Ashton Swing Bridge
In Bristol
Built as a double deck swing bridge across the river Avon for road and rail traffic.
Opened on 3rd October 1906.
1906 'Ashton Swing Bridge. — This bridge was opened on Thursday by the Lady Mayoress of Bristol (Mrs. A. J. Smith). A new Great Western goods station has been constructed, and traffic will go over a double set of rails on the lower deck of the bridge, passing across the Ashton Meadows to the Bristol and Exeter line, at the foot of Bedminster Down. The bridge, which is one of the largest of its kind in England, has brought Hotwells into touch with Southville and with the Greville Smyth Park. The cost was originally estimated at 36,000l., towards which the railway company undertook to contribute 18,000l. Owing to a variety of circumstances, the cost has proved more than 70,000l. The structure is a fine double deck bridge, which will open to allow ships to pass up and down the cut. The movable portion of the bridge is 202 ft. in length, and weighs about 1000 tons. There are two decks, the lower carrying two lines of railway and the upper a roadway 20 ft. wide, and two footpaths each 5 ft. 6 in. wide, making a total width of 31 ft. The railway approaches the lower deck on the level. The roadways approach the upper deck on inclines, being carried over the railway by fixed spans, which, including the movable portion, make the total length of the bridgework about 600 ft. When it is necessary to open the bridge for the passage of vessels, it is swung round by hydraulic engines placed in a cabin erected over the bridge, the power being supplied from pumping-engines in the Underfall Yard. When the bridge is in position for railway and road traffic to proceed over it, it is locked in that position in such a way that it cannot be moved until the railway signals have been set to stop trains approaching. When it is necessary to open the bridge for the passage of vessels, it is first unlocked by the signalmen on shore at each end, the operation of unlocking at the same time rendering any movement of the railway signals impossible. The unlocking of the bridge sets free the levers for the machinery which turn the bridge, and when the bridge has been swung clear of the waterway the signals which permit vessels to pass be operated ; but these signals again are so arranged that it is impossible to signal to vessels to approach in both directions at one time. There are telephones from the bridge to the railway signal-boxes, to the Vauxhall Bridge up-stream, and to the Hotwells pontoon down-stream. The masonry was executed by Messrs. E. Nuttall and Co.; the steel-work by Messrs. John Lysaght, Limited ; the hydraulic machinery by Messrs. Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth, and Co., Limited ; the navigation lights by Messrs. Chance Brothers, Birmingham; the interlocking gear by Messrs. Saxby and Farmer; and the telephones and bell-signals by Messrs. Buchanan and Curwen, Bristol.[1]
1907 Short description in Engineering[2]
Post-war, the upper (road) deck was removed along with the machinery and control tower, and the bridge remained as a fixed rail bridge
Latterly used only by pedestrians, but now (2017) refurbished for use by special buses.