was shared with me by splorer I met in an abandoned building nearby, and when I was in the tunnel I met two others, one of them who's been my fellow splorer since :-).


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Let me be clear. If there's one thing that you read today, let it be this:
Steve Sabol is the reason why you watch the NFL.
You may argue that it was your dad who introduced you to the game, maybe you fell in love with the game through playing it in school or heck it may have even been Madden 2003 with Marshall Faulk gracing the cover.
Ultimately though, it was Steve Sabol who reached out through that TV and pulled you into the game, where you stood for the first time with wide eyes, unable to take your eyes off the poetry in motion that was unfolding before you.
Steve Sabol wanted people to "See the reality, not as an instant replay but rather as a motion film." It was this kind of vision and creative genius that along with his father, helped revolutionise sports broadcasting and the way that we saw the game.
Today we mourn the loss of Steve Sabol, who passed away at the age of 69; 2 weeks shy of his 70th birthday after an 18 month battle with brain cancer.
However, although we mourn the loss of the loss we should also celebrate the life of the long-time president and mastermind of NFL Films. And what a life it has been for the brilliant cinematic mind of Sabol, who was undoubtedly the heart beat of NFL Films.
In an interview (as seen in Peter King's SI column on Sabol here) Sabol spoke of his life and legacy.
"So they talk about heaven, and I don't know what is waiting for me up there. But I can tell you this: Nothing will happen up there that can duplicate my life down here. That life cannot be better than the one I've lived down here, the football life. It's been perfect."
Perfect indeed. Just like the product he produced on film. There wasn't a detail Steve would miss. A lineman's taped up hands covered in mud, blood dripping from a broken nose. The smallest detail, helped paint the picture for the story he wanted to tell and we'll never see someone like Sabol again; that much is certain.
His genius, his artistry and vision with the camera, his talent with the sound, writing, directing, editing.. it all helped transform what we see before us on Sunday. For more than half a century, he put his heart, his soul into NFL Films and he created a legacy that will always be remembered.
To better paint the picture of the man, here is a perfect clip from the very network that wouldn't be possible without Steve's decades of countless work.
Steve, as an art history major at Colorado College and an All-American running back, was able to entwine the 2 seamlessly, as if it was something that had always gone together. But up until NFL Films, America had not known such storytelling, especially in relation to sports.
It was the 1962 Championship Game, Packers vs. Giants at Yankee Stadium. Steve's father Ed, who had founded Blair Motion Pictures, had won the rights to film the game, at a cost of $3,000.
Steve recalled the moment he received a call from his father, after winning the bid. "I see from your grades that you've been doing nothing but playing football and watching movies," Sabol told his son. "But that makes you uniquely qualified for this new position I have in mind."
Steve took the field on that blistery, cold day as a cameraman. The elements were so strong, team benches blew over during the game and cameramen from TV networks had to defrost their lenses with bonfires in the dugouts. One cameraman suffered frostbite. It was truly a horrid day, but a beautiful beginning as the birth of NFL Films. It was the game that impressed then NFL Commissioner Pete Rozell, who asked the owners of the NFL to purchase Ed Sabol's company. It was then, that NFL Films was born, co-founded by Ed and Steve.
From there the Sabol's brought in Sam Spence to compose the iconic NFL Films soundtracks that would play over the clips of legendary running backs charging towards the camera in slow motion or players standing on the sidelines, the cold air visible through their facemask. On top of Spence, the team added John Facenda – the man with the voice of silk. As Ed Sabol said, he could make reading a shopping list sound like the Declaration of Independence. To NFL fans, he is known as "The Voice of God." Facenda's soothing baritone voice was the perfect match for the dramatic nature of the footage he narrated.
And it was Facenda himself who famously read a poem written by Steve Sabol. Titled, "The Autumn Wind" which described the Autumn weather of the football season, it's also known as the "Battle Hymn of the Raider Nation."
(If watching those clips I've linked above doesn't give you goose bumps, nothing in the NFL on Sunday will.)
The way in which Ed and Steve worked together as a team, was remarkable. But it was Steve, who helped innovate and orchestrate the footage. He would chronicle characters, deftly describe a play with slow motion, convey emotion with a composition as well as humour, just like a Hollywood film; just like a storyteller would.
"We see the game as art as much as sport," Steve Sabol told The Associated Press when his father was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
People were only watching football. Then Steve came along with his eye for detail, his love of film, football, art and with a work ethic and passion that no one could match, he moulded a product that helped teach us about the game, more so than anyone else ever could.
He introduced slow motion and reverse angle replays, close up shots of players. There was the close up shot of the pigskin in the air (labelled "Tight as a Spiral" shot.) There were microphones on players, coaches, along the sidelines to pickup the sounds of the game as well as sideline chatter. NFL Films also featured the home team's radio broadcast dubbed over the film, as the radio commentators tended to convey more passion.
With the dramatic orchestra soundtrack by Spence, the deep voice of Facenda (and later Harry Kalas) it was like combining ballet and football onto the small screen.
Sabol also helped us take the game less seriously and help show it for what it was.. a game. We were able to laugh at football (and at first, made coaches scorn as the footage made them "look like chumps") with the Follies series, which debuted in the late 60s and was proven to be a popular staple of the NFL Films product.
No doubt, Sabol leaves behind a legacy.
Commissioner of the NFL Roger Goodell released this statement on the passing of Sabol:
"Steve Sabol was the creative genius behind the remarkable work of NFL Films. Steve's passion for football was matched by his incredible talent and energy. Steve's legacy will be part of the NFL forever. He was a major contributor to the success of the NFL, a man who changed the way we look at football and sports, and a great friend."
A true icon, Steve wanted to be the best. Master his art. In his own words, he wanted to "bring an understanding, to something that has already been seen; to bring creative treatment, to reality."
What started as a father's dream, became a reality because of his son. I for one am thankful for Steve, Ed and the NFL Films team that pioneered the way we see football. Without their hard work, their talent, leadership and brilliance, I believe the NFL would not be as popular as it is in 2012.
Throughout his career, Steve has won over 40 Emmy awards himself for writing cinematography, editing, directing and producing. NFL Films as a company, has won over 100 Emmys since its 1962 establishment.
Steve and Ed both received the Lifetime Achievement Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2003 & Ed Sabol, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year as a contributor to the game.
I would love to see Steve in there posthumously, as he is above any other player in deserving such an honour and should be right there with his father. I believe the NFL would put him there in a heartbeat, but that will be up to the Pro Hall of Fame committee to decide what's best for the man who embodied exactly what 'A Football Life' is.
Steve is survived by his wife Penny, his son Casey, his parents Audrey and Ed, and his sister Blair. Rest in Peace.
If you love reading up on Steve or NFL Films and want to read some other fantastic articles on those very subjects, here's a few links worth checking out:

