Forth Bridge becomes a World Heritage Site

[Railsigns]

The Forth Bridge has been awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO.

BBC News article

 

[PaxVobiscum]

I welcome this news; but not the BBC's spelling of the last word in the article:

There are now more than 1,000 World Heritage Sites across the globe, in 161 countries.
Of these, 29 are British, including the Tower of London, the Giant's Causeway and Stonehendge (sic).

Can we now look forward to reading about the "Fourth Bridge" in future articles?

EDIT: Now fixed, I'm glad to see.

 

[Mag_seven]

The Forth Bridge has been awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO.

BBC News article

On the other hand this could be bad news as any work on it (e.g. future electrification structures) could now be subject to draconian planning and consents processes. Sometimes we need to be careful what we wish for.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Fascinating that the original bridge ownership was 35% North British, 30% Midland and 17.5% each Great Northern and North Eastern.
After grouping that became 70% LNER and 30% LMS.
The steel came from Siemens (England) and Martin (France).

I find it odd that this structure is the first UK railway UNESCO world heritage site.
Structures by the Stephensons, Locke, Brunel and others are much older and at least as worthy.

Also the listing is not always a one way street.
Dresden recently lost its world heritage site status, after the city built a new bridge over the Elbe and (in the view of UNESCO) spoilt the view of the baroque buildings.

 

[me123]

Fantastic to see the bridge awarded with this status, which is wholly deserved. I still love passing over the Forth Bridge - there's something spectacular about it. The views, combined with the architecture and history of the bridge itself, make it a special treat on my way back home, and I do (slightly) envy those who get to commute over it on a daily basis.

It's a Scottish icon, a magnificent feat of British architecture, and certainly one of the most photogenic bridges I can think of.

Well deserved, and fantastic news.

 

[yorksrob]

I'm surprised it wasn't already.

Always think of Richard Hanney climbing out and making a run for it.

 

[overthewater]

I do (slightly) envy those who get to commute over it on a daily basis.
.

Dont tell the commuter that

Its good news about this award.

 

[edwin_m]

I do (slightly) envy those who get to commute over it on a daily basis.

Travelled over and back every schoolday for three years, usually in the front saloon of a DMU with an amazing view through all the girders. A well-deserved accolade indeed. Will it affect the proposals for a visitor centre and top-of-girder walks?

 

[TheKnightWho]

Travelled over and back every schoolday for three years, usually in the front saloon of a DMU with an amazing view through all the girders. A well-deserved accolade indeed. Will it affect the proposals for a visitor centre and top-of-girder walks?

And, importantly, electrification in the next 10 years?

 

[70014IronDuke]

I'm surprised it wasn't already.

Always think of Richard Hanney climbing out and making a run for it.

Quite. The bridge is certainly magnificent, I fully agree it should be noticed by the world - the problem is I don't agree with the whole money-making, rubber-stamp racket that is Unesco World Heritage.

What they ought to be doing is detective work to find heritage sites and cultural treasures which are under threat and then working like billio to ensure such things are safe and get legal government protection.

That, of course, would a) not make any money and b) make Unesco controversial for the right reasons.

Instead, it's a gravy train, with well-funded operations falling over themselves to ingratiate themselves with Unesco and gain world-heritage status - all in order to rake in the extra tourism revenue.

Why on earth does Stonehenge need Unesco to say it's a historic site of global rankings? It's plain bloddy obvious.

Why should the folks who are actually respondible for Stonehenge spend their time and money seeking such status?

Meanwhile, wonderfully precious operations, but which either don't have the money, or want to spend their time doing more useful work, never get a sniff at Unesco status.

In Britain, I'd offer up Bekenskot model village(s) as a prime example. There must be hundreds of others in the UK alone. In places where the rule of law is less reliable, and local oligarchs abound - there must be thousands of sites and cultural events.

 

[WatcherZero]

Also the listing is not always a one way street.
Dresden recently lost its world heritage site status, after the city built a new bridge over the Elbe and (in the view of UNESCO) spoilt the view of the baroque buildings.

Like in Liverpool where councillors always want to develop the skyline but are continually having to be told by council officers that they would lose the listing for the three graces if they did.

 

[NotATrainspott]

The UNESCO report says that electrification and the visitor centre proposals were suggested by those in charge of the application as some of the development that could happen within the boundaries of the site. The report doesn't then mention electrification again, caring much more about the visitor centre and ensuring there aren't any wind turbines nearby, so I think Network Rail are safe to plough ahead with wires.

 

[TheKnightWho]

The UNESCO report says that electrification and the visitor centre proposals were suggested by those in charge of the application as some of the development that could happen within the boundaries of the site. The report doesn't then mention electrification again, caring much more about the visitor centre and ensuring there aren't any wind turbines nearby, so I think Network Rail are safe to plough ahead with wires.

