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

[Scholar Gypsy]

1 minute ago, PeterScott said:

 

 

 

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 ...

There is also a combined bridge at Queenborough,  on the Swale.

[David Mack]

There was a combined road and rail bridge across the Connaught Crossing between the Royal Albert and Victoria Docks in London, the railway now passing beneath in a tunnel. 

Probably other rail swing bridges elsewhere within the London Docks system.

And a few in Liverpool's docks.

[Cheshire cat]

What about the Ulverston canal draw bridge. No longer needed but an interesting piece of history 

[Captain Pegg]

4 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

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??

There’s at least one on the Norwich to Lowestoft line (IIRC) and I think there may be more on the East Suffolk and Yarmouth/Lowestoft lines (not including Trowse in Norwich).

 

There are five moving bridges in Wales, although all are now fixed. They are at Barmouth, Hawarden, Neath, Carmarthen and…

 

I can’t remember the last one but I’m sure there are five. There’s also one shared bridge, Pont Briwet.

 

 

ETA - I think both ends of the Caledonian Canal pass under swing bridges. Clachnaharry (Inverness) you’ve identified but also Banavie at  the western end.

 

Edited December 25, 2022 by Captain Pegg

[ditchcrawler]

18 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

There’s at least one on the Norwich to Lowestoft line (IIRC) and I think there may be more on the East Suffolk and Yarmouth/Lowestoft lines (not including Trowse in Norwich).

 

There are five moving bridges in Wales, although all are now fixed. They are at Barmouth, Hawarden, Neath, Carmarthen and…

 

I can’t remember the last one but I’m sure there are five. There’s also one shared bridge, Pont Briwet.

 

 

ETA - I think both ends of the Caledonian Canal pass under swing bridges. Clachnaharry (Inverness) you’ve identified but also Banavie at  the western end.

 

But ours dont swing when its hot, cold or during a rail strike

[Captain Pegg]

10 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

But ours dont swing when its hot, cold or during a rail strike

Correct, they haven’t been swung in hot weather for years because of the risk they may not fit back in the space they vacated.

Edited December 25, 2022 by Captain Pegg

[MtB]

So, it looks like the Oxford swing bridge IS unique, just like all the others. 

 

 

[ditchcrawler]

4 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

Correct, they haven’t been swung in hot weather for years because of the risk they may not fit back in the space they vacated.

Years ago they use to put shorter sections of rail on so bigger gaps to allow for the expansion

[PeterScott]

34 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

... Caledonian Canal pass under swing bridges. ... Banavie at  the western end.

 

 

below Neptune's staircase

[Captain Pegg]

15 minutes ago, MtB said:

So, it looks like the Oxford swing bridge IS unique, just like all the others. 

 

 

Well, yes. It’s a unique swing bridge, not a unique canal bridge. As you say, every bridge is unique if you go into enough detail.

[MtB]

8 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

Well, yes. It’s a unique swing bridge, not a unique canal bridge. As you say, every bridge is unique if you go into enough detail.

 

 

I'd guess it is certainly unique in having had £1m spent on restoring it after it was decommissioned!

 

 

[David Mack]

This, just posted by @PeterScott, is another opening rail bridge.

 

[Scholar Gypsy]

Here's the one on the River Hull, although I am not sure if trains still go over it.  I believe the last regular commercial traffic along the Hull has just come to an end.

[Captain Pegg]

1 hour ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

Here's the one on the River Hull, although I am not sure if trains still go over it.  I believe the last regular commercial traffic along the Hull has just come to an end.

The railway is still used. It’s the freight branch to Hull docks.

[Scholar Gypsy]

5 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

The railway is still used. It’s the freight branch to Hull docks.

Thanks,  I was getting rather confused by the Wikipedia pages on bridges in Hull.. I think there are two adjacent bridges, one still in use. 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Hull#River_crossings

Edited December 26, 2022 by Scholar Gypsy

[Scholar Gypsy]

3 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

Thanks,  I was getting rather confused by the Wikipedia pages on bridges in Hull.. I think there are two adjacent bridges, one still in use. 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Hull#River_crossings

PS the photo above is of the disused Wilmington  railway bridge, now a footpath. The next one upstream carries the railway to the docks. 

Edited December 26, 2022 by Scholar Gypsy

[PeterScott]

 

Selby Railway Bridge Yorkshire Ouse Photo by ©  AlanMurray-Rust 24Dec2011

[Athy]

12 hours ago, MtB said:

So, it looks like the Oxford swing bridge IS unique, just like all the others. 

 

 

nah, it's just fairly unique, not very unique.

[PeterScott]

 

 

 

 

 

Boston Harbour River Witham.  Another million pound would help this one ...

 

 

 

and a traindriver's view by  ©  Alan Murray-Rust from 19Nov2014

Edited December 26, 2022 by PeterScott
extra pic

[GUMPY]

Has anyone actually had the Oxford bridge opened for them?

I remember the warnings about needing to have it opened but it was not in use by the time I got there.

[Captain Pegg]

15 minutes ago, PeterScott said:

 

 

 

 

 

Boston Harbour River Witham.  Another million pound would help this one ...

That’s an active bridge between the main line exchange sidings and the docks. The wagons for a daily steel train to/from Wolverhampton travel over it hauled by the docks shunter.
 

Presumably it’s kept open to river traffic due to the small number of rail movements.

[PeterScott]

30 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Has anyone actually had the Oxford bridge opened for them? ...

We arrived in Oxford late on the evening of Monday 5th July 1971 with three hireboats full of enthusiastic students, knowing we couldn't pass through that evening. We spent the next day, after a 4am start, heading to Lechlade through Duke's Cut. On return, (all in a day as required by the Conservancy's day-pass in those days) by which time it was getting late again, we had the bridge opened for us:our organisers knew where to go to arrange it, having done it before ...

[GUMPY]

27 minutes ago, PeterScott said:

We arrived in Oxford late on the evening of Monday 5th July 1971 with three hireboats full of enthusiastic students, knowing we couldn't pass through that evening. We spent the next day, after a 4am start, heading to Lechlade through Duke's Cut. On return, (all in a day as required by the Conservancy's day-pass in those days) by which time it was getting late again, we had the bridge opened for us:our organisers knew where to go to arrange it, having done it before ...

I'm glad to see someone has. 

[magpie patrick]

There is one on the tidal Ouse, but I don't know which one, where the swing span opened for a ship one Christmas Eve and the ship went through a different span....

[Captain Pegg]

16 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

There is one on the tidal Ouse, but I don't know which one, where the swing span opened for a ship one Christmas Eve and the ship went through a different span....

That was probably Goole. It was significantly damaged by collision and I think has been hit more than once.

 

Travelled over it by train a few weeks ago. No plans to be going under it by boat, ever.

Edited December 26, 2022 by Captain Pegg