subset: commoncrawl


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My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book, from Jeannette Walls, was impossible to put down. Many times I think I should write a memoir - interesting things have happened in my life. I had an interesting childhood and I had a lot going on as a teenager. That might be interesting, right?
Well, not compared to Walls' life!
Her painful memoir of growing up with a severely alcoholic, but brilliant, father and a depressed artist mother, always on the skedaddle, starts with recounting her tragic tale at the age of 3 - when she catches herself on fire while cooking at a gas stove.
The misery seems to go down from there.
The abject poverty and terrible neglect these children were raised in is appalling. The most concerning thing is that Walls talks about all of the other families in the same slums, living similar lifestyles. It's heartbreaking and compelling. It's a story of survival against all odds, and of overwhelming family love.
I can't recommend this enough. Let me know if you want to borrow it :-)


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MINNEAPOLIS – Jeff Teague scored 25 points, Andrew Wiggins added 23, and the Minnesota Timberwolves – playing their first game since All-Star Jimmy Butler was injured – beat the Bulls, 122-104, on Saturday night.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points and 13 rebounds for his 53rd double-double of the season. Jamal Crawford scored 19 off the bench for the Timberwolves, including three 3-pointers that keyed a 16-2 spurt to open the fourth quarter and put them comfortably ahead for good.
Zach LaVine scored 21 to lead the Bulls in his return to Target Center since the blockbuster offseason trade that sent Butler to Minnesota.
Even with Butler sidelined indefinitely by an injured meniscus in his right knee, the Wolves had little trouble on offense without their leading scorer. They certainly missed him on defense, however.
The Bulls trailed by as many as 12 early, but LaVine hit some timely buckets and the Bulls' bench outscored Minnesota's reserves, 24-7, in the first half. The Bulls looked to be in prime position to sweep the season series after a one-point win Feb. 9 at the United Center.
The Bulls led by five in the third quarter before Minnesota used an 18-11 run to regain the lead heading into the fourth.
Bulls: Former Wolves draft pick Kris Dunn had 10 points in his return to Minnesota. ... Forward Paul Zipser sat out with a left foot injury suffered Thursday against Philadelphia. He left that game after only seven minutes and didn't practice Friday. ... Robin Lopez and Justin Holiday were inactive again in favor of getting more time for younger players. Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said he does expect to get the two veterans back into the mix. "They're still active in practice, and right now the big thing for us is getting a look at some of the younger guys that haven't gotten a lot of minutes," Hoiberg said.
Timberwolves: Teague has scored at least 15 points in four straight games. ... Towns didn't have a field goal or rebound in the first quarter. ... The Wolves announced their 11th sellout of the season. ... Minnesota wrapped up the 11th of 15 back-to-back sets this season.
Bulls: Visit the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night.
Timberwolves: At the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.


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I went over to SpaceX this morning to hear them speak, with the first Dragon to go into space (it was a repeat of their show in McGregor, Texas yesterday with the Dragon that flew the recent mission). There are a bunch of pictures at SpaceflightNow. I don't think I'm in any of them. I was standing in the press area, just below the vantage point of most of the shots.
You might see some bulges on the side of the Dragon to the right rear. I asked Elon if those were the pods and thrusters for the abort/landing motors. He said they were, but that the design was still in flux. I also asked him if there were cosine losses, and he said yes, that they are unavoidable, since you can't thrust straight down from the side of a cone.
Speaking of Elon, he's giving the commencement address at Cal Tech tomorrow morning.


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Also teachers who assign "Huckleberry Finn," "The Catcher in the Rye" and other classics, as the state Senate passes a measure allowing prosecution of teachers who distribute "harmful" literature
Kansas teachers who distribute 'Harmful' materials may face jail time under a new bill. The bill was reportedly first drafted in response to parent complaints about this sex-ed poster displayed last year in Hocker Grove Middle School in Shawnee, Kansas
Last month, a school in Utah sent a girl home for wearing a sleeveless dress. Last week, another school turned away a girl because she tried to attend a Valentine's Day dance without a date. And now there's this.
On Feb. 25, the Kansas Senate passed a bill that makes it possible to imprison teachers who distribute so-called inappropriate materials — from sex ed textbooks to several works of classic literature — to their students.
The bill, proposed by conservative state Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook (pictured), deletes a provision in current state law that exempts schoolteachers and officials from such prosecutions. Senators passed the bill 26 to 14.
The Kansas legislature already had a law in place that criminalized promoting material "harmful to minors," but certain institutions, such as schools and museums, were previously …read more


