Richmond Railway Bridge
1846 Joseph Locke designed the original bridge with three 100-foot cast iron girders supported on stone-faced land arches with two stone-faced river piers.
1908 Due to concerns over its structural integrity, the bridge was rebuilt using the existing piers and abutments by the Horseley Co to a design by the London and South Western Railway's chief engineer, John Wykeham Jacomb-Hood.
1908 'Richmond Railway Bridge Reconstruction.
Engineers' Visit to Richmond
Mr. A. W. Szlumper, M.I.C.E., son of Alderman Sir James Szlumper, of Richmond, and district, engineer to the London and South-Western Railway Company, read a paper at the meeting of the Home District branch of the Association of Municipal and County Engineers, held at Wimbledon,on Saturday, on the reconstruction of Richmond railway bridge. Mr. Szlumper described in detail the work which now being carried out to afford the needful strengthening of the bridge to carry the very heavy traffic passing over it — a reonstruction which it is hoped will be so far partially completed as to allow of both lines being used for the traffic to the approaching Ascot meting. The bridge, Mr. Szlumper pointed out, crossed the river by three 100 foot spans. The work upon it was begun by driving piles in clusters close to the old structure, placing bearing girders on the same, just clear of the soffit of the cast-iron ribs and at right angles to the same, then placing temporary main girders on these bearing girders parallel to the ribs, one immediately under each running rail. The girders were wedged up tightly to the super-structure, and the cast-iron ribs thus relieved of the bulk of their load. The three spans were divided up into eleven spans, varying from 16 feet to 60 feet, this being a requirement of the Thames Conservancy, so as not to impede the traffic in the river. The design of the new bridge consisted of steel ribs, four to each opening, 102 feet 8 5-8 inch span, 2 1/2 feet deep, and bearing on cast steel pins, 9 inches diameter, open spandril work (following as near as possible the old design), and cross girders and deck plates. Operations were started last August, when single line working was established over the bridge. Owing to the heavy traffic, the only time the line could be blocked altogether was early Sunday mornings, and then but for about five hours. The old ribs were bolted together in sections. A week was occupied in preparing a span for removal, and this was accomplished on Sunday mornings. The ribs were lifted from their bearings in sections by cranes, and placed on timber trucks and conveyed to the railway company's works at Nine Elms for breaking up and use in the cupola.|As the ribs were removed the work of cutting away and preparing the abutments and piers for receiving the new bearing-boxes and steel pins was taken in hand, and the erection of the new steel ribs and superstucture proceeded with.'[1]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ Richmond and Twickenham Times, 9 May 1908