Bailey Bridges in the UK

[25901]

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4040378

[Joseph_Pestell]

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4040378

Not a thing of beauty. But use of pre-fabricated structures such as this would surely enable new/re-opened stations to be built at a much more reasonable price.

[melmerby]

Not a thing of beauty. But use of pre-fabricated structures such as this would surely enable new/re-opened stations to be built at a much more reasonable price.

A prime example of quick build stations (but not Bailey pattern) was Workington North which was built following the devaststing flooding in just 6 days.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workington_North_railway_station

 

Keith

Edited September 27, 2016 by melmerby

[Mike Riley]

Not a thing of beauty. But use of pre-fabricated structures such as this would surely enable new/re-opened stations to be built at a much more reasonable price.

Bailey bridging is expensive compared with permanent bridges with the same load capacity.

[mike50001]

i found this one in chesterfield strengthening an old railway bridge,  not sure if it ever had rails over it as it had a smooth deck.

[CWS86]

Hello, I’ve read this thread with interest as we have a 30m span Bailey bridge on our farm road.

It’s currently plated at 32t and we’d be interested in upping the weight limit. Does anyone know where Bailey parts might be sourced in the UK? Mabey bridges only make their own design and the parts aren’t interchangeable.

 Thanks 

[CWS86]

 

[melmerby]

What about the Temporary footbridge over the Spalding line at Werrington Junction used during the current works while a normal bridge was being rebuilt?

[Pandora]

On 26/08/2016 at 16:50, Oldddudders said:

By the 1980s, the bridge had been accepted by the Regional Civil Engineer as a permanent structure, whatever the definition of its design. The 1976 introduction of the new Flydown may have prompted some works at the London end of the structure. 

The Lewisham "Army" Bridge showed signs of failing and a weight restriction for traffic imposed,  the vertical support members were encased in concrete,  I think the work was carried out during the Christmas period of December 2019. 

I believe the first or prototype Bailey Bridge is located over the River Don at Sheffield,  a plaque recording the event on the riverside walk from Sheffield Victoria over the Spider Bridge towards Rotherham.

The Airfix Girder  bridge kit,  is it a Bailey Bridge or a freelance design?

[Nearholmer]

1 hour ago, CWS86 said:

It’s currently plated at 32t and we’d be interested in upping the weight limit.

Have you had a structural engineer assess it?

 

I ask because the weight limit could arise from one of several features of the bridge, and, assuming you can get parts, the limiting featues(s) will dictate what parts you need, and whether you need to strengthen or widen the bearing structure at the ends.

[PhilJ W]

7 minutes ago, Pandora said:

The Airfix Girder  bridge kit,  is it a Bailey Bridge or a freelance design?

Airfix made two girder bridges in 00 scale neither of which is a Bailey bridge. One was the railway bridge now made by Dapol and the other was a pontoon bridge intended for wargamers.

[Nearholmer]

I’d always assumed that the Airfix pontoon bridge was hinting at Bailey, without actually being a model of one. 

[CWS86]

8 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Have you had a structural engineer assess it?

 

I ask because the weight limit could arise from one of several features of the bridge, and, assuming you can get parts, the limiting featues(s) will dictate what parts you need, and whether you need to strengthen or widen the bearing structure at the ends.

Hello, yes a structural engineer appraised it a couple months ago and they have a Bailey manual so that’s where the 32t comes from. He said it was possible to add more sides on top of the existing ones to get a higher rating but we’re unable to find any. 

[PhilJ W]

Engineering companies have often used Bailey bridges where a temporary bridge was required such as raising overbridges to accommodate OHLE. I'm not sure as to whether or not they still use it or whether they will sell any.

[CWS86]

I think due to the age of the bridges many would have been scrapped by now. There’s still bound to be some lying somewhere but finding them is difficult apparently 

[Nearholmer]

Yes, I think they’ve been superseded by modern equivalents like the Mabey system and some sort of nato standard military trestling.

 

Good luck with the hunt - what about putting an ad in New Civil Engineer?

[woodenhead]

Found one in Boothstown over the Bridgewater Canal, was stood on it a few weeks back.

 

 

Never pretty, are they!

[Engineer]

I don't think this one has been mentioned in the thread, though it has no railway relevance.

Prototype bridge, now installed in the marshes near Christchurch.  I made a visit for interest and to have a look at close quarters, nearly a decade ago:

 

 

 

 

 

In addition, there was a section on display on a Christchurch roundabout, near the site of the development establishment:

 

[Fat Controller]

There are still a few scattered around mainland Europe (notably in France and Italy), and even one or two in use. They were also used further afield; a neighbour's father spent most of his Army career teaching people how to design and install them. When he retired, he simply transferred to the Department of Oversea Development and carried on with what he had been doing.

[PhilJ W]

There is a footbridge in use that once was an RAF 'Queen Mary' aircraft transport trailer. All that was done was to remove the wheels, ramp and gooseneck and drop it into place.

[Barry O]

On the Salisbury Plain Training Area in the early 1980s if you crossed a road at Tank Crossing Vector you then drove over a Bailey Bridge signed for 40T max loading.. erm.. a Challenger was at least 62T.. and we drove over that bridge twice a day for some time during trials.. indeed Chieftains (about 55T) and other tracked Afvs used it as a regular route..

 

 

Baz

[burgundy]

4 hours ago, Engineer said:

I don't think this one has been mentioned in the thread, though it has no railway relevance.

Prototype bridge, now installed in the marshes near Christchurch.  I made a visit for interest and to have a look at close quarters, nearly a decade ago:

 

In addition, there was a section on display on a Christchurch roundabout, near the site of the development establishment:

 

The establishment was known as MEXE - the Military Engineering Experimental Establishment - subsequently a part of MVEE and all now part of history. 

I believe that the replacement was the Medium Girder Bridge. 

Best wishes 

Eric   

[stewartingram]

Might it be worth contacting the Army? Not a silly offer, they might well still have expertise, and an offchance they might stage an exercise based on checking it out, or even repairing it?

 

Stewart

[montyburns56]

20 hours ago, CWS86 said:

Hello, I’ve read this thread with interest as we have a 30m span Bailey bridge on our farm road.

It’s currently plated at 32t and we’d be interested in upping the weight limit. Does anyone know where Bailey parts might be sourced in the UK? Mabey bridges only make their own design and the parts aren’t interchangeable.

 Thanks 

 

Well Mabey and Johnson bought the rights to the original Thos Storey designs in the 90s, so perhaps they may know somewhere that has a few bits lying around.

 

[PhilJ W]

6 hours ago, Barry O said:

On the Salisbury Plain Training Area in the early 1980s if you crossed a road at Tank Crossing Vector you then drove over a Bailey Bridge signed for 40T max loading.. erm.. a Challenger was at least 62T.. and we drove over that bridge twice a day for some time during trials.. indeed Chieftains (about 55T) and other tracked Afvs used it as a regular route..

 

 

Baz

But tracked vehicles have a lower ground pressure so the weight is spread.