This image shows the early type of motive power that was in use and, as far as I know, is not shown elsewhere. A typical underground construction train consisting of flatbed wagons stacked with sacks of cement and bentonite clay (followed by empty muck wagons not shown) heading for the TBM. The loco was designed to operate either from overhead power supply (pantograph shown folded down behind driver's cab next to the orange light) or from the large onboard batteries. At the time of this shot battery-power was in use due to salty water dripping in from the tunnel crown making the catenary system inoperable. Another similar loco was marshalled on at the rear end of the consist. Thus, if one were very sneaky, I mean careful, one could get an (unofficial) hurl in the empty cab to save the hour of walking back to the Marshalling Area but one still needed to climb out of the tunnel up the steep ramp see image 76831.
This type of loco was the predecessor of the Hunslet electric locos which took over the underground haulage later in the project see the background of Colin's image 50172

Location: Channel Tunnel Shakespeare Cliff

Original line: Channel Tunnel (Eurotunnel)

Photographer: Charlie Niven

Contact photographer: Charlie Niven

Contact editor

Date: 26/01/1989

Image number: 77420

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