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Exposure #1
I remember I was filling up on gas one day, and this gentleman comes walking up to me and asks: " is your name Ryan"? I said "yes, can I help you?" this gentleman reached out and took my hand in friendship, and said, "Thank you" I asked him why he was thanking me, and he simply stated, " because you saved my son's life". I was in aw to be honest, I didn't know what to say, and then he got into his car, gave me a sincere smile and drove off. That's when I realized all that I went through growing up, had a purpose. it was my challenges that allowed me to prosper in teaching others where to find the strength to get through life, as unscathed as possible.
Interesting read
A new Chapter?
I am sitting here not exactly sure how I am going to write this post, there is a lot of emotion behind it, a lot of fear and anxiety. I lost my job today, because I was not truthful about my education, I told them I graduated high school, but I didnt, and now I must pay the natural consequence for my actions. This has followed me my whole life, I worked at one of the best children's hospital in the country, doing what I do best, helping other's find their way through all the obstacles that come their way. They belived in my abilities, they believed in my worth and value, regardless of the fact I didn't graduate. I am not gonna lie, I was not honest with them either, but I came clean one day, and they stuck by me and let me stay on. I am grateful to them, for believing in me.
I repeated first grade, I repeated third grade, before they realized I had a learning disability. Then the foster homes and the life of misfortunes played out as the years went by, in seventh grade the school asked my foster mother to take me out of school, "to pursue other avenues of education". Come to find out later in my adult years, they were in the middle of budget cuts and I was not the only one they did this two, a class action loss suit against the city went on, but I did not get involved. I have a seventh grade level of education, but yet I have been blessed with working with thousands of kids, during their time of misfortunes. And now, everything I have worked for, proving my self worth to the community, it's all gone. Or is it?
I know that my lack of education does not define me, its a sort of by product of my childhood. Whats frustrating is finding the strength to concur this obstacle that has followed me all these years. I know, deep down, that I have survived many things, and I know that the strength has to come from within my heart and soul. All my life, I have felt that there is a bigger plan, a bigger picture, knowing this, I believe that I am at a new chapter in my life. Where will this story go, I don't know, I know what I would like to do, I want to change the world in someway, I want to give others the piece of mind to know that everything will be ok, that you life's trials and tribulations do note define who you are, they make you better at who you are.
Am I scared right now, yes I am, I am scared of the unknown, I am scared of failing my children, yet they give me the pathway to greatness, they push me to be the best that I can be. I am hopeful that I don't let them down. I don't want to let myself down, I am in a place now, a cross road if you will, to further loosen the grip that my past has on my life. Some how I will achieve my goal of getting a diploma, because Society says I'm not worth it if I don't have one, yet I know without a shadow of doubt, it wasn't a piece of paper that got me where I am today, or the journeys that I have traveled, it was me, my willingness to beat the odds and give back.
To all that might have doubted me, I have proven over and over again, that I am a survivor, that it doesn't matter how many trials you put me through, I will come out on top, I will overcome these obstacles that stand in my way. Someday, you will remember my name, because my goal in life, is to leave a legacy that my children can be proud of and follow.
Letting the here and now set me free
It's been a hard week, lots of ups and downs. Today though, was a good day, finally was able to relax a bit and spend some quality time with my wife and children. We celebrated Danny's birthday today, went swimming and had a little party down at the lake. I needed to slow down a bit, reflecting on what is good in my life. To often does my mind fall victim to worries and stress. I am so tired of feeling stressed. When I have days like today, I dont want the day to end, because it feels to good to be free and calm. I love my family, so very much.
Healing Hurts
Real and Raw-Healing From the Inside Out
