Goole swing bridge

[mike57]

Yesterday a train at our local station was delayed by over 30 mins, and on checking the reason it was 'due to a bridge being open for river traffic' and it was the swing bridge at Goole, where 20+ minutes were lost. Given the fact that most trains at our local station pass through Goole it the first time I have seen this happen so something unexepected must have happened yesterday.

How is the swing bridge managed, and who controls priorities?

 

[John Webb]

Navigation rights along rivers were usually established long before railways were invented and began to cross rivers, so when railways did cross rivers they either had to cross at a height leaving clearance for ships, or in the case of a swing bridge, agree in their Act that shipping had the priority. There is also the practical matter that ships on a river cannot stop as easily as a train and so again the bridge needs to be opened for a ship - if only to ensure said ship doesn't bump into the bridge.
Indeed, I have a book which looks at Network Rail's traditional signal boxes and the entry on Goole Swing Bridge box, which NR operate, says that the bridge has suffered two serious collisions from ships, one of which in December 1973 closed the bridge and line for 7 months!

 

[mike57]

says that the bridge has suffered two serious collisions from ships

I have a vague memory that the Goole route to Doncaster from Hull was nearly closed for good due to damage to the bridge from shipping and the need for extensive repairs due to age.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Be right in saying that there are normally four trains an hour crossing over Goole Bridge (two trains each way) so presumably there must be an optimum "window" each hour (possibly on or around the top of the hour) when the bridge can be opened for river traffic without delaying trains, so ordinarily passengers won't ever be affected. Looks like something was slightly out of kilter yesterday.

Believe the bridge is operated by Network Rail staff (this on the basis that when there was a brief period of industrial action a couple of years ago, the Canal & River Trust put out a notice, that boats requiring the bridge to open or needing headroom advice wouldn't be able to pass underneath during the 1 day period in question).

 

[mike57]

possibly on or around the top of the hour

Looks to be a gap from around xx:55 to xx:25 most hours, with both the fast and stopping services between Hull and Doncaster almost crossing at Goole

 

[Efini92]

There was a spad some years ago at Goole. The signal was at danger because the bridge was open to river traffic. It amused that it stated “it took four conversations with the signaller before the driver admitted he’d passed the signal at danger”. God loves a tryer

 

[3RDGEN]

The river traffic has priority and the bigger ships will go on the high tide so if there's a train due it's stopped, the river traffic was there first. There was a bit about the bridge on the last series of "The Architecture the Railways Built" which visited the bridge and demonstrated it swinging but they said it now opens very infrequently.

I have a vague memory that the Goole route to Doncaster from Hull was nearly closed for good due to damage to the bridge from shipping and the need for extensive repairs due to age.

BR issued a notice to close the Goole to Gilberdyke line in 1983/84 due to the cost of repairs to the swing bridge, Humberside County Council made an agreement with BR to contribute £800,000 towards the claimed £2 million repair costs and BR then withdrew the closure notice in 1985.

 

[Royston Vasey]

There was a spad some years ago at Google. The signal was at danger because the bridge was open to river traffic. It amused that it stated “it took four conversations with the signaller before the driver admitted he’d passed the signal at danger”. God loves a tryer

Was the search engine going superfast through signal 404?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

AutoCorrupt strikes again?! Talking of which, over the years, Goole Swing Bridge seems to have had just as many, if not more, bashes than the majority of town centre, low height clearance, railway line overbridges.

 

[edwin_m]

As part of a project a few years ago I had a discussion to establish how a moveable bridge somewhere else was operated. By agreement with the harbour, ships would arrive or depart at a specific time in the hour that suited the train timetable. Arriving ships had nowhere safe to anchor for several miles on the approach to the bridge, so they would test the bridge by opening and closing it before confirming that the ship could pass the anchorage. If, despite that, the bridge wouldn't open as the ship approached then they'd have to run it aground!

 

[Efini92]

Was the search engine going superfast through signal 404?

