For those that like big railway bridges

[KeithMacdonald]

Here's a fascinating vintage railway film - "Railway bridge across the Thames - 1968" - on how the Grosvenor Bridge was rebuilt while still in use.

 

Quote

This vintage railway film, commissioned by British Railways in 1968, documents the technical triumph of rebuilding a bridge while trains continue over it and boats travel underneath requires deep-sea divers, cofferdams and overloaded barges - no mean feat. Grosvenor Bridge between Battersea and Pimlico was originally known as Victoria Railway Bridge, and in 1968 it was said to be the busiest railway bridge in the world, with 1000 trains crossing it every day.

 

 

 

[Oldddudders]

The Chief Civil Engineer, A. H. Cantrell, stepped down in the wake of the Hither Green accident enquiry .

 

In mid-1967, Dorman Long's Foreman was struck by a train on the bridge. I do not know whether the injury was fatal. 

[adb968008]

Ive seen this video before.

 

interestingly it refers to a spare line.

 

on the East side of the bridge today there is a span in place for an extra running line that is not in place.

it is instead a headshunt rising up alongside the carriage sidings but stops just before the bridge.

 

There is some local pressure to have this span fenced off as a foot path over the thames connecting to the new Battersea park developments.

Edited June 29, 2022 by adb968008

[Wickham Green too]

That's pressure from local train spotters, I guess ........ it's not exactly a long way round by Chelsea Bridge !

[Oldddudders]

Back in the '80s, the people behind Alton Towers had ambitious plans to turn Battersea Power Station into a theme park. Their green cred relied upon some sort of rail link, but it was tough indeed to see how Victoria might have coped with substantial contra-flows of such people, typically arriving and returning in the face of the morning and evening peaks, or platformed their trains. 

 

A while later they had a passion for using Coester-principle trains. Yes, but...

 

The theme park was probably feasible. The public transport element, essential for planning permission, was never going to be so. 

[Artless Bodger]

2 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

Back in the '80s, the people behind Alton Towers had ambitious plans to turn Battersea Power Station into a theme park. Their green cred relied upon some sort of rail link, but it was tough indeed to see how Victoria might have coped with substantial contra-flows of such people, typically arriving and returning in the face of the morning and evening peaks, or platformed their trains. 

 

A while later they had a passion for using Coester-principle trains. Yes, but...

 

The theme park was probably feasible. The public transport element, essential for planning permission, was never going to be so. 

I remember some stuff about that proposal in the magazines of the time, iirc the idea was for a shuttle emu (fancy artist's impression fantasy artwork) which would have tv screens instead of windows so the passengers could start their fantasy adventure from the time they stepped onto the train. I think the initial gutting of the power station was done for this before the scheme died, leaving the shell derelict for years with internal bracing fitted to stop it falling down.

[Bucoops]

*I like big bridges and I cannot lie*

 

Oops, sorry that wasn't supposed to be sung out loud.

 

Can you imagine it these days? 18 months of total closure probably.

[kevinlms]

It should be noted that the engineers for this bridge reconstruction (Freeman Fox and Partners), were also in charge, when the bridge collapsed in Milford Haven, Wales and the Westgate Bridge, across the Yarra in Melbourne, Australia.

[adb968008]

15 hours ago, Wickham Green too said:

That's pressure from local train spotters, I guess ........ it's not exactly a long way round by Chelsea Bridge !

Theres umpteen new developments around the power station.

 

Theres a london vogue right now to copy New York by taking over elevated railways that are abandoned and turn them into Greenways.

 

Theres another proposal to put a green elevated walk by Camden to York Road as well alongside the existing line.

 

 

[96701]

13 hours ago, Bucoops said:

*I like big bridges and I cannot lie*

 

Oops, sorry that wasn't supposed to be sung out loud.

 

Can you imagine it these days? 18 months of total closure probably.

No. Network Rail can still change bridges fairly quickly and can also refurbish existing bridges and viaducts without stopping trains from running. Don't mention Gipsy Patch Lane.