Breydon Viaduct
Encyclopedia
Breydon Viaduct was a railway bridge across the River Yare
near Great Yarmouth
, Norfolk
, England
that was built by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
(MG&N).
just downstream of Breydon Water
and hence connect Yarmouth Beach station
to the Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway
line from Yarmouth South Town railway station
. By doing so it gave passengers from the Midlands
a direct link to Lowestoft
. The Engineer-in-Chief of the work was Alexander Ross
, the Chief Engineer of the Great Northern Railway
. William E. Newman provided the mechanical and structural design and William Marriott acted as executive engineer. The bridge was 800 ft (243.8 m) long and consisted of five spans. The second span from the south rotated about its mid point in the manner of a swing bridge
to leave two 60 ft (18.3 m) passages for river traffic. This section sat on a cast iron pivot which used 2 in (50.8 mm) ball bearings which made the bridge so free running that it could be manually opened by just one person.
Work on the bridge began in 1899 and it was finished in 1903 at a total cost of £38,453. (£ as of ), It was the largest structure on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway. The bridge was successfully weight tested on 8 July 1903 with a train of heavy engines and it was opened shortly after. The bridge was single track
whilst the rest of the line was double track
and so signal box
es were provided at each end. River traffic on the Yare had priority over trains that wished to use the bridge. The viaduct closed on 21 September 1953 prior to the rest of the MG&N line. The tracks over the bridge remained in place for several years afterwards before the bridge was finally demolished in 1962. At the time of its closure it was anticipated that major repairs would be required to keep it in service, although it was found to be in good condition when it was demolished. The closure left Yarmouth Beach station a terminus until it was closed in 1959. After its demolition the pilings remained in the river until the construction of Breydon Road Bridge in the late 1980s when they were removed. The new road bridge followed the alignment of the rail viaduct and was a drawbridge
which could open completely in 90 seconds, the rail bridge could take up to ten minutes to open in strong winds.
River Yare
The River Yare is a river in the English county of Norfolk. In its lower reaches the river connects with the navigable waterways of The Broads....
near Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
that was built by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, was a joint railway owned by the Midland Railway and the Great Northern Railway in eastern England, affectionately known as the 'Muddle and Get Nowhere' to generations of passengers, enthusiasts, and other users.The main line ran from Peterborough to...
(MG&N).
History
Breydon Viaduct was built to cross the River YareRiver Yare
The River Yare is a river in the English county of Norfolk. In its lower reaches the river connects with the navigable waterways of The Broads....
just downstream of Breydon Water
Breydon Water
Breydon Water is a massive stretch of sheltered estuary at Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England. It is at gateway to the Norfolk Broads. It is the UK's largest protected wetland. It is 5 km long and more than 1.5 km wide in places...
and hence connect Yarmouth Beach station
Yarmouth Beach railway station
Yarmouth Beach railway station is a former railway station in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. It was opened in 1877 by the Great Yarmouth & Stalham Light Railway...
to the Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway
Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway
The Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway was a British joint railway company.The NSJR was owned by the Great Eastern Railway and the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway and consisted of two distinct sections: a line between North Walsham and Cromer via Mundesley, and a coastal section running...
line from Yarmouth South Town railway station
Yarmouth South Town railway station
Yarmouth South Town, sometimes known as Yarmouth Southtown, was a railway station in Great Yarmouth, England, that is now closed. It was one of three major stations in the town, the others being Yarmouth Vauxhall and Yarmouth Beach, of which only Yarmouth Vauxhall now remains.Yarmouth South Town...
. By doing so it gave passengers from the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
a direct link to Lowestoft
Lowestoft
Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich...
. The Engineer-in-Chief of the work was Alexander Ross
Alexander Ross (engineer)
Alexander Ross was a British civil engineer particularly noted for his work with the railway industry.Ross was born in Laggan, County of Inverness in Scotland on 20 April 1845. He was educated in Aberdeen and at Owen's College in Manchester, an institution now a part of the University of Manchester...
, the Chief Engineer of the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
. William E. Newman provided the mechanical and structural design and William Marriott acted as executive engineer. The bridge was 800 ft (243.8 m) long and consisted of five spans. The second span from the south rotated about its mid point in the manner of a swing bridge
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
to leave two 60 ft (18.3 m) passages for river traffic. This section sat on a cast iron pivot which used 2 in (50.8 mm) ball bearings which made the bridge so free running that it could be manually opened by just one person.
Work on the bridge began in 1899 and it was finished in 1903 at a total cost of £38,453. (£ as of ), It was the largest structure on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway. The bridge was successfully weight tested on 8 July 1903 with a train of heavy engines and it was opened shortly after. The bridge was single track
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
whilst the rest of the line was double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
and so signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
es were provided at each end. River traffic on the Yare had priority over trains that wished to use the bridge. The viaduct closed on 21 September 1953 prior to the rest of the MG&N line. The tracks over the bridge remained in place for several years afterwards before the bridge was finally demolished in 1962. At the time of its closure it was anticipated that major repairs would be required to keep it in service, although it was found to be in good condition when it was demolished. The closure left Yarmouth Beach station a terminus until it was closed in 1959. After its demolition the pilings remained in the river until the construction of Breydon Road Bridge in the late 1980s when they were removed. The new road bridge followed the alignment of the rail viaduct and was a drawbridge
Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...
which could open completely in 90 seconds, the rail bridge could take up to ten minutes to open in strong winds.