"Temporary" railway structures that became essentially permanent

[brad465]

For some reason the bridge at St Johns carrying the Lewisham-Nunhead and Tanners Hill flyover route came to mind earlier, which is an example of how a temporary fix ended up being permanent; the 1957 rail crash brought down the original bridge and a temporary steel girder structure was built, but it still stands nearly 60 years later.

What other examples exist of this (e.g. bridges, gantries, signals, certain railway buildings)?

Speed restrictions and associated signage do not count in this.

 

[The exile]

Not a structure, but the HST was introduced 50 years ago as a “stop-gap” before electrification. The 254s could just about be seen to have been that, in 253 land they’re about to disappear and we’re still waiting!

 

[CyrusWuff]

Since removed, of course, but the concourse extension at the front of Kings Cross was "temporary" from 1973 to 2012(ish.)

 

[MerlinRail 804]

Pacers? A lovely 40 year stopgap, but not a structure so probably doesn’t count

 

[AndrewE]

Platform edge support props? I think I saw them the length of a platform (2?) at Bristol Parkway a few weeks ago...

 

[D1511]

The scaffolding holding up most of Crewe station?

 

[pdeaves]

Platform edge support props? I think I saw them the length of a platform (2?) at Bristol Parkway a few weeks ago...

Speaking of Bristol Parkway, I understand that the original building was 'temporary' but lasted about 29 years.

 

[The exile]

Speaking of Bristol Parkway, I understand that the original building was 'temporary' but lasted about 29 years.

Wasn’t the pre-1990s Oxford a temporary arrangement that lasted nearly a century?

 

[matchmaker]

The original "temporary" Buchanan Street Station in Glasgow lasted from 1849 to 1932!

 

[ThirteenArches]

Pacers? A lovely 40 year stopgap

Not wishing to derail this excellent idea for a thread, but "pacers" and "lovely" can't possibly occur in the same universe. Meet you outside...

The cessation of passenger services on the Woodhead line because of the intensity of coal traffic must come in here somewhere. I'm still waiting.

 

[Mr. SW]

The shoring up of the retaining wall on the north side of Putney (SWR) Station has been there for as long as I can remember. It's behind the hoardings. The "temporary" repairs to the retaining wall at Mitcham on the London Trams are now permanent.

 

[Strathclyder]

As HSTs and Pacers have already come up, what about going back a few decades and mention the austerity steam locos built during wartime and only intended to last a few years, but some ended up putting in nearly 20 years service post-war. Am thinking mainly of the WD 2-8-0s/2-10-0s, the Southern Q1s and the USATC S100s (aka the SR USA class). Granted, none lasted/have lasted as long as the Pacers and HSTs, but worthy of mention all the same

(all this is off-topic I know; perhaps it's worth starting a similarly themed thread for rolling stock/locos?)

For some reason the bridge at St Johns carrying the Lewisham-Nunhead and Tanners Hill flyover route came to mind earlier, which is an example of how a temporary fix ended up being permanent; the 1957 rail crash brought down the original bridge and a temporary steel girder structure was built, but it still stands nearly 60 years later.

This is perhaps one of the best-known examples of this trope on the UK network. The replacement structure uses military bridge components (which came from their storage facilities on the Longmoor Military Railway), but was designed and built by the Southern Region of BR. Replacement proposals have been put forward more than once over the years, but the cost and the near biblical levels of disruption such a project would cause has ensured it's survival for nearly 7 decades.

Short thread from January 2021 linked below:

Lewisham military trestle bridge

Only today I have learned why one of the rail bridges in Lewisham area looks so weird. This one: It was built by military as a quick replacement of previous bridge destroyed during the rail crash in 1957: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewisham_rail_crash...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[alf]

The bridge taking the quadrupled tracks from Battersea Park to Clapham Junction is shored up where it crosses over the Queens Rd Battersea to Clapham Junction tracks.
The temporary supports have been there since at least 1960 & are on the span over the three existing Windsor lines. It looks as if one support is where the second missing up line used to be. Were these extra supports needed because of Second World War damage?

 

[yorksrob]

As HSTs and Pacers have already come up, what about going back a few decades and mention the austerity steam locos built during wartime and only intended to last a few years, but some ended up putting in nearly 20 years service post-war. Am thinking mainly of the WD 2-8-0s/2-10-0s, the Southern Q1s and the USATC S100s (aka the SR USA class). Granted, none lasted/have lasted as long as the Pacers and HSTs, but worthy of mention all the same

(all this is off-topic I know; perhaps it's worth starting a similarly themed thread for rolling stock/locos?)


This is perhaps one of the best-known examples of this trope on the UK network. The replacement structure uses military bridge components (which came from their storage facilities on the Longmoor Military Railway), but was designed and built by the Southern Region of BR. Replacement proposals have been put forward more than once over the years, but the cost and the near biblical levels of disruption such a project would cause has ensured it's survival for nearly 7 decades.

Short thread from January 2021 linked below:

Lewisham military trestle bridge

Only today I have learned why one of the rail bridges in Lewisham area looks so weird. This one: It was built by military as a quick replacement of previous bridge destroyed during the rail crash in 1957: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewisham_rail_crash...

www.railforums.co.uk

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[brad465]

This is perhaps one of the best-known examples of this trope on the UK network. The replacement structure uses military bridge components (which came from their storage facilities on the Longmoor Military Railway), but was designed and built by the Southern Region of BR. Replacement proposals have been put forward more than once over the years, but the cost and the near biblical levels of disruption such a project would cause has ensured it's survival for nearly 7 decades.

Short thread from January 2021 linked below:

Lewisham military trestle bridge

Only today I have learned why one of the rail bridges in Lewisham area looks so weird. This one: It was built by military as a quick replacement of previous bridge destroyed during the rail crash in 1957: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewisham_rail_crash...

www.railforums.co.uk

Not to mention unless the structure is in danger of failing, I can't see any gain in replacing it. If the structure restricts speed, the entire Lewisham area is 20mph anyway so there won't be any gain there, and capacity clearly isn't impeded given the levels of traffic it sees both over and under. Replacing it maybe less disruptive if/when the Bakerloo line gets to Lewisham though.

 

[Rail Ranger]

The timber booking office and other buildings at the front of Manchester Central station were said to be temporary when the station opened in 1880. They were still in use when the station closed in May 1969. There had been a plan to build the Midland Hotel in front of the station. The hotel (which is still in use) was later built across the road from the station.

 

[DerekC]

The intermediate supports of the bridge that carries the Brighton Main Line over the South Western Main Line at Battersea look like military trestling to me, but does anyone know if that's what they are?

 

[Ashley Hill]

Exeter traincrew building. Temporary portacabin type from 1992 to 2022.

 

[Falcon1200]

The cessation of passenger services on the Woodhead line because of the intensity of coal traffic must come in here somewhere.

Was that ever stated or expected to be only temporary?

 

[John Luxton]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the now closed Seacombe Station on the Wirral was built as a temporary structure. All the photos of it through to closure show it looking somewhat ramshackle and I have seen one artists impression picture a while back dating from the 1930s that suggested it was to have been rebuilt slightly closer to the Wallasey Ferry Terminal at Seacombe which was remodelled in the 1930s.