tunnels

[dougie79]

Never knew that. Right enough it is well out of the way. Did they catch him?

[cheesylion]

Ibrox Rapist?

I don't recall that and Google is no help. Do you remember any more about this?

Onny, the Daily Record ran an all week thing a few months ago (Nov/Dec?) on various Scottish crimes and criminals and I remember this being ran then. Don't remember any of the details other than it being the 70s (I think), but if you check their pages out you might find something?

[Dexter St. Clair]

I recall the case and I believe the victim was taking a short cut. It might be a bit early for the newsuk.co.uk site.

[Josef]

Eh?

[Dexter St. Clair]

newsuk.co.uk is an online library of newspaper articles. However it only goes back to when the newspapers started to archive the articles on computer. The case referred to was in the late seventies early eighties so it is unlikely to appear in the online archive.

On reflection the recent reference should be there.

[dougie79]

Did a little bit of digging and found this:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/newsf ... -19957672/

[Dexter St. Clair]

Did a little bit of digging and found this:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/newsf ... -19957672/

Good digging. Reg is a bit melodramatic.

[onyirtodd]

Did a little bit of digging and found this:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/newsf ... -19957672/

Thanks dougie79. I'd missed this story altogether.

[onyirtodd]

Did a little bit of digging and found this:

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/newsf ... -19957672/

Good digging. Reg is a bit melodramatic.

Ain't that the truth. I much prefer David Leslie's style.

[Fossil]

off topic

[onyirtodd]

off topic

Fair call but it was Dex who NUJ'd it in this direction.

[dougie79]

This maybe should just be a wee message to everyone who goes tunnel or any exploring in out of the way places, just to take extra care. When I think back of the times Ive went into tunnels on my own and nobody knew I was there. Think extra care should be taken. Think my heavy duty torch could do some damage.

[Buzby]

I've read this thread with interest, but cannot find any mention of this genuinely 'Secret' tunnel. From information that I have been able to piece together, it was built as a private wayleave by the Glasgow Telephone Company (later GPO > PO Telephones > BT). It runs from the junction of Hanover & Cathedral Streets, under the Glasgow-Edinburgh rail line and along the alignment of Bath Street to the Junction with Pitt Street, there the tunnel takes a 90 degree turn southward and terminates in the sub-basement of the original Pitt Street telephone exchange.

The purpose of the tunnel was to provide a route to telephone cables and possibly other services. The tunnel IS large, and can allow a landrover to traverse the full distance - a vehiclular lift complete with winch was contained within the tenament block that used to lie on the west side of Hannover Street. Once demolished, a bedraggled red-standstone 'shopfront' appeared to remain - behind the roller shutter was the lift. After the construction of the Buchanan Galleries project, this building was replaced with a more modern, corrougated grey metal structure with sloping roof. It still features a large roller door to allow vehicular access, and a pedestrian door which is always locked.

There are no other obvious signs as to who the bulding belongs to, although in 2005 I did see a BT van drive out and the door close automatically behind it.

Whilst I can fully appreciate the reason for its distant end (at Pitt Street) being a telephone exchange - the Glasgow Telephone Company's first exchange was DOUglas, located in the former Hope Street Post Office at Renfrew Street, a long way from Bath Street (unless there is a spur).

Can anyone throw light on this?

[dougie79]

My father works for BT and sometime ago he took me down into part of the tunnels at dial house at the end of bothwell street. Your right in saying that you can drive a land rover or van along them. For security I wasnt allowed to walk too far and couldnt get pics, i did notice quite a few junctions with other tunnels leading off in all directions. We drove up to the lift shaft near the buchanan galleries and went down on the lift. I remember it seemed to take ages to get down. At the bottom the tunnel split into 3, one heading up towards the royal infirmary, one heading down towards george square and the other heading back up towards charing cross. Im trying to get another visit Im waiting on my father sorting it out. I always remember a really stange noise down there, it was almost like there were animals darting about way in the distance. Ill try and sneak my camera in with me next time.

[Buzby]

Thanks for that confirmation - clearly the Hanover Street access point is the primary access (and possibly mid-point) of the structure, as it clearly doesn't 'end' there. I wonder if this mysterious tunnel at the Royal is the eastern termination of it?