Ha ha yeah must have been. Autocorrect got me again.

 

[Dr Hoo]

When I worked on the Southeastern Dovision with British Rail the Kingsferry lift bridge to the Isle of Sheppey was a lot busier that it is now. It was operated a bit like a ‘ground frame’ released from Sittingbourne’s early power signal box. Shipping traffic to Ridham Dock was significant. One afternoon there was a local power failure and we alerted the marine authorities. A ship needed to pass in particular tidal conditions and we had to raise it on the backup diesel generator, which took half an hour in itself, well in advance.

 

[AlbertBeale]

River traffic having priority covers not just rail but road. So, eg, Tower Bridge in London is obliged to open to allow ships to pass under; though in recent years the rules have required ships to give quite a bit of notice (perhaps by the previous day) rather than just turning up. But if the notice is given, the bridge must open at the requested time.

 

[Crossover]

Selby Swing Bridge is similar - river traffic has priority over the rail traffic, I believe

 

[MikePJ]

Having been a boatowner in the past, it's quite common for moving bridges to have a "preferred" opening time that suits the bridge operator, so pleasure craft are often told "please be ready at xx:05 or xx:35 for the bridge to open" or some other similar arrangement. With commerical vessels and tidal waterways it's often necessary for the vessel operator to contact the bridge operators in advance and say that they need the bridge opened at a specific time. Years ago I took my narrowboat up the Manchester Ship Canal and was asked by Vessel Traffic Control if they needed to swing the bridges for me. Much as I was tempted to say yes, I said that no, the boat would easily fit underneath them all!

 

[Ploughman]

Working on a renewal in Selby Stn we had to make sure the bridge was able to be swung at an hour's notice.
This to allow any Ballast trains enough time to be able to move clear.

As far as Goole is concerned, I had to spend a cold February night on the bridge with the span swung open.
It was Bl#### cold that night.

 

[Gloster]

River traffic having priority covers not just rail but road. So, eg, Tower Bridge in London is obliged to open to allow ships to pass under; though in recent years the rules have required ships to give quite a bit of notice (perhaps by the previous day) rather than just turning up. But if the notice is given, the bridge must open at the requested time.

In May 1997 Bill Clinton’s motorcade was split in two because the bridge was being opened for the Thames sailing barge Gladys. The barge was on time, the motorcade not…so, Mr President, you will have to wait.

 

[WF4HA5HE]

Yesterday a train at our local station was delayed by over 30 mins, and on checking the reason it was 'due to a bridge being open for river traffic' and it was the swing bridge at Goole, where 20+ minutes were lost. Given the fact that most trains at our local station pass through Goole it the first time I have seen this happen so something unexepected must have happened yesterday.

How is the swing bridge managed, and who controls priorities?

Google bridge is managed by network rail and under the control of Goole Bridge signal box which is located on top of the Bridge. The signal box works just like any other NR signal box but includes controlling the bridge.

 

[lyndhurst25]

Videos of how the bridge and signal box work.

Goole Bridge

Film Archive of Railway Signalling & People (FARSAP) visit to Goole Swing Bridge.

www.s-r-s.org.uk

 

[AlbertBeale]

In May 1997 Bill Clinton’s motorcade was split in two because the bridge was being opened for the Thames sailing barge Gladys. The barge was on time, the motorcade not…so, Mr President, you will have to wait.

Yes - I remember that - quite a security hoo-haa by the US people I believe ... but Old English Rules is Old English Rules...

 

[sleepy_hollow]

Bridge swings are probably fairly uncommon now because there is less traffic going upriver beyond Goole, but Goole has several swing bridges and bridge swings are a fact of life. Bridge swing is an acceptable excuse for late arrival at school.

Not to mention the level crossing which now may be closed for longer than in the steam age, because it now closes as trains approach from Hull. Or, possibly, the steam age being over, the reduction in coal trains may compensate for the increase in passenger services, although I have seen wood chip trains passing through Goole.

Here are some photos of the second bump, during and after: