I stood on the Thames embankment yesterday, outside the old County Hall
Building, just below the steps leading down from Westminister Bridge. I
could feel the vibration of the Jubilee Line trains passing under the river,
between Westminister & Waterloo.

What did worry me a little, was a largish barge moored on the downstream
side of Westminster Bridge, close to its central arch They were driving in
some large steel tubes using a pile-driver. I began to wonder just how far
away from the tunnel they might be and how deep it lies under the river bed.

Anyone know what this is all about? I did note Westminister Bridge seems to
be undergoing either a good clean-up, or some maintenance work is taking
place. I would like to know what is ocurring in the river.

There is also another old and long disused tunnel running from the basement
of what was the New Scotland Yard building under the river. It is totally
flooded and was sealed many years ago.

Nigel

In article , Nigel
Callaghan wrote:

There is also another old and long disused tunnel running from the basement
of what was the New Scotland Yard building under the river. It is totally
flooded and was sealed many years ago.

Interesting.. what was this tunnel for? Is it the old Whitehall Railway
tunnel I've read about here and there?

--
| grendel [at] durge [dot] org | web technologist | london, uk
| "It's people like you what cause unrest"

In article , Nigel
Callaghan wrote:

What did worry me a little, was a largish barge moored on the
downstream side of Westminster Bridge, close to its central arch
They were driving in some large steel tubes using a pile-driver. I
began to wonder just how far away from the tunnel they might be and
how deep it lies under the river bed.

Anyone know what this is all about? I did note Westminister Bridge
seems to be undergoing either a good clean-up, or some maintenance
work is taking place. I would like to know what is ocurring in the
river.

The scour protection around two of the bridge piers is being repaired.
That's the concrete surround to the timber piles the bridge is built
on. Its eroded over the years.

Piles can only be driven within 30m of the underground tunnel at night
time when no trains are running. I forget how deep it is, not very.
That's why "Crisis Command" should have realised there might be a
problem far earlier than they did.

John Haines

Nigel Callaghan wrote:
I stood on the Thames embankment yesterday, outside the old County
Hall Building, just below the steps leading down from Westminister
Bridge. I could feel the vibration of the Jubilee Line trains
passing under the river, between Westminister & Waterloo.

This seems very unlikely.
1. AFAIK the Jubilee Line tunnels run diagonally across the river from
Westminster station to Jubilee Gardens on the downstream side of County
Hall. (There was a shaft from the gardens down to the tunnels during
construction of the line.) I don't know the exact line, but if they
were straight, the tunnels would have been around 200 metres from where
you were standing. John Haines's post suggests they are somewhat closer
than that.

2. The materials and design of the Jubilee Line tunnels would almost
certainly not enable you to feel any vibration even if you were standing
directly over them.

3. With all the vibrations in the area caused by traffic on Westminster
Bridge, equipment being used during the bridge repairs, etc., it would
not be possible for the casual observer to link any vibration he felt
with a tube line or any other invisible source.

What did worry me a little, was a largish barge moored on the
downstream side of Westminster Bridge, close to its central arch
They were driving in some large steel tubes using a pile-driver. I
began to wonder just how far away from the tunnel they might be and
how deep it lies under the river bed.

I don't know the tunnel depth below the river bed. The lower
(westbound) platform at Westminster is 30 metres below ground level.

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

Nigel Callaghan:
I stood on the Thames embankment yesterday, outside the old County
Hall Building, just below the steps leading down from Westminister
Bridge. I could feel the vibration of the Jubilee Line trains
passing under the river, between Westminister & Waterloo.

Richard J.:
This seems very unlikely.
... AFAIK the Jubilee Line tunnels run diagonally across the river
from Westminster station to Jubilee Gardens on the downstream side
of County Hall. ...

Well, then perhaps it was the secret MI6 tube line to Vauxhall Cross
that we saw in "Die Another Day".
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "This is a film of non-stop action
| and non-start intelligence." --Mark Leeper

"Mark Brader" wrote in message
...

Well, then perhaps it was the secret MI6 tube line
to Vauxhall Cross that we saw in "Die Another Day".

.... which sounds implausible, until you realise that the Kremlin is alleged
to have a secret "Metro-2" in Moscow.

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
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