The Brusio spiral viaduct (or Brusio circular viaduct; ) is a single track nine-arched stone

STONe

is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Sin-Ichi Hiromoto. Kodansha released the two bound volumes of the manga on April 23, 2002 and August 23, 2002, respectively.The manga is licensed for an English-languague released in North America be Tokyopop...

 spiral

Spiral (railway)

A spiral is a technique employed by railways to ascend steep hills.A railway spiral rises on a steady curve until it has completed a loop, passing over itself as it gains height, allowing the railway to gain vertical elevation in a relatively short horizontal distance...

 railway

Rail transport

Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...

 viaduct

Viaduct

A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...

.

A signature structure of the World Heritage-listed Bernina Railway

Bernina Railway

The Bernina Railway is a single track metre gauge railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway . It links the spa resort of St. Moritz, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, with the town of Tirano, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy, via the Bernina Pass...

, it is located in Brusio

Brusio

Brusio is a municipality in the district of Bernina in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Brusio is first mentioned in 1106 as Bruse. It was first mentioned as Brusio in 1212. Previously it was known as Romansh: Brüsch and ....

, in the Canton

Cantons of Switzerland

The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...

 of Graubünden

Graubünden

Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...

, Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, and serves only to adjust the railway's altitude.

Location

The Brusio spiral viaduct forms part of the Bernina Railway section between Brusio

Brusio (Rhaetian Railway station)

Brusio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...

 and Campascio

Campascio (Rhaetian Railway station)

Campascio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...

, and is approximately 55 kilometres (34.2 mi) from St. Moritz

St. Moritz (Rhaetian Railway station)

St. Moritz is a railway station in St. Moritz, Switzerland. It is the southern terminus of the Albula Railway line from Chur. Hourly services operate on this section of the line. There is also an hourly service on the Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz to Tirano, Italy...

.

History

The stone-built viaduct was opened on 1 July 1908, upon the opening of the Tirano

Tirano (Rhaetian Railway station)

Tirano is one of two stations in Tirano, Italy. It is the southern terminus of the metre gauge Bernina Railway line from St. Moritz. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph-See also:...

–Poschiavo

Poschiavo (Rhaetian Railway station)

Poschiavo is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...

 section of the Bernina Railway. In 1943, the whole of that railway company was taken over by the Rhaetian Railway, which still owns and uses the spiral viaduct today.

Technical data

The spiral viaduct is 110 metres (360.9 ft) long, has a horizontal radius of curvature of 70 metres (229.7 ft), a longitudinal slope of 7%, and is made up of nine spans, each 10 metres (32.8 ft) in length.

See also

• Bernina Express
  Bernina Express
  The Bernina Express is an express train connecting Chur in Switzerland with Poschiavo and Tirano in Italy, by crossing the Swiss Alps from north to south. For most of its journey, the train also passes along and through the World Heritage Site known as the Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina...
  
  
• Arch bridge
  Arch bridge
  An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
  
  
• Spiral (railway)
  Spiral (railway)
  A spiral is a technique employed by railways to ascend steep hills.A railway spiral rises on a steady curve until it has completed a loop, passing over itself as it gains height, allowing the railway to gain vertical elevation in a relatively short horizontal distance...
  
  
• Viaduct
  Viaduct
  A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
  
  
• Brusio (Rhaetian Railway station)
  Brusio (Rhaetian Railway station)
  Brusio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
  
  
• Campascio (Rhaetian Railway station)
  Campascio (Rhaetian Railway station)
  Campascio is a station on the Bernina Railway line. Hourly services operate on this line.-Rhaetian Railway services:*R5 - 1tph...
  
  
• Brusio
  Brusio
  Brusio is a municipality in the district of Bernina in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Brusio is first mentioned in 1106 as Bruse. It was first mentioned as Brusio in 1212. Previously it was known as Romansh: Brüsch and ....
  
  
• Bernina Railway
  Bernina Railway
  The Bernina Railway is a single track metre gauge railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway . It links the spa resort of St. Moritz, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, with the town of Tirano, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy, via the Bernina Pass...
  
  
• Rhaetian Railway

External links

• Webcam overlooking Brusio spiral viaduct