h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Alex,

There is firmly believed to be, a Post Office tube railway in Manchester, in addition there are much later built,underground Shelter tunnels from the City Centre to To the University.

There are still tunnels and wartime shelters underneath London Road Station, it was accessed from platform eleven but the entrance is now covered over. This is the exact spot where several contractors were killed during the so called renovations, when scaffolding overloaded with men and glass fell from the very high roof area onto the platform.

Now the Victorian wonders of engineering that were below the mainline station are destroyed, and the pathetic remnants of this once great station renamed Manchester Piccadilly.

There were at the time, perfect examples of pollution free energy working efficiently until the 1960's. When the railway wagons were not only lifted out of the lower level from the goods yard and loading decks below to the high level behind London Road, by guess what! " go on then I will tell you,"Water power!"

Not only was the constant heavy volume of traffic lifted by water power linked to the canal system, but the wagons were also shunted into position by water powered capstans.

Where on earth is there any other modern invention to compare? It was a perfectly reliable, free energy, with absolutely no pollution or remnants to clear up afterwards.Goodness know how the mess created by the very expensive atomic energy will be cleared up, if ever?

There was also a cabbies canteen in the centre of the approach, it acted as a traffic island and vehicles from the horse drawn cabs of old to the modern diesels flowed round it in an orderly fashion. Now chaos reigns supreme even with the very limited traffic.

Despite the fact that it was a listed building of great interest, it was demolished, so too was the great Victorian canopy on the station front. This was designed and built at great expense to keep passenger dry during the normal Manchester showers, now who cares if the passengers get wet as they dismount from their modern transport. I actually do have a highly treasured photograph of the legendary Louis Armstrong standing under this canopy in 1960 chatting to, guess who?

The Deansgate area of the City is completely undermined by underground Victorian tunnels, linking the railways, the canals and the river.Some of the tunnels have been reopened for tourists, and the very first passenger station Booking Office in the world, Liverpool Road Manchester has access and a great view of part of the system.

Thanks for a great read, well researched and brilliantly explained.

Cheers H.