List of infrastructure
This page gives details of bridges, viaducts, tunnels, crossings, and any other infrastructure along the SVR. Barrow crossings and staff-only crossings are not included.
Infrastructure map edit
Hampton Loade to Bridgnorth edit
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Highley to Hampton Loade edit
Arley to Highley edit
Bewdley to Arley edit
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Kidderminster to Bewdley edit
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Bridge renumbering edit
Most bridges carried different numbers during the BR era to those now used by the SVR in preservation, for example, Trimpley Private Road Bridge was numbered 19 by BR and is now the SVR’s Bridge 14. Differences arise because the BR era numbers for the Severn Valley Branch began at Hartlebury while the SVR era numbers begin at Kidderminster. Also two bridges have been built since the closure by BR.
Certain bridges still carry traces of their BR number as noted below. Bridge numbers between Bewdley and Bridgnorth are as follows:
Types of bridge and crossing edit
Accommodation bridge / crossing: An accommodation bridge or accommodation crossing is one built during construction of a new railway, or other transport route, in order to accommodate a pre-existing private road, path or right of access. Construction of the bridge or crossing is normally at the cost of the route developer as a condition for obtaining the land for building the new route.
Occupation bridge / crossing: An occupation bridge or occupation crossing connects two parts of an estate separated by a railway, road or canal. Unlike an accommodation bridge or accommodation crossing, it is not necessarily installed during construction of the railway or at the route developer’s expense, nor may there have been an existing road or path at its location.
Overbridge: An overbridge is a bridge over the railway, normally carrying a road or track.
Underbridge: An underbridge allows a road, river etc. to pass underneath the railway.
Viaduct: A viaduct is a particular type of bridge characterised by having a number of small spans, for crossing a valley or a gorge.
Culvert: A culvert is a pipe or tunnel allowing water to flow under a railway (or road etc.) from one side to the other. The SVR’s list of numbered bridges above includes several large culverts. Following the 2007 storm damage a detailed survey of the line identified more than 100 culverts; these are all individually numbered and recorded but not listed here. Some of these culverts are included in the Wyre Forest District Council Local Heritage List as being considered of historical interest.
Track, rails and sleepers edit
The majority of the SVR’s 16 miles of track uses bullhead rail. This type of rail was the standard on British railways between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries. The rail sits in chairs which are in turn attached to the sleepers, and the rail is held fast to the chairs using metal wedges or keys.
After the mid-20th century, Britain’s railway network moved over to using flat-bottom rail. This sits directly on the sleepers without the need for chairs, and is held by to the sleepers using Pandrol clips. Flat-bottomed rail was first used on the SVR in 1979 when relaying the section between Bridgnorth and Knowlesands[1], it can now be seen elsewhere including the sections near Country Park Halt (see picture below).
Individual rails of both types are typically 60 ft in length, and are joined to each other by fishplates. The fishplates allow a certain amount of longitudinal movement to cater for expansion and contraction of the rails with temperature changes. Each section of the line is regularly inspected to check for faults in the fishplates and rail fastenings.
Modern railway practice is to use continuously welded rail (CWR), in which adjacent lengths of rail are welded together, removing the need for fishplates. This gives a smoother ride and reduces maintenance costs. Whilst heritage railways have not traditionally used CWR, it is used on the sections of track across Victoria Bridge and through Bewdley Tunnel (installed during the winter of 2011-12) in order to simplify maintenance in these areas of restricted access. In Winter 2015-16 around ½ mile of track at the summit of Eardington Bank was also relaid with CWR; the SVR announced that it has to be realised that the SVR has to look to reducing the maintenance load on the PW teams who are not getting any younger. This section will require vastly less maintenance than the previous jointed bullhead rail allowing the resource that we do have to concentrate more on the remaining jointed sections.[2] Relaying at County Boundary in 2017-18 used CWR.[3] The CWR section from Bewdley Tunnel was extended to Falling Sands Viaduct in 2020.
The 1960s track acquired by the SVR from BR predominantly used wooden sleepers, many of which were in less than ideal condition. Although wooden sleepers have generally been retained in stations for aesthetic purposes, the rest of the line has been re-laid over the years using more modern concrete, or rarely steel, sleepers. A substantial portion of the relaying at the north end of the line was done during the 1970s with the aid of labour funded by the Manpower Services Commission.
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A fishplate joining two lengths of bullhead rail -
Flat-bottom rail near Country Park Halt -
Pandrol clips (Wikimedia Commons)
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Broad gauge rails edit
The earliest Great Western Railway lines from the company's founding in 1833 were laid to 7'¼" broad gauge. Between 1864 and 1892 all broad gauge and dual gauge lines were gradually converted to 4'8½" standard gauge. This left the GWR with large quantities of surplus broad gauge rails. These rails are recognisable by their distinctive top hat section and many examples of their reuse as fence posts or for similar purposes can be seen alongside the current SVR.
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Milepost at Kidderminster -
Gatepost at Trimpley -
Fencepost near Northwood
See also edit
Wyre Forest District Council Local Heritage List
References edit
- ↑ SVR News 57 and 60
- ↑ SVR Live Infrasructure page
- ↑ SVR Live, Winter Works 2018 (Retrieved 27 June 2018)