Bridge bashing

[Michael Hodgson]

I used to see horse drawn narrow boats when I was a lad although most were diesel powered. 

They didn't have to do anything special at bridges though as the towpath runs through the arch on one side of the Bridgewater Canal

[Hobby]

There are various special bridges, on our local, The Staffs and Worcs, they have a slit down the middle of the foot bridges at the deep end of the locks so the rope can go down the middle and the horse draw the boat out, sometimes called a split bridge. Then there's the Turnover Bridge or Roving Bridge which allows the horse to swap from one side of the canal to the other without unhitching...

 

(Both Wiki)

[Derekl]

2 hours ago, kevinlms said:

Why unhitch the horse when there is this marvellous invention?

 

https://www.core77.com/posts/109086/Clever-Bridge-Design-Lets-Horses-Pulling-a-Barge-Cross-the-Canal-Without-Untying-Them

That was my point - canal builders went to enormous lengths to avoid the need to unhitch the horse - those bridges are quite common at junctions, but they do not seem to have done so here.

I think it likely that it was a split bridge, as noted below - they are also common on the Stratford Canal, but has been replaced

[Derekl]

And on another topic, and more or less on topic for a change, for those interested, Modern Railways Railtalk this month is a plea for action on bridge strikes, complete with a picture of the Tesco delivery lorry under the bridge east of Plymouth, unfortunately taken from the rear, so it is not readily apparent that it is stuck.

[eastglosmog]

Back off topic on the canal bridges of the Montgomeryshire canal, to the best of my knowledge, the bridges with cast iron girders spanned the towpath as well as the channel - see the third piccy down on this page: https://www.montgomerycanal.co.uk/fourcrossesp3.html

which is bridge 97.  Bridge 151 probably looked similar before it was lowered.

[Reorte]

On 21/09/2021 at 14:40, Derekl said:

That was my point - canal builders went to enormous lengths to avoid the need to unhitch the horse - those bridges are quite common at junctions, but they do not seem to have done so here.

I think it likely that it was a split bridge, as noted below - they are also common on the Stratford Canal, but has been replaced

Several roving bridges further down my local canal (the High Peak), although the junction near the top end of it (Bugsworth /  Whaley Bridge end) just has an iron footbridge and a tunnel under the canal for the horses. The ramp down to the tunnel is now a handy access for Tesco. The story goes that the horses were so used to it that they could be unhitched and left to walk down, through, and back up the other side without being lead; presumably the crew had to drag the boat across by hand using the footbridge.

[birdseyecircus]

This popped up on my Facebook feed so grabbed a screen shot. I tried to find a link to it but unsuccessful. 

I wasn't sure which thread to but it on this one or the one in preservation re the filming!!

Paul

 

[rab]

1 hour ago, birdseyecircus said:

This popped up on my Facebook feed so grabbed a screen shot. I tried to find a link to it but unsuccessful. 

I wasn't sure which thread to but it on this one or the one in preservation re the filming!!

Paul

 

The tables are turned.

Instead of lorry hitting railway bridge,

it's train hits road bridge.

[Hobby]

Still the same reason though, lorry driver going under a bridge which was too low. To be fair it's most unusual for those guys to get caught out like that, some red faces at the head office of the haulage company who planned the route I would think! 

[SHMD]

I'm guessing the coach looked like that before the bridge strike (for or as a result of filming), OR is all that misshapen bodywork a result of the bridge strike?

 

 

Kev.

 

[corneliuslundie]

This is a more typical height for a bridge on the Montgomery Canal, again near Newtown. One needs to duck if on the towpath. But I have never yet struck it with my head.

 

Jonathan

[2mm Andy]

3 hours ago, SHMD said:

I'm guessing the coach looked like that before the bridge strike (for or as a result of filming), OR is all that misshapen bodywork a result of the bridge strike?

 

 

Kev.

 

 

I think this was the reason for the carriage being the shape it was on the lorry;

 

 

Andy

 

Edited September 23, 2021 by 2mm Andy

[corneliuslundie]

And it said on the news that it had a police escort.

And definitely already bent:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-58668155

Jonathan

[PhilJ W]

Was it a real coach or just a prop?

[Michael Hodgson]

Aren't continental coaches Out of Gauge on most of our railway and higher than UK stock?  I could understand a haulage contractor choosing the route based on what he thought the maximum height for British stock should be.

[Mike Bellamy]

 

A different photo on the local news site - and reader's comments suggest that as it was under police escort, then the Constabulary is to blame for selecting that route  . . . . . . 

 

Click Here for Link

.

[Busmansholiday]

I'd guess that undamaged it would fit under with a few inches to spare. The damage has caused it to be bent upwards at the front increasing it's height. It doesn't explain why somebody didn't check the height at the quarry, or even why they didn't just cut it up for scrap on site.

[Bucoops]

Even with a police escort, surely the driver is ultimately responsible for the load? Although there would definitely have to be some questions asked about the role of the escort.

[eastwestdivide]

On all those endless Ch5 documentaries, the professional lorry drivers check the actual height of their load with a big stick before setting off, rather than rely on a theoretical height

[Kris]

Apparently there has been some works happening on the road, I wonder if these have changed the height of the bridge. 

[Michael Hodgson]

It may be a train that hit a road bridge, but it's still lorry tyres that you let down to extract it.

[kevinlms]

2 hours ago, eastwestdivide said:

On all those endless Ch5 documentaries, the professional lorry drivers check the actual height of their load with a big stick before setting off, rather than rely on a theoretical height

Or someone else's wild guess!

[younGGuns7]

2 hours ago, Kris said:

Apparently there has been some works happening on the road, I wonder if these have changed the height of the bridge. 

Resurfacing the roundabout on the opposite side to this, under the bridge hasn't been touched so that should be discounted

[br2975]

3 hours ago, Mike Bellamy said:

 

A different photo on the local news site - and reader's comments suggest that as it was under police escort, then the Constabulary is to blame for selecting that route  . . . . . . 

 

Click Here for Link

.

 

Other sources suggest the damage was not caused by a bridge strike as shown - but in a 70' drop into a quarry during filming.

[37114]

4 hours ago, Busmansholiday said:

I'd guess that undamaged it would fit under with a few inches to spare. The damage has caused it to be bent upwards at the front increasing it's height. It doesn't explain why somebody didn't check the height at the quarry, or even why they didn't just cut it up for scrap on site.

The front of that trailer is the lowest part so if the front wasn't going to go under then no way would any other part of the carriage. I guess there were planning/environmental restrictions that prevented disposal on site.