Tunnels from City Station

[Elvis]

There's a whole network of tunnels from the Dental Hospital through to the Millenium Square. They're used by staff at the LGI.

[munki]

Hey Elvis, good to hear you are still alive.What do the staff from the LGI use them for?

[Brandy]

Phill_d wrote: I meant under 'city' square & not the bunker under the 'millenium square' sorry for the confusion munki ive also heard that there are fully functioning changing rooms under millenium square ?? any pictures anyone?

[bigpants]

munki wrote: Hey Elvis, good to hear you are still alive.What do the staff from the LGI use them for? theres a number of tunnels and interesting hidden places in the LGI. I was eststes officer there for a number of years and i will try and dig out some photos.

[munki]

bigpants - yeah! Pictures of tunnels under the LGI would be great if you have got them...Apparently there are some pretty amazing tunnels under the University campus as well. Has anyone out there seen them?

[munki]

Brandy - I've seen the rooms under Millennium Square. Will try to get some pics, though they are sadly not all that exciting! They look like modern offices, but with no windows!

[leedslad83]

i've worked under millenum sqaure and trust me you need a map to get round it's huge

[Old Leo]

LoinerPete has confused two issues. Essentially, the railcars 600, 601 and 602 were an experiment in the use of modern vehicles with improved comfort and performance and with planned space for a greater number of standing passengers. After tests, the cars entered service in August 1954, mainly on route 25 Swinegate - Hunslet, and were withdrawn on 28 September 1957.Although the cars performed reasonably well, reports of the time indicate that passengers preferred sitting to standing and that when the novelty had worn off would let a railcar go by and wait for the next conventional tram on which they could sit!The idea of tram subways across the city centre dates from 1933 but no plans were drawn up until January 1944 when the Council set up a Reconstruction Committee to discuss post-war developments and invited chief officers to report on their plans for the period after the war ended. The General Manager of Leeds City Transport, Mr W Vane Morland, produced a memorandum based on taking the trams off the street in the city centre and putting them underground.Discussion and amendment took place for over a year and by the summer of 1945 the final scheme was sorted out as follows:1. From Headingley and Lawnswood trams entered the subway at Blackman Lane in Woodhouse Lane and ran to Wellington Street via Woodhouse Lane, The Headrow, Briggate, Boar Lane and City Square, emerging in Wellington Street at Queen Street and then via existing surface lines to Armley, Wortley, Stanningley and Kirkstall. Stations were to be in Woodhouse Lane at the top of Great George Street, Briggate and City Square.2. From Moortown, Chapeltown, Roundhay, Harehills and Meanwood the subway was entered at Skinner Lane in North Street and then via North Street, New Briggate, Corn Exchange, Call Lane, New York Street, York Street and Marsh Lane to surface in Marsh Lane near to the Woodpecker junction and then on the existing York Road and Compton Road routes. Stations were to be at the Dispensary in North Street, Briggate, Corn Exchange and in New York Street opposite the Central Bus Station.3. From the south, there was to be a single track one-way loop line beginning in Meadow Lane just to the north of Christ Church junction via Corn Exchange, Briggate and City Square surfacing near to Sovereign Street. Stations would be at the Corn Exchange, Briggate and City Square. This line, which passed under the River Aire, would be at a level about 20 feet lower than the other lines.There is some speculation that some surface lines would have had to remain on Hunslet Lane, Bridge End, Swinegate, Mill Hill and Neville Street.The subway would be in twin tubes of 14 feet internal diameter to take single deck bogie cars 44 feet long, 10 feet high and 7ft 6in wide. The scheme was approved by the Transport Committee in September 1945 but for various reasons quietly faded away.More detailed information, including a plan of the proposed routes, plans for the stations at Briggate, City Square and North Street and an artist's impression of the proposed subway station for City Square, can be found in 'Leeds Transport' Volume 3 by J.Soper and in 'Leeds Trams 1932 - 1959' by Andrew D. Young, both of which books have provided the information above.

