Ribbon is cut on tunnel memorial
A MEMORIAL to the ten men who lost their lives constructing Queensbury tunnel was formally opened on Sunday.
Work on Queensbury Tunnel began in May 1874 and involved the excavation of 180,000 cubic yards of rock - some of which was used to build parts of the tunnel’s lining - as well as the manufacture and placement of around 5.2 million bricks to form the arch. But the perilous work was undertaken without any of the health and safety precautions found on modern engineering sites, resulting in a significant toll on the 600-strong workforce.
To honour those who lost their lives, the Queensbury Tunnel Society has erected a memorial comprising two rows of wooden railway sleepers which stand either side of the path linking the Great Northern Railway Trail to the tunnel entrance. They are each dedicatas ed to one of the men and have QR codes on the back, linking to online biographies. The materials were mostly donated by the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, whilst the preparation and installation work was carried out by supporters of the campaign to reopen the tunnel part of a Bradford-Halifax Greenway. A grant for the work was secured from the Bradford Connecting People fund.
Dozens of people gathered in the tunnel’s northern approach cutting for a ceremony to formally inaugurate the memorial.
The event was opened by Revolution - Queensbury Youth Band and included a short reading about the ten men, whilst Black Dyke Mills Folk Club performed a specially-written song.
Norah McWilliam, leader of the Queensbury Tunnel Society, said: “We cannot allow the valiant efforts of those men to be lost through a lack of ambition. It may be 143 years old, but Queensbury Tunnel remains a vital strategic connector and we’ll need it as we emerge into a greener and more enlightened future.”
It may be 143 years old but Queensbury Tunnel remains a vital strategic connector