Building the GWR
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One of the most spectacular features of the Great Western Railway was Box Tunnel. Stretching for two miles between Bath and Chippenham underneath Box Hill, it was the longest tunnel in Britain.
Built over five years, at its height the project employed 4,000 men. The tunnel opened in 1841. It is claimed that Brunel aligned the tunnel so that the sun would shine through it on his birthday, April 9. Opinions vary as to whether this story is true!
The Great Western Railway reached far beyond Bristol into Devon and Cornwall. Another new bridge was required to cross the River Tamar at Saltash.
It was opened by Prince Albert on 2 May 1859, and although it is officially named the Royal Albert Bridge, for many people it is simply known as the Brunel Bridge. The Royal Albert Bridge actually used some of the ironwork from the abandoned Clifton bridge project.
This new South West rail network was perfect for carrying the mail. To speed the journey of the Travelling Post Office a special apparatus was built at the side of the track and onto the side of the train which allowed mail bags to be transferred to and from moving trains. Mail trains could now thunder down Brunel’s tracks without needing to stop, and the post reached Bristol and the West in record time.
