"Unique swing railway bridge over the Thames saved after years of neglect"

[David Mack]

OK, not actually over the Thames...

 

 

[GUMPY]

Nice to see it working again 

However

Since it doesn't actually connect to anything, wonder how long it will be until its derelict again.

 

 

[furnessvale]

Given that there are other railway swing bridges in the UK, what makes this one "unique"?

[Machpoint005]

It's the only one... there.

 

 

[Ronaldo47]

Perhaps because it is operated by hand rather than by electricity? 

[alan_fincher]

Back when it was still in operational use...

 

 

[MtB]

Great video Alan, but where are all the CMers?! 

 

 

[Athy]

I hope it wasn't used too often: it must have been labour-intensive, what with having to install and them remove the fishplates each time a rain crossed it.

[MtB]

22 minutes ago, Athy said:

I hope it wasn't used too often: it must have been labour-intensive, what with having to install and them remove the fishplates each time a rain crossed it.

 

Looking at the paint finish on the gears in the video, it doesn't look as though it has been operated more than about once since spending the £1m restoring it. 

 

I know there are no railway lines either side but it seems a shame not to be having demonstration days at least!

[alan_fincher]

50 minutes ago, Athy said:

I hope it wasn't used too often: it must have been labour-intensive, what with having to install and them remove the fishplates each time a rain crossed it.

 

It was not unusual to have railway swing bridges that required a team of men to unbolt fish plates an to reinstate them afterwards.  Also it was probably the case that signalling wires had to be detached, and then set up again afterwards.

 

Without thinking too hard, I can come up with two examples on fairly famous crossings.

 

1) Langstone Bridge on the crossing to Hayling Island from the mainland., (bridge long since closed).

 

2) Barmouth Bridge spanning the Mawddach estuary, (railway line still open, but swing bridge not still operational).

[NB Alnwick]

At over over £1m, one might just ask why? I would suggest that if restoration or conservation was really necessary, there are a good number number of heritage railway workshops that could have done that job for a fraction of the cost and been glad of the work,

Edited December 23, 2022 by NB Alnwick

[Scholar Gypsy]

13 hours ago, Athy said:

I hope it wasn't used too often: it must have been labour-intensive, what with having to install and them remove the fishplates each time a rain crossed it.

 

That could have been us on that 1970s video, though sadly  it isn't.  I remember spending quite a bit of time wandering around the sidings looking for someone to open the bridge for us....

[Tony Brooks]

I seem to recall that in the 70s and before it was opened when required for boat traffic so was closed for most of the time. Remember, especially in the late 60s and early 70s a narrow boat on the Thames attracted spectators they were so rarer. Only   maybe 2 or so a year past Maidenhead.

[Scholar Gypsy]

1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

I seem to recall that in the 70s and before it was opened when required for boat traffic so was closed for most of the time. Remember, especially in the late 60s and early 70s a narrow boat on the Thames attracted spectators they were so rarer. Only   maybe 2 or so a year past Maidenhead.

Yes, you are right. Even at weekends it was normally closed.  

[magpie patrick]

 

On 23/12/2022 at 10:00, Athy said:

I hope it wasn't used too often: it must have been labour-intensive, what with having to install and them remove the fishplates each time a rain crossed it.

 Canal guides of the 60s and 70s recommended navigation via Duke's Cut due to the delays whilst waiting for this bridge to be opened 

[MtB]

2 hours ago, magpie patrick said:

 

 Canal guides of the 60s and 70s recommended navigation via Duke's Cut due to the delays whilst waiting for this bridge to be opened 

 

One wonders why it is (was) a swing bridge at all give the presence of the alternative route off the Thames onto the Oxford.

[David Mack]

6 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

One wonders why it is (was) a swing bridge at all give the presence of the alternative route off the Thames onto the Oxford.

Public right of navigation?

[MtB]

17 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Public right of navigation?

 

I was more wondering about why, when they built the Oxford, they cut two channels to the Thames. Presumably one was not enough. 

 

Or did they cut Duke's Cut because the damned swing bridge was kept in the closed position and delayed the carrying boats, perhaps? 

[ditchcrawler]

Would there have been any other trade from the Thames in to below Isis lock, mills etc.?

[MPR]

2 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Would there have been any other trade from the Thames in to below Isis lock, mills etc.?

Seem to recall there was a paper mill that made very fine paper for bibles.

[Scholar Gypsy]

2 hours ago, MtB said:

 

I was more wondering about why, when they built the Oxford, they cut two channels to the Thames. Presumably one was not enough. 

 

Or did they cut Duke's Cut because the damned swing bridge was kept in the closed position and delayed the carrying boats, perhaps? 

The Duke's cut was built by the Duke of Marlborough in 1789, not part of the Oxford canal I think. Built to link to Upper Thames and to Wolvercote Mill. Many years before the railway..

 

[Heartland]

The Dukes Cut was a link between the Oxford Canal and the Thames north of Oxford. This crossing railway bridge, started as the Buckinghamshire Railway was part of one of the London & Birmingham Railway extensions that terminated at Rewley Road but also made the junction with the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway. The Oxford Branch became part of the London & North Western Railway during construction. And yes Robert Stephenson was the engineer. Full marks to the narrator for that! There was also a branch railway to Banbury. and presently part of the line is under reconstruction.

 

It is however hard to call this bridge unique as swing bridges exist elsewhere over navigations.

[Scholar Gypsy]

7 minutes ago, Heartland said:

The Dukes Cut was a link between the Oxford Canal and the Thames north of Oxford. This crossing railway bridge, started as the Buckinghamshire Railway was part of one of the London & Birmingham Railway extensions that terminated at Rewley Road but also made the junction with the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway. The Oxford Branch became part of the London & North Western Railway during construction. And yes Robert Stephenson was the engineer. Full marks to the narrator for that! There was also a branch railway to Banbury. and presently part of the line is under reconstruction.

 

It is however hard to call this bridge unique as swing bridges exist elsewhere over navigations.

Inverness, Selby, Goole, Hull, Boston, Norwich. Vazon is a sliding not a swing bridge. Sutton Bridge no longer carries a railway. 

 

Disused lift bridges at Keadby, Deptford Creek.

 

Any more??

Edited December 25, 2022 by Scholar Gypsy

[BEngo]

Sharpness, high and low level, once upon a day.

N

[PeterScott]

1 hour ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

I...  Any more??

 

 

 

at the entrance to Preston Dock

 

 

as a road/railway swing bridge, I wondered if there were any more of these. I think there was another in Hull Docks ...