Broomhouse Tunnel was on the
Midland Main Line between
Chesterfield and
Sheffield. It was built by the
Midland Railway in 1870 on what is known to railwaymen as the "New Road" to Sheffield. This bypassed the
North Midland Railway's original line, which came to be known as "Old Road", and which had avoided Sheffield due to the
gradients involved, se
topographical map of the Sheffield area
Broomhouse Tunnel was 92 yards long, through a narrow ridge a mile past Sheepbridge. It was opened out to become a
cutting in 1969 (see ''Railway Magazine'' July 1969 p. 409, plus (picture) Nov 1969 p. 636).
The line diverged just north of
Chesterfield at
Tapton Junction with a steady three and a half mile climb at 1 in 100, through
Sheepbridge
Old Whittington is a village in the Borough of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, England. Old Whittington is north of Chesterfield and south-east of Sheffield. The population of the Old Whittington ward at the 2011 Census was 4,181. The village li ...
and
Unstone stations, before a short drop to
Dronfield. From there, it climbed to the summit before
Bradway Tunnel thence to what would become the junction through
Dore and Totley and the
line to Manchester, continuing to
Beauchief.
External links
The tunnel on an OS map (1930)
{{coord, 53.2748, -1.4388, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title
Rail transport in Derbyshire
Railway tunnels in England
Tunnels completed in 1870
Midland Railway