I started out writing this post from a very "sensitive" view point. However I just erased all of that and decided to speak straight from my heart. Healing hurts..it hurts like part of what I think hell might be like. The torment and pain that evil brings. Parts of it hurt worse than others. I told someone today that I do not enjoy this process. I don't care to rehash or re-live painful things but sometimes I have to whether I want to or not. There are things that seemed so normal to me as a child, but when a memory lands in my mind now as an adult, I want to throw up when I realize how abnormal things were. I hate what abuse does to people. I hate what it does to the victim, I hate what it does the perpetrator and I hate what it does to…
View original post 655 more words
The Need to Blend In and the Drive to Stand Out
In my house, chaos ruled. The only consistency was inconsistency. I learned quickly that the rules could not be understood, but I still tried to understand. Like most children who grow up in an abusive household, I worked hard to make sense of my environment. I made "logical" conclusions about cause and effect. I knew that there were very few actions without consequences, so I did my best to be invisible. This seemed to be my best strategy to avoid abuse. In reality, there was no way for me to avoid abuse as long as I lived in that house. But I was sure there was a secret formula. There had to be a way to stop the abuse because I was sure that somehow, it was my fault.
Since I started recovering memories, I have rarely been able to grasp the order of events. Memory recovery does provide a…
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10,000 cases of child abuse, does anyone notice?
TEN THOUSAND cases of child abuse were reported in Jamaica in 2013. 10,000. Four zeroes. That means there were ten thousand times an individual thought it necessary to take action to report a child being harmed. That takes much time and effort. And then think about all the times people ignored the situation, did not want to get involved or simply did not know how to file a report. Think about it: in one year, there were 10,000 incidents in which a child felt pain at the hands of an adult, likely an adult who was supposed to be protecting them.
Of course, this is unacceptable. We don't hear a lot about all the work that happens on the ground to combat this epidemic, but the government agencies, the churches and civil society groups are doing what they can with little resources to protect these most innocent members of society.
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Living it
As a survivor of child abuse, I am reminded every day that my mind never empties, it never does shake the memories that are etched into my soul. I wonder how these memories define me, how they influence the decisions I make, or how much of a negative impact, they really do have over me. I have worked hard over the years to set my mind at ease with what I went through. It has taken a long time to find myself and accept who I am, but, to be truthful, I can not say I am truly happy with what I have become.
Now, please understand, I have no regrets, well maybe a few, but I am very grateful for what I do have, I have an amazing wife who blessed me with four beautiful children. They are my everything, my heart and my soul, they are the flame within my heart that keeps me going, day after day. Yet, I constantly feel like I am failing them, not giving them everything they should have.
We struggle, day in and day out, financially because of my inability to find good pay. I have spent almost twenty years in mental health, 13 of which I worked for the best Children's Hospital in the country, now I know I should be proud of that, and I am, but now I find myself working for half of what I was making, struggling even more to make ends meet. I feel degraded in some ways, I'm feeling like all my years of in patient work, all the crisis's that I have witnessed and all the successful stories that I have been a part of, were for nothing.
I know I have been feeling pretty depressed lately, I try to hide it the best I can, but slowly, I know my wife is feeling my stress, I know my kids are feeling it as well. I feel like a failure. I have always tried my best at everything that has showed itself to me, I have given it everything I have, but lately I feel like that was never enough. Which brings me back to those feelings and memories of self doubt and worthlessness. I wonder if I am as strong and as wise as I thought I was. At the same time, I regret saying that. I am hopeful, that there is a much bigger meaning behind all this, only time will tell.


