Hi all,

The Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society (GLIAS) is holding a talk
about Greathead, the inventor of the tunnelling shield and so father of the
*deep* Tube. (Incidentally, there is a statue of him at Bank.)

There are also many other meetings listed on this page which should be of
interest to some people here.

http://www.glias.org.uk/gliasdiary.html#EVENTS

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

"John Rowland" wrote in message
...
Hi all,

The Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society (GLIAS) is holding a
talk
about Greathead, the inventor of the tunnelling shield and so father of
the
*deep* Tube. (Incidentally, there is a statue of him at Bank.)

The remains of a greathead shield can be seen in the passge that links the
Waterloo and City to the DLR at Bank. There' also one in the overrun tunnel
on the WAGN platform (9 ISTR) at Moorgate.

"Robin Mayes" wrote in message
...

The remains of a greathead shield can be seen in the
passge that links the Waterloo and City to the DLR at
Bank. There' also one in the overrun tunnel
on the WAGN platform (9 ISTR) at Moorgate.

That's not a Greathead shield, that's to hide the remnants of the Moorgate
disaster.

There is a shield in one of the newest DLR stations (Cutty Sark?)

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

"John Rowland" wrote in message
...
"Robin Mayes" wrote in message
...

The remains of a greathead shield can be seen in the
passge that links the Waterloo and City to the DLR at
Bank. There' also one in the overrun tunnel
on the WAGN platform (9 ISTR) at Moorgate.

That's not a Greathead shield, that's to hide the remnants of the Moorgate
disaster.

No, it's in the other over-run tunnel to the one that was bricked up after
the crash.

"Robin Mayes" wrote in message .. .
"John Rowland" wrote in message
...

That's not a Greathead shield, that's to hide the remnants of the Moorgate
disaster.

No, it's in the other over-run tunnel to the one that was bricked up after
the crash.

It is in the other tunnel to the accident, but I'm not sure if,
strictly speaking, it is a Greathead shield.

I was down there just before the BR sevices started in 1976, and had
the chance to have a good look at the shield. It is clearly of the
rotary type, with the cutting beam still in place, and connections for
pneumatic/hydraulic lines still visible.

As the line was opened in 1904, I wonder if this was one of the
earliest uses of such a machine?

(Chippy) wrote in message . com...
"Robin Mayes" wrote in message .. .
"John Rowland" wrote in message
...

That's not a Greathead shield, that's to hide the remnants of the Moorgate
disaster.

No, it's in the other over-run tunnel to the one that was bricked up after
the crash.

It is in the other tunnel to the accident, but I'm not sure if,
strictly speaking, it is a Greathead shield.

I was down there just before the BR sevices started in 1976, and had
the chance to have a good look at the shield. It is clearly of the
rotary type, with the cutting beam still in place, and connections for
pneumatic/hydraulic lines still visible.

As the line was opened in 1904, I wonder if this was one of the
earliest uses of such a machine?

This page has a picture of the "object" at Platform 10:

http://www.pendar.pwp.blueyonder.co..../Moorgate.html

This one shows both a rotary cutter (third picture down) and a
Greathead Shield (fifth picture):

http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/r077.html

ISTM that the object _is_ the outer ring of a Greathead Shield, with
the "sockets" for the hydraulic rams clearly visible around the edge.
The two ubrights and the horizontal beam seem to be bracing added
later.

John Rowland:
The Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society (GLIAS) is holding
a talk about Greathead, the inventor of the tunnelling shield and so
father of the *deep* Tube.

Nitpick: Greathead certainly invented the *type* of shield that made
the deep tube lines practical to construct, but an earlier shield was
invented by Marc Brunel and used to construct the Thames Tunnel (now
the East London Line tunnel between Wapping and Rotherhithe).
--
Mark Brader | But I think we can do better next time. (Where the
Toronto | word "we" refers to [those] who do the hard work while
| I sit back and complain...) -- Keith Thompson

(Nick Cooper 625) wrote in message . com...
..

This page has a picture of the "object" at Platform 10:

http://www.pendar.pwp.blueyonder.co..../Moorgate.html

This one shows both a rotary cutter (third picture down) and a
Greathead Shield (fifth picture):

http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/r077.html

ISTM that the object _is_ the outer ring of a Greathead Shield, with
the "sockets" for the hydraulic rams clearly visible around the edge.

They are clearly teh fittings for hydraulic rams, but, surely, they
would be required for a rotary machine also.

The two ubrights and the horizontal beam seem to be bracing added
later.

The photo certainly brings back some memories, though it was nearly 30
years ago since I was down there.

I remember the horizontal member, and having it pointed out to me that
it was part of the rotary equipment. The hydraulic/pneumatic
connections, to which I referred earlier, were, I think, toward the
left-hand end of this.

I don't recall the vertical members (though, as I said, it was a long
time ago) but, from the difference their appearance from the
horizontal member, it may be that they are a later addition, probably,
as you suggest, for strengthening.