Re: Kensington bridge collapse

["Stuart Thyer" <s.thyer@anatomy.unimelb.edu.au>]

----------
In article <8E7466875telstraNews@vic.news.telstra.net>, Michael
<mk@netstra.com.au> wrote:


>Hi,
>
>Reports I have are that the bridge has not collapsed, rather a safety
>railing and probably what it was attached to, has fallen down onto the 
>road.
>
>My guess is, that the bridge is closed while they determine the cause,
>while the road is closed so nothing else falls onto the many cars that
>pass under there every day. 
>
Michael has got it pretty much spot on.  I come through that way every day
on the way to work.  A deck railing, which in turn is supported by timber
decking beams, has collapsed in one section on the goods line bridge over
Lloyd Street.  This would have allowed ballast to fall through onto the
road.  The pass lines bridge is intact, although I guess it is possible that
debris may fall onto passing trains due to the height difference of the two
bridges.  I actually noticed the collapsed railing when i came through on
wednesday, but didn't think much of it until I couldn't get through last
night due to police turning me back.
The only thing one has to wonder is the overall condition of all the decking
beams on the bridge.

The scariest thing is how long it might take to get fixed, just look at some
of the WON's and check out the started dates of some of the speed
restrictions due to faults.  Spotswood on the down line has had a 30 km
restriction since Dec 98 due to points condition.  They had a total
occupation on just 3 weeks ago, retimbered between footscray and newport,
but didn't fix the points!!   They  had all the track machines stored in the
siding at Spotswood.  I thought. wow, Spotswwod box must have reopened to
let them in & out but no, they disconnected the point rodding and barred
over the points.

So cheap.

"Nothing to see here, move along"  Officer Barbrady, South Park

Stuart Thyer
Photographer
University of Melbourne