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In today's episode, get your mind off your election hangover by joining Marc Clair for a much-requested episode by listeners of the show all about the Fair Tax! Marc is joined by Steven Hayes, President of "Americans for Fair Taxation", the key organization behind the promotion of this consumption tax. In the show they break down everything about the Fair Tax, including:
- The history of the Fair Tax, and how Steven came to be a passionate advocate for it.
- Why there is such a disparity in who is and isn't able to avoid paying taxes under our current system.
- The difference between a progressive and a regressive tax, and why contrary to popular opinion, Steven sees the Fair Tax as a progressive tax.
- And everything else you ever wanted to know about the Fair Tax proposal!
Download this episode (right click and save)
Discussed in this episode:
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Flacon | Rose
Flacon | Rose
H. 25cm dia. 20cm
Materials : handblown glass, wood
Handmade in Finland and Czech Republic, and assembled in Germany
The piece consists of a set of individual containers, stacked together to create a sculptural vessel shape. Once disassembled each part becomes functional, serving as different bowls and vases.
Add To Cart


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|renal branch of vagus nerve
|medical dictionary
<anatomy> Branches of vagus nerve to kidney via the coeliac plexus.
Synonyms: rami renales nervi vagi.
(05 Mar 2000)
renal blood flow, effective, renal branch of lesser splanchnic nerve < Prev | Next > renal calcification, renal calculi, renal calculus
|Bookmark with:
|word visualiser
|Go and visit our forums