[Loinerpete]

Old Leo wrote: LoinerPete has confused two issues. Essentially, the railcars 600, 601 and 602 were an experiment in the use of modern vehicles with improved comfort and performance and with planned space for a greater number of standing passengers. After tests, the cars entered service in August 1954, mainly on route 25 Swinegate - Hunslet, and were withdrawn on 28 September 1957.Although the cars performed reasonably well, reports of the time indicate that passengers preferred sitting to standing and that when the novelty had worn off would let a railcar go by and wait for the next conventional tram on which they could sit!The idea of tram subways across the city centre dates from 1933 but no plans were drawn up until January 1944 when the Council set up a Reconstruction Committee to discuss post-war developments and invited chief officers to report on their plans for the period after the war ended. The General Manager of Leeds City Transport, Mr W Vane Morland, produced a memorandum based on taking the trams off the street in the city centre and putting them underground.Discussion and amendment took place for over a year and by the summer of 1945 the final scheme was sorted out as follows:1. From Headingley and Lawnswood trams entered the subway at Blackman Lane in Woodhouse Lane and ran to Wellington Street via Woodhouse Lane, The Headrow, Briggate, Boar Lane and City Square, emerging in Wellington Street at Queen Street and then via existing surface lines to Armley, Wortley, Stanningley and Kirkstall. Stations were to be in Woodhouse Lane at the top of Great George Street, Briggate and City Square.2. From Moortown, Chapeltown, Roundhay, Harehills and Meanwood the subway was entered at Skinner Lane in North Street and then via North Street, New Briggate, Corn Exchange, Call Lane, New York Street, York Street and Marsh Lane to surface in Marsh Lane near to the Woodpecker junction and then on the existing York Road and Compton Road routes. Stations were to be at the Dispensary in North Street, Briggate, Corn Exchange and in New York Street opposite the Central Bus Station.3. From the south, there was to be a single track one-way loop line beginning in Meadow Lane just to the north of Christ Church junction via Corn Exchange, Briggate and City Square surfacing near to Sovereign Street. Stations would be at the Corn Exchange, Briggate and City Square. This line, which passed under the River Aire, would be at a level about 20 feet lower than the other lines.There is some speculation that some surface lines would have had to remain on Hunslet Lane, Bridge End, Swinegate, Mill Hill and Neville Street.The subway would be in twin tubes of 14 feet internal diameter to take single deck bogie cars 44 feet long, 10 feet high and 7ft 6in wide. The scheme was approved by the Transport Committee in September 1945 but for various reasons quietly faded away.More detailed information, including a plan of the proposed routes, plans for the stations at Briggate, City Square and North Street and an artist's impression of the proposed subway station for City Square, can be found in 'Leeds Transport' Volume 3 by J.Soper and in 'Leeds Trams 1932 - 1959' by Andrew D. Young, both of which books have provided the information above. Apologies for the confusions, The info that i had came from a publication called "changing Leeds" in the late 60`s. It said that 3 railcars, 600 which was an an ex sunderland car, and 2 brand new Roe built cars in Royal purple, would be the first cars in use for the planned Leeds subway system and there was a cutaway diagram of the hub in city square. If i can find the article in my parents loft i will scan it in.

[Phill_d]

Sam wrote: There is a tunnel leading from The Queen's Hotel at the station, right up to the Town Hall - it's to allow the Lord Mayor to evacuate the Town Hall in times of emergency, apparently, and head to his suite at The Queen's. I was told this by an employee at The Queen's, although how true it is I am not sure! I think this tunnel refered to under City square from the Queens hotel is the remains of the old Kings mill goit/tunnel that ran from the river at this point. The Queens hotel foundations were built over it & the boiler room sits in the very spot where the mill stream ran. It then ran diagonally downwards towards Kings mill that stood where the old Queens hall tram shed was & emerged near to Leeds bridge and further down by the parish church. The mill goit was a complex system of underground tunnels controlled by 2 dams around the dark arches, High dam & Bondam dam. Evidence of this tunnel was discovered when the tram sheds were demolished. Before the waterfront was redeveloped in the 1990s an archeoligical dig was carried out & the remains of the 18/19th centuary tunnels were found along with timber work dating back to medievel times. The Kings mill goit is apperently old enough to appear in the doomsday book.