I imagine the biggest barrier will be how they'll actually manage it. I can see a solution being a conductor rail, with carefully placed/coloured insulation where needed.

Good to hear that World Heritage status doesn't necessarily present an obstacle to development though.

 

[backontrack]

I agree with what others have said, but it's hardly equal to other sites e.g Neolithic Orkney. Still a fabulous structure mind.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I'm surprised it wasn't already.

Always think of Richard Hanney climbing out and making a run for it.

Not that he did in the book...

 

[yorksrob]

I agree with what others have said, but it's hardly equal to other sites e.g Neolithic Orkney. Still a fabulous structure mind.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Not that he did in the book...

I think a major piece of industrial engineering is as important in terms of world heritage as a neolithic site.

That the author forgot to put the forth bridge scene in the book was a major oversight IMO.

 

[snowball]

I imagine the biggest barrier will be how they'll actually manage it. I can see a solution being a conductor rail, with carefully placed/coloured insulation where needed.

It's a pretty meaningless discussion until we see a diagram with dimensions, but it has been suggested on here that the problem with electrifying the bridge is not the wires but the clearance between the diagonal girders and the ends of the pantograph of a passing train.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I find it odd that this structure is the first UK railway UNESCO world heritage site.
Structures by the Stephensons, Locke, Brunel and others are much older and at least as worthy.

There's a campaign to get the Stockton & Darlington chosen as one by 2025.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Always think of Richard Hanney climbing out and making a run for it.

Not that he did in the book...

That the author forgot to put the forth bridge scene in the book was a major oversight IMO.

Yes, John Buchan really should have asked for the forum's views before writing the book!!

 

[backontrack]

I think a major piece of industrial engineering is as important in terms of world heritage as a neolithic site.

That the author forgot to put the forth bridge scene in the book was a major oversight IMO.

Erm, the book was written first...

 

[Monty]

What is quite interesting that they have awarded the accolade to a structure that technically isn't completed. They haven't finished painting it yet.





Okay okay a very poor joke but it's good to see such an iconic structure receive some international recognition.

 

[me123]

A particularly poor joke considering that... they did finish painting it some time ago.

 

[snowball]

Quite interesting that they have awarded it to a structure that technically isn't completed. They haven't finished painting it yet.

The continuous painting actually ended two or three years ago, when they finished coating it with a special paint that is expected to last 10 years. [Edit: time overlap with me123.]

And if we're going to get pedantic about Richard Hannay we should spell him correctly.

 

[Western Lord]

I can't wait for somebody to start complaining about the fact that parts of our rail network are so old that they can be world heritage sites! I am sure I read somewhere a few years ago that Network Rail were keen that the London-Bristol line gain world heritage site status as that would mean that they could not electrify it.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes, John Buchan really should have asked for the forum's views before writing the book!!

It's a jolly good scene - he should have thought of it first and the book would have been better

 

[Monty]

A particularly poor joke considering that... they did finish painting it some time ago.

The continuous painting actually ended two or three years ago, when they finished coating it with a special paint that is expected to last 10 years. [Edit: time overlap with me123.]

I was aware they had 'finished' painting the bridge a number of years ago but I couldn't resist it. The saying 'Painting the Forth bridge' is as almost as old as the structure itself.

 

[QueensCurve]

On the other hand this could be bad news as any work on it (e.g. future electrification structures) could now be subject to draconian planning and consents processes. Sometimes we need to be careful what we wish for.

For the most part the wires could perhaps be cantilevered off the existing structure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLvSWDgYCu8

The approach ramps would still need portals though but.

 

[edwin_m]

For the most part the wires could perhaps be cantilevered off the existing structure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLvSWDgYCu8

The approach ramps would still need portals though but.

You could probably fix some headspan wires to convenient girders, and the whole lot would be virtually invisible amongst all the other metal work - especially if those red ceramic insulators are still available.

 

[telstarbox]

I'd like to think that the bridge's Victorian designers would be happy to see their structure 'upgraded' with the available contemporary railway technology.

 

[Class 170101]

What is quite interesting that they have awarded the accolade to a structure that technically isn't completed. They haven't finished painting it yet.

What worries me more about this painting job is that NR won't have the skills in 10 (or however many) years to go back and repaint it because all the people involved have left and not passed their skills on. Bit like electrification really.

 

[najaB]

What worries me more about this painting job is that NR won't have the skills in 10 (or however many) years to go back and repaint it because all the people involved have left and not passed their skills on. Bit like electrification really.

That's probably not the case, NR has plenty of bridge painting/restoration projects going on - the Tay Bridge has been going since at least 2005 and looks like it's got a couple of years left to go.

 

[Johnuk123]

What worries me more about this painting job is that NR won't have the skills in 10 (or however many) years to go back and repaint it because all the people involved have left and not passed their skills on. Bit like electrification really.

I'm quite sure in 10 years time we will have people capable of a painting a bridge, it might be big but it's only a bridge.