When it was opened in 1878, Queensbury Tunnel was the longest on the Great Northern network at 2,501 yards. Eight shafts were sunk during construction - one as deep as 379 feet - and five were eventually used for ventilation. The section of line from Holmfield to Queensbury West, which encompassed the tunnel, shut up shop on 28th May 1956. Since then, the 26 feet wide bore has hosted experiments by Leeds and Cambridge Universities.