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Founder of RET Internet Marketing, LLC, Robert Taylor is excited to announce the launch of his new website venture, ShopBowlingSupplies.com; the website features a vast assortment of bowling products including bowling balls, bags, shoes, apparel, accessories, and novelties. For more information, visit the website's blog at BowlingBagsBlog.com.
(PRWEB) December 05, 2013
Robert Taylor is pleased to announce the creation and launch of his new website venture, http://www.ShopBowlingSupplies.com. The website offers a broad variety of bowling products such as bowling balls, bags, shoes, apparel, accessories, and novelties, as well as items for pains and strains that can be associated with bowling. Taylor was an avid bowler many years ago and renewed his passion with the sport recently, which inspired him to enter the bowling supplies market so that he could offer likeminded individuals the chance to purchase quality bowling supplies to enhance their favorite hobby.
There are many wonderful bowling products featured within the merchandise of ShopBowlingSupplies.com. Many of these items come from the best brands in the industry such as Ebonite or Brunswick, in order to ensure that the products are of the highest possible quality. There are a large number of bowling balls with very interesting properties including the Hammer Spike or the Mystic Aura bowling balls. In the future, Taylor plans to continually expand the product lines offered on the website. By periodically updating the site's merchandise, he hopes to encourage customers to keep coming back to check out what new items are being offered.
Taylor has learned in his years of business experience that product quality, fast and efficient customer service, and integrity are the most important aspects of a business, which he plans to bring in full to customer experiences at ShopBowlingSupplies.com. Taylor plans to feature plenty of deals and offers, including free shipping for bowling balls, bags, and shoes. Additionally, customers who enter the code 'BOWL' before December 30, will receive an additional 5% discount.
To complement the main website, Taylor is also launching a blog located at http://www.BowlingBagsBlog.com. The blog will feature topics related to general bowling information. Taylor will be offering discussions regarding the different bowling products offered on his website, as well as featuring bowling tips, facts, and information regarding the history of bowling. The overall goal of the blog is to help potential customers understand bowling a little better and guide them towards the products that are perfect for them.
About the Company:
ShopBowlingSupplies.com — a division of RET Internet Marketing, LLC — is owned and operated by Web entrepreneur Robert Taylor. The company can be followed on Twitter at Twitter.com/ShopBowling and liked on Facebook by searching Shop-Bowling-Supplies.
Robert Taylor
(301) 218-3986


text: There are many benefits to doing art, including improving connections in your brain. Whether you are looking for a book to open and start doodling with while you have your coffee or advanced color theory, or a gift for an artist friend, look no further. I have read and extensively http://liamhzpg704blog.bloguetechno.com/The-Single-Best-Strategy-To-Use-For-My-Muse-Calls-14239702


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Fur Coats
Various types of animal fur have been worn for hundreds of thousands of years, making it possibly one of the oldest materials used in clothing. In areas with cold climates, fur was a popular material for coats on account of its warmth and resistance to the elements. Fur has also been a symbol of wealth and luxury, with certain types of fur - e.g. sable and mink - being coveted over others for their higher quality and appearance. Up until the 1960s, fur coats were a must-have ladies fashion statement, with designer creations being stocked by renowned department stores worldwide including Bloomingdale's, Macy's and Harrods. Since the mid to the late 20th century, controversy has surrounded the ethics of real fur coats and other clothing. As a result, many fashion lovers today opt for vintage or faux fur coats.


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Securing GroupWise 6.5 End to End with SSL
Novell Cool Solutions: Feature
By Frank Gioffre, Tay Kratzer
Digg This -
Slashdot This
Posted: 11 Sep 2003
Easily Set Up Your GroupWise with Secure Socket Layers and Authentication Certificates
A majority of today's correspondence is electronic in nature with e-mail ranking first and faxes ranking second. Real "pen and paper" correspondence is becoming extinct. It is extremely unlikely that any corporation can avoid sending or accessing sensitive or confidential information over some sort of electronic medium. This raises security concerns about the safety of your data.
In this Novell Connection article, Frank Gioffre and Tay Kratzer explain the need for security as well as the means by which to implement a high-security solution.
Here's an excerpt:
The Need for Enhanced Security
There are many reasons for enhancing your security posture, such as security compliance, sensitivity of the data, and the use of public networks. No matter what the reason, there is a general consensus that our systems all need to be more secure than they are today.
Regulations are one of the driving forces behind the latest push for increased security. If you work in the health care industry you know what kind of stringent requirements HIPAA has placed on all of your systems. Other industries are also under extreme pressure to secure all data systems. You need to be able to implement, document and prove the integrity of your systems.
Every day we all see stories about corporate espionage, hacking or destruction of corporate data. You may be so paranoid by now that you want to do everything necessary to make your e-mail system as secure as humanly possible. You have already taken one step in the right direction by using GroupWise 6.5 as it is the most secure messaging system available.
Read the full story here: http://www.novell.com/connectionmagazine/2003/10/tech_talk_3.html
TECH TALK #3 Securing GroupWise 6.5 End to End with SSL
Easily Set Up Your GroupWise with Secure Socket Layers and Authentication Certificates
Novell Connection Magazine - Sept/Oct 2003
Novell Cool Solutions (corporate web communities) are produced by WebWise Solutions. www.webwiseone.com