32 years ago - Summit Tunnel fire

Photo: Fire West Yorkshire

Thousands of gallons of petrol burned sending flames hundreds of feet in the air via the ventilation tunnels

The Summit Tunnel, which is located between Littleborough and Walsden, suffered a very serious fire on 20 December 1984 when a fully loaded tanker train became derailed.

Thirteen tankers containing petrol caught fire and thousands of gallons of petrol burned sending flames hundreds of feet in the air via the ventilation tunnels.

The fire took four days to burn itself out as temperatures rose well above 1,500 degrees Celsius - hot enough to melt brickwork, steel and weld tanker wagons to the rails.

The tunnel, which is Grade 2 listed, was repaired with concrete.

Summit Tunnel is one of the oldest railway tunnels in the world, and was once the longest ever of its kind. It was built between 1838 and 1841 by the Manchester and Leeds Railway beneath the Pennines.

The tunnel was opened by Sir Frederick Smith, Government inspector of railways, on Monday 1 March 1841. It had cost £251,000 and claimed 41 lives.

James Wood, chairman of the Manchester & Leeds Railway laid the first brick in August 1838.

Summit Tunnel Repair Gang in 1900

The tunnel had a workforce of between 800 and 1,250 men and boys, aided by about 100 horses and 13 stationary engines used mainly for hauling excavated material out of the shafts. Inside it, every piece of rock was hewn with hand tools by candlelight. The railway track was originally laid directly onto chunks of the excavated rock but later more traditional wooden sleepers were used. The rocks weren't wasted though — they were used to construct part of Blackpool Promenade.

Despite its age, the tunnel has been continuously used for passengers and goods since it opened.