Re: Wellington N.S.W rail bridge

[Bruce Greening <norrail@optusnet.com.au>]

The reason for the current restrictions is deformation in one of the arches has
been observed. New arches are being constructed and will be fitted in a few
weeks time. Meantime extensive checks on the design and strength of the bridge
are being carried out. Obviously new computer aided design tools allow much more
detailed checking than would be available to original designers.

Ian Larcher wrote:

> If memory serves me correctly the reason for the 10kph speed limit on the
> Wellington Bridge is its Wrought Iron (not steel) construction, like several
> other bridges of its era (Bathurst for one)  it apparently was designed &
> constructed in the UK then dismantled shipped out here & reassembled.
>
> As far as I am aware the only bridge of this design not to have a speed
> restriction is that at Cowra, the last of this design built. It was
> constructed in Belgium of Steel, but still retains the cast iron piers
> common to all this design. I was always told that the speed restrictions
> were because of the brittleness of wrought iron compared to steel.
>
> "William Ivery" <willivery@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
> 3abc8d39$0$25519$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au">news:3abc8d39$0$25519$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au...
> > If the bridge was closed the XPT would terminate at Orange and passengers
> > transfered to Stuart Town, Wellington and Dubbo by road.
> >
> > The bridge itself is alright (its made of steel), the problem is that the
> > track is on wooden sleepers and there are white ants in them, hence the
> > speed restriction and dirversion of freight trains because they are too
> > heavy for the damaged sleepers.
> >
> > William Ivery
> >
> > "Chris Brownbill" <cbrnbill@enternet.com.au> wrote in message
> > 3ABC47DD.CDC83F8A@enternet.com.au">news:3ABC47DD.CDC83F8A@enternet.com.au...
> > > Tom & Maria Jessop wrote:
> > >
> > > > it is also believed that XPT W27/28 also went via Parkes to Dubbo on
> > > > Thursday 22/03/01.
> > >
> > > I find that hard to believe.  Surely it would never get there and back
> in
> > anything like the time available to make a day return to Sydney.
> >
> >

--
Bruce L. Greening

Norrail@optusnet.com.au
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~norrail