World Bridge Day

[AndrewE]

Forth Rail for me. Was impressed with Conwy Suspension when I saw it a couple of years back...

...except that it's a road bridge. It's nice but I think the adjacent rail bridge, a practice piece for the Britannia bridge over the Menai straight, may now be unique in civil engineering. I believe trains run through a box girder made of timber and wrought iron.

Tragically the original Britannia bridge burnt down and we now have a fairly basic steel girder arch bridge in its place - with a road deck to spoil the railway too! Sorry about that, 8A Rail! I agree the Runcorn Bridge is pretty special though.

There is another unique bridge in the area, a rail transporter bridge that is at risk. It's at Warrington but unfortunately on what is effectively a private siding giving access into a disused works, but it is visible from the S approach to Bank Quay.
It takes some extreme walking/urban exploring to get to it: http://www.warringtontransporterbridge.co.uk/visit_the_bridge.html
A

 

[Stewart2887]

UK bridge lovers must go north, Forth Bridge first (see all three fron South Queensferry), Royal Border, Tyne bridges in Newcastle, Tay bridge. Me-I have always liked the Newbattle viaduct at Newtongrange. Been under it hundreds of times but unexpectedly delighted to go over it by train earlier this year. Brilliant that it's still intact

 

[8A Rail]

...except that it's a road bridge. It's nice but I think the adjacent rail bridge, a practice piece for the Britannia bridge over the Menai straight, may now be unique in civil engineering. I believe trains run through a box girder made of timber and wrought iron.

Tragically the original Britannia bridge burnt down and we now have a fairly basic steel girder arch bridge in its place - with a road deck to spoil the railway too! Sorry about that, 8A Rail! I agree the Runcorn Bridge is pretty special though.

There is another unique bridge in the area, a rail transporter bridge that is at risk. It's at Warrington but unfortunately on what is effectively a private siding giving access into a disused works, but it is visible from the S approach to Bank Quay.
It takes some extreme walking/urban exploring to get to it: http://www.warringtontransporterbridge.co.uk/visit_the_bridge.html
A

Nothing to be sorry for but you are referring to the wrong bridge. The bridge across the Menai is not the only Britannia Railway Bridge. My Britannia Railway Bridge (also known as Ethelfreda Bridge) crosses the River Mersey also includes the two viaducts leading upto the actual bridge on either side as without them the bridge would be nothing.

(https://www.flickr.com/photos/8arail/19003207589/in/album-72157650705179317/).

As you appreciate there is no road deck on this bridge, but as you mentioned Runcorn Bridge, this is known as the Runcorn/Widnes road bridge, or give it the bridge's proper name "Silver Jubilee Bridge". Regardless, I think it compliments the Britannia Railway Bridge rather well and it is also an excellent but traditional designed bridge.

At the end of the day, we all have own personal choices for different reasons of what bridge we like or not.

 

[snowball]

The bridge across the Menai is not the only Britannia Railway Bridge. My Britannia Railway Bridge (also known as Ethelfreda Bridge) crosses the River Mersey also includes the two viaducts leading upto the actual bridge on either side as without them the bridge would be nothing.

Wikipedia and some other sources call it Ethelfleda Bridge.

There seem to be a lot of bridges called Britannia Bridge. When the Welsh Highland Railway was being extended to Porthmadog I was initially confused to see references to it being routed over the Britannia Bridge! It turns out that the bridge next to Porthmadog Harbour station, which carries the then A487 (now A497) over Llyn Bach (the mouth of Afon Glaslyn), is another Britannia Bridge. The WHR now crosses it on a tram-type track in the roadway. So there are two road-rail Britannia Bridges in NW Wales!

The bridge carrying the A573 over the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Lower Ince, Wigan, is also called Britannia Bridge.

So that's four Britannia Bridges just in NW Wales and NW England.

 

[AndrewE]

Nothing to be sorry for but you are referring to the wrong bridge. The bridge across the Menai is not the only Britannia Railway Bridge. My Britannia Railway Bridge (also known as Ethelfreda Bridge) crosses the River Mersey also includes the two viaducts leading upto the actual bridge on either side as without them the bridge would be nothing.

(https://www.flickr.com/photos/8arail/19003207589/in/album-72157650705179317/).

As you appreciate there is no road deck on this bridge, but as you mentioned Runcorn Bridge, this is known as the Runcorn/Widnes road bridge, or give it the bridge's proper name "Silver Jubilee Bridge". Regardless, I think it compliments the Britannia Railway Bridge rather well and it is also an excellent but traditional designed bridge.

At the end of the day, we all have own personal choices for different reasons of what bridge we like or not.

I am referring to the bridges I know by their normal names. Crispy1978 proposed the Conwy Suspension Bridge. I pointed out that it's not eligible as it is a road bridge but it does have a unique rail bridge alongside.
Which was a practice piece for what most people know as the Britannia Bridge. Your Britannia bridge is probably now better/less spoiled than the other one (that most people would think of.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britannia_Bridge refers.
the Conwy bridge page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conwy_Railway_Bridge says

"The successful results endorsed the construction of the Britannia bridge. "

 

[306024]

Before world bridge day becomes a distant memory (is it 15 October every year?) here's a couple of favourites from Germany.

Crossing the Kiel canal, the Rendsburg High Bridge is an impressive structure, mostly for the climb up either side. (It's been mentioned in other threads).

And crossing the Rhine just outside Cologne station, the Hohenzollernbrucke. Reputed to be the busiest railway bridge in Germany, you can also walk across it. Worth having an extra hour while changing trains at Cologne.

The curious thing here though is the number of padlocks attached to the bridge.
1) write you and your partners initials on the padlock
2) attach to bridge
3) throw key in the Rhine
As a symbol of undying love.

 

[backontrack]

Forth Bridge, Ribblehead Viaduct, Shin Viaduct, Royal Border Bridge, Culloden Viaduct, the Conwy Rail Bridge, and the viaduct at Dalguise.

 

[8A Rail]

Wikipedia and some other sources call it Ethelfleda Bridge. ....................................................... So that's four Britannia Bridges just in NW Wales and NW England.

OR Britannia Bridge - see wikipedia again -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runcorn_Railway_Bridge

However, Wikipedia although a good source of information is not always correct or likewise not the "official" version of whatever the subject is about.

I am not sure how many "local" people know it as Ethefleda Bridge or even Britannia Bridge either as they just call it the Runcorn Railway Bridge, hence how it comes up in Wikipedia and Google when looking for the bridge.

Regardless, I acknowledge when mentioning "Britannia Bridge", most people will refer to the one crossing the Menai Straits.

 

[matchmaker]

My avatar speaks for itself.

Other favourites are the Tamar bridge, and for brick arch viaducts, I think my favourite has to be the Culloden Viaduct - its red brick and its curvature allow it's glow in the setting sun to be admired even as we are passing over it.

Also on the Highland mainline is the extraordinary Killiecrankie viaduct with its little castelated turrets. It is so close the hillside that the land just a few meters away on the east is actually higher that the track. But its in a beautiful little spot, where the River Garry opens out briefly beneath the line. There's even a little charcoal burner down there.

On the same line I'd nominate the Findhorn Viaduct.

 

[59CosG95]

Balcombe (Ouse Valley) Viaduct's one of my favourites in the UK, along with all the others mentioned. Over in Japan meanwhile, the bridge on the Yamanashi Prefecture maglev test track is very high on my list.