Drakelow - WW2 Underground Aero Engine Factory

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Drakelow is essentially a grid of tunnels, excavated in WW2 as a "Shadow" factory for Rover to manufacture Aero engines and components. It made numerous Bristol Radial engines.

After WW2, it was decommisoned and selected to become the Regional Seat of Government for Area-9 in the 1960's, to be activated in the event of a nuclear war.

It was again refurbished in the 1980's, as the Regional Head Quarters for Area-9.

It now lies derelict.

For more details: http://www.stokes277.freeserve.co.uk.../drakelow.html

Entrance (one of several)



Time Keeping shelter, then it became the Security Lodge



A typical tunnel, they are all much the same, hence only a single picture



Kitchens from the Rover era, some more modern equipment

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Coat Hooks





Cold War Exercise



Commodore Pet 200 8096 (c1981)

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clock



chart rolls for air conditioning (dated back to 1969)



electric trolley



main ventilation fan



main fan motor room and access



Lamson tubes for vacuum messages



Another Commodore Pet 200 8096 and attractive mould growing



BBC Studio ready to announce the end of life as we know it

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Mould in the BBC area



disciplinary notice



tea urn



cold war offices



cold war ladies sinks

[PNK]

Amazing place. Now a computer museum by the looks of it

[Edward C]

did you see the mercury arc rectifier on the charger for the electric buggies? Its a cool place i visited tail end of last year

[PETERTHEEATER]

The Lamson Tube pneumatic delivery system for documents brings back childhood memories. Many large department stores used the system for transmitting retail customer cash to a central cashier and cash change and receipts.

[buccaneer66]

Peter

Some modern supermarkets still use the tubes to send cashfrom the checkouts to accounts.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Really? I must be leading a sheltered life unexposed to the UK system. Makes sense as it minimises the available cash to opportunity bandits. There was/is an interlock on the dispatch 'breech' that prevents operation unless the thing is locked but sometimes it fails and you get your own back