Bridge plate info

[lae150]

Thought I'd ask the experts! Anyone know where this is from or any info on it? I can see it's British Railways Midlands but struggling to see anything else like it.
I'm assuming it's a bridge plate.
Thanks in advance

 

[32475]

I’d say almost definitely yes to it being a bridge plate. I don’t collect them but I’ve seen similar at railwayana auctions

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Are they normally coloured in, in yellow, or has someone been busy with the enamel paint?

 

[pdeaves]

Are they normally coloured in, in yellow, or has someone been busy with the enamel paint?

It is a bridge plate. I understand this could plausibly be in original colour but equally it may have been 'decorated' (they are often just black and white).

 

[8A Rail]

Yes definitely a bridge plate but they were always painted White background with black lettering and the circular bands too. I seem to remember there were some the reverse way too? However, I suspect this one has been repainted with an incorrect colour (i.e. yellow). The other thing with 'plates', the back of them must be untouched and in original condition too.

As for the location of the bridge plate, most railway / road bridges were they interchange with a road / railway were all numbered and majority of those numbers still apply to day with Network Rail. So it a case of knowing were all the '42A' bridge's where in the London Midland and you 'may' get an idea were is was located.

I do have three LMS bridge plates, No 14, No 21 and No 27A, the first two were the house number I resided at. The '27A' although an LMS plate, it has reference to L&Y 'Bank Hall' Steam Shed which was coded '27A' hence why I have it.

 

[AVK17]

Yes definitely a bridge plate but they were always painted White background with black lettering and the circular bands too. I seem to remember there were some the reverse way too? However, I suspect this one has been repainted with an incorrect colour (i.e. yellow). The other thing with 'plates', the back of them must be untouched and in original condition too.

I don’t know if it applied historically on the BR but the current Network Rail standard is for bridge identification plates to have a white background for a structure owned by the railway and a red background for structures owned by another authority (typically a trunk road operator like National Highways).

 

[lae150]

Thanks everyone, really interesting!

 

[pdeaves]

the back of them must be untouched and in original condition too.

Only if you want to sell at maximum price to collectors. If you want to do something nice with your own property for your own use, that is your prerogativ.

 

[edwin_m]

So it a case of knowing were all the '42A' bridge's where in the London Midland and you 'may' get an idea were is was located.

Unfortunately they numbered them by each line of route, not uniquely across the whole London Midland, so there are many sites it might have come from. The fact it has a letter suffix may help a bit - the original numbering was just digits and A, B etc were used if new bridges were added between existing ones - so some routes may just go from 42 to 43.

There are records internal to the industry that list bridge numbers on current routes, but as far as I know nothing available to general public. And if either the route is closed or the bridge has been removed, then they may not appear on current records.

 

[MisterSheeps]

and majority of those numbers still apply to day with Network Rail

who also, helpfully, now put the 3 letter engineers line reference on

 

[8A Rail]

Unfortunately they numbered them by each line of route, not uniquely across the whole London Midland, so there are many sites it might have come from. The fact it has a letter suffix may help a bit - the original numbering was just digits and A, B etc were used if new bridges were added between existing ones - so some routes may just go from 42 to 43.

There are records internal to the industry that list bridge numbers on current routes, but as far as I know nothing available to general public. And if either the route is closed or the bridge has been removed, then they may not appear on current records.

What you say above is all correct and I am aware but I was just giving a general guide. Likewise bridge 42A may not be there anymore but bridge 42 remains on whatever line that has more than 42 bridges. As I indicated in my reply I wrote the word 'may'. The only definite way of knowing if the person who owns a bridge plate actually knows where it came would be at the time of purchase / acquired direct or from the third party involved in the transaction.

 

[pdeaves]

Some bridges (selection of open lines only) available on http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/bridges/bridges0.shtm, in case that is helpful.

 

[Ploughman]

Some plates are to be found in yellow, maybe not the official colour.
Just depends on what paint is in the van when a gang is given the job of highlighting lineside furniture.

 

[Beebman]

There's a full list of NR bridges and their numbers in an Excel file which is available at the following link as a result of an FOI request in 2016:

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/bridges_managed_by_network_rail_2

I can see three '42A's but the only one on an ex-BR LMR line AFAICS is on the line with the ELR of WBS3 which according to the Railway Codes site is the Windsor Bridge North Junction (Salford Crescent) and Southport Line:

http://www.railwaycodes.org.uk/elrs/_mileages/w/wbs3.shtm

The bridge is described on the spreadsheet as a 'Watercourse' at 32m 704y. This would put it close to Pool Hey Jct between Bescar Lane and Meols Cop. However the plate may well be from somewhere else.