The Anonymous Widower

We Think We Have Problems With Rail Viaducts

Some of the most impressive structures on the UK’s railways are the Victorian brick viaducts.

• Digswell Viaduct on the East Coast Main Line at Welwyn.
• Dollis Brook Viaduct is the highest point on the London Underground.
• Dutton Viaduct on the West Coast Main Line.
• Imberhome Viaduct is on the Bluebell Railway.
• Kingsland Viaduct is my local viaduct on the East London Line.
• London Bridge – Greenwich Railway Viaduct in South East London is one of the oldest.
• London Road Viaduct on the East Coastway Line in Brighton
• Ribblehead Viaduct on the Settle to Carlisle Line is regularly featured in newspapers, often with steam trains on the top.
• Royal Border Bridge on the East Coast Main Line at Berwick-on-Tweed is Grade 1 Listed.
• Sankey Viaduct was built in the 1820s, is Grade 1 Listed and is considered the earliest major railway viaduct in the world.
• Stockport Viaduct is the largest brick structure in the UK.
• Welland Viaduct is on the Oakham to Kettering Line.

All of this small selection are still in use on the railways and are Grade II Listed or better.

Many have been renovated at great expense in the last few years and I was prompted to write this post after reading this article on the Network Rail web site, which is entitled Bridges improvement plan for Cheshire will revitalise landmarks. This is said.

Network Rail will refurbish four bridges and two viaducts during an 11-day closure of the Crewe to Manchester and Sandbach to Northwich railway lines, from 13 to 24 February 2016.

The vital work will make the railway safer and more reliable for passengers, motorists, pedestrians and canal users across the county.

Two of Cheshire’s most well-known architectural landmarks, the Grade-II listed viaducts at Holmes Chapel and Peover, will have a full makeover as part of the programme. Water stains on the walls of both viaducts will be removed, damaged brickwork repaired and both structures waterproofed.

At the same time, Network Rail engineers will undertake strengthening work to the Hungerford Road bridge in Crewe, Shipbrook Road bridge in Rudheath, and to the Whatcroft underbridge and the Trent and Mersey Canal bridge in Davenham.

In some ways all this work is a tribute to those Victorian engineers and bricklayers, who designed and built them in the first place.

But it’s an awful lot of work to do!

So I asked myself, if these structures are a uniquely British heritage.

Google and Wikipedia revealed this article about the Göltzsch Viaduct on the Liepzig-Hof Line in Germany. This is said.

It is the largest brick-built bridge in the world, and for a time it was the tallest railway bridge in the world.

As you can get a direct train from Liepzip to Hof, I think, it is still one very much in use.

I think next tme, that I’m in the area, I shall visit.

February 21, 2016 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Architecture, Germany, Structures, Trains