Footbridge attached to brick railway bridge?

[ed1234]

Hello all

 

I am in the middle of researching a diorama being the Dinmore Tunnel (south end) and the first couple of hundred metres of line towards Hereford (past the old Dinmore station). I think I have found virtually every online image of this short section of track.

Anyway - at the southern end of this section of line are a pair of bridges at different levels. There are very few images of these bridges, but here's the best one I found (via Facebook, of all places).

 

 

On the other side of the far bridge, there is a footbridge that links a footpath to the old Dinmore station. The footbridge survives - here's the best picture I have of it: 

 

 

And from the other angle (1984 shot from Jamerail on Flickr):

 

 

As best as I can tell, this bridge must be somehow supported by brackets attached to the side of the bridge. There is no pier in the middle of the river, and the arch of the railway bridge appears to be the width of the track and the side of the track only - i.e. the footbridge doesn't have its own arch, but relies on the main bridge for its support.

 

Does this sound right? If so, are there any similar examples nearby that I could use as inspiration? Unfortunately I live about 4,000 miles from the bridge so research trips are out for a little while!

 

Any thoughts gratefully received. And if anyone has ever done the walk and taken meticulous pictures... well you'd be a lifesaver.

 

Edited July 3, 2018 by ed1234

[Joseph_Pestell]

I can't think of an example on a railway bridge. But it is not uncommon on road bridges where the roadway is not wide enough for vehicles and a pedestrian footway.

[Guy Rixon]

It's not a brick bridge, but Charing Cross railway bridge has a foot way on cantilevers.

[jonny777]

I know there is a footbridge at Winnersh, by the station; because the road bridge is narrow, but I can't remember if it is attached or not.  

[Reorte]

Corby Bridge (viaduct over the Eden at Wetheral) has a footbridge alongside. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4233792 gives a bit of an idea of how it's fixed on. I know it's nowhere near Dinmore though (and stone rather than brick) so may not be much help.

Edited July 3, 2018 by Reorte

[Coach bogie]

Barmouth Bridge

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?safe=strict&hl=en&biw=1536&bih=875&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=m0Q7W8z5IeuWgAae_ILoCA&q=barmouth+bridge&oq=barmouth+bridge&gs_l=img.3..0l4j0i7i30k1l2j0i24k1l4.34918.37296.0.38219.8.8.0.0.0.0.66.476.8.8.0....0...1c.1.64.img..0.8.475...0i10i24k1.0.R9Ixg98T5Bo#imgrc=WK8vwrB_B2_BfM:

 

The viaduct to the west of Brent station is a stone viaduct (well two actually built next to each other) and it has a suspended pathway for railway workers on the north side.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[Joseph_Pestell]

It's not a brick bridge, but Charing Cross railway bridge has a foot way on cantilevers.

 

I had thought of Hungerford Bridge but, as you say, that's rather different being attached to girders. As a child,, I used to be quite scared walking across there as it moved a lot as trains passed.

 

It's been rebuilt since and supported quite differently.

[The Stationmaster]

I know there is a footbridge at Winnersh, by the station; because the road bridge is narrow, but I can't remember if it is attached or not.  

 

Completely separate - much later construction than the brick overbridge so far simpler to put in something separate and it also means the railway don't have any maintenance (or anything else) liability.

[Zomboid]

It's not a totally improbable arrangement. The platforms at Waterloo East are cantilevered from the viaduct, for example.

[ed1234]

Many thanks all. I shall return to my school days mantra: if in doubt, make it up. Fortunately I'm currently at the '3D model in SketchUp' phase rather than putting knife to plasticard, so can play around until I find something that looks convincing.

[jamie92208]

There was something like this at Lancaster where the WCML crosses the Lune then the ex Midland route to Morecambe, then an A road, all at different levels and a footpath went all the way from the south bank to the banking between the Midland route and the A road.   There is still a bridge there at the moment but that is a modern replacement, This photo shows it.

It's processor was more interesting.

And here's an engineering drawing of it.

Hope that these are of interest.  One day I'm going to build that footbridge as part of a scenic break on Green Ayre, the main bridge already exists 

 

Jamie

Edited July 3, 2018 by jamie92208

[Caledonian]

Some similar footbridges on Tyneside. At Benton Station both the railway and the footpath share the same bridge over Station Road. In this case steel girder with stone abutments and the two separated only by a paling fence. Further to the east both the footpath and the track cross the ECML. The current footbridge is an entirely separate structure but the original as I recall was as closely parallel to the railway bridge as it was possible to go without actually being married.

 

On the other side of the river at Hebburn Station the track was crossed by the very imaginatively named Station Road bridge. In this case, however the station footbridge although an entirely separate structure was attached to the side of the stone road bridge. Although the footbridge, along with the rest of the original station, has now gone the scars are still very clearly seen on the roadbridge stonework

[SM42]

Have you tried contacting Network Rail?

 

They may have some plans of the bridges in their archives.

 

Andy

[KeithHC]

Another bridge with footbridge is Charfield on the Bristol Gloucester line. This bridge is where the 1928 accident happened.

 

Keith

[009 micro modeller]

The bridge over the River Ouse in York that carries the Scarborough line also has a pedestrian walkway along one side, accessed by steps from the riverside paths.

[Compound2632]

I have the impression that metal lattice footbridges alongside narrow brick overbridges were quite common on Midland lines but that may be just because I walked across one such daily on my way to and from school - at the bridge where Wylde Green Road crosses the Wolverhapton, Walsall & Water Orton line. This is an instance where the footbridge is at an angle to the road bridge. 

 

On the Reading, Guildford & Reigate line, in addition to the one mentioned at Winnersh, there are a pair either side of the narrow Church Road bridge in Earley.

 

For an example of a wooden footbridge actually attached to a brick railway bridge, there's the bridge over the mouth of the Kennet, on the Great Western line just east of Reading.