Taptee Viaduct

The Taptee Viaduct, on the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, consists of five 142-ft girder openings in the centre, and on either side of them 62ft. girder openings and ten 40 ft. arches. The bridge consists of twenty 40 ft. arches, fourteen 62ft. and five 142-ft. girder openings.

The total length of the viaduct, inclusive of piers and abutments is 2,530ft, and the height to rail level is 82ft. The whole of the masonry is constructed for a double line of rails, but the girders are erected for only a single line.

The work was undertaken by Mr. Wythes, and executed for him by Ker and Wright, under the superintendence of Mr. J. R. Manning, the district engineer, assisted by Bleay and Eaton.

1868 'THE G. I. P. RAILWAY. (Bombay Builder, January 6.) Messrs. Berkley and Rushton, the Consulting end the Chief Engineers of the line, have returned from an inspection of the North Eastern extension, and Mr. Berkley, we hear, has confirmed Lieut. Oldham's condemnation of the Taptee Viaduct. A new bridge is to he built about half a mile lower down the stream, and the line diverted to that extent. The arches of the present bridge are to be hooped with iron, braced end otherwise strengthened, and it is expected that after the new bridge is built the Government will buy the present one for the main trunk road.'

1872 'THE TAPTEE NEW VIADUCT. In announcing last March that the G. I. P. Railway Company had selected the tender by Messrs. Glover and Company of Bombay for the construction of the new viaduct over the Taptee, near Bhosawol, we added a hope that that firm would maintain its high character for despatch in the execution of that important network. Our expectations in thin respect have not been disappointed. We learn that on Monday, the 3rd inst, the last pair of 150 feet square girders were successfully lifted and fixed, in the presence of Mr. Edward Dangerfield, District Resident Engineer, Mr. Ward, and a party of other engineer.
This viaduct may therefore be considered as almost completed, and too or three weeks will see it ready for opening — that is fully a month within the contract date of completion.
It consists of thirty-three spans of Warren's girders carried by cylinders of boiler plate riveted together in tiers of about six feet in height, each tier formed of eight segments, strengthened by inner and other joint plates, and internal vertical joint strips of strong T. section, running from top to bottom : the cylinders so formed being filled with cement concrete to within five feet of their top, where that depth of ashlar is set, upon which the bed girders are fixed by holding down-bolts. There are in all 68 of these cylinders disposed in two rows, some of them 80 feet high and of varying diameters, diminishing by offsets from 10 feet at the bottom to 8 feet at the top, one row carrying the up road, and the other intended for the down.
This is the first instance, on this side of India, of this method of construction having been adopted, and the extraordinary rapidity with which the bridge been erected, speaks greatly in its favour, where rapidity of execution is essential. The work has been only twelve months in hand from the time of founding the cylinder, to the lifting of the last girder. This celerity — provided the work is sound, of which we entertain no doubt — reflects great credit upon Mr. Gutersloh, the Engineer, and on the contractors agent, Mr. T. P. Clarke, who has had charge of the work.
We understand that on the opening of the new viaduct, Mr. Clarke joins the firm of Glover and Co, and proceeds to Agra to take in hand the construction of the large bridge over the Jumna, on the Rajpootana State Railway, now being carried out by the same contractors. That bridge, we hear, is to have a mixed gauge laid, so as to be available for the East Indian stock, and also to have a carriage way below, similar to the railway bridge at Allahabad.'

See Also

Loading...