Hay Bridge

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Hay Bridge from the East

Hay Bridge (occasionally spelt "Haye Bridge"; Bridge 26) allows the main road between Bridgnorth and Highley to pass underneath the Severn Valley Railway between the villages of Eardington and Chelmarsh, and is situated just South of Eardington. It is named after the nearby Hay Farm.

Preservation

During the public enquiry in October 1968 to determine whether the SVR could reopen in preservation, Shropshire County Council objected to the proposed reopening. As well as the possible future construction of Bridgnorth Bypass, it was claimed that improvements to the main road could not be completed unless three bridges (Hay Bridge, Cleobury Road Bridge and Eardington Bridge) were demolished. Under cross examination it transpired that no money was then available for these improvements,[1] and ultimately a Light Railway Order was granted allowing reopening to take place.

Prior to opening in May 1970, an inspection revealed that parts of the main bridge girders were rotting away. During two weeks In February 1970 more than a ton of steel plate was welded onto the bridge to strengthen it.[2]

Much of the bridge was replaced by the SVR in June 1975 as part of a programme of work to upgrade the line and increase the permitted axle weight of locomotives using it. The new bridge was built by Rubery Owen who had replaced the bridge at Highley in 1974. One of the edge beams still carries a plaque showing “Brymbo 1861”.

The bridge was used as a filming location in the 1977 Walt Disney Productions live action film Candleshoe.

The low clearance makes the bridge subject to strikes by road vehicles, a notable example being on 6 April 1994 when a skip lorry demolished the west-side walkway and moved the main girders two feet out of alignment! Damage to the bridge resulted in resulted in both the railway and road beneath being closed, but a concerted effort by the P Way Department and other SVR volunteers, the SVR’s Consulting Engineers, Shropshire County Council and the Railway Inspectorate allowed the line to re-open temporarily for traffic on 9 April. 6024 King Edward 1, which was visiting the railway at the time, was the first locomotive to cross the repaired bridge. Permanent repairs were carried out over the next month.[3]

Another bridge strike occurred on 11 June 2007, with the line being closed for a day and a half on this occasion while a crane lifted the bridge back onto its bearings.[4] Eight days later a freak thunderstorm closed the line again, this time for a number of months.

See also

References

  1. SVR News 11
  2. SVR News 16
  3. SVR News 111
  4. SVR News 158
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Welcome to the Severn Valley Railway Wiki

From this week's featured article
Trimpley Reservoir can be seen to the west of the line between Bewdley and Arley. The reservoir, which is managed by Severn Trent Water, was opened in 1968 and covers 29 acres. It is open to the public and is used by the Trimpley Sailing Club, while other activities include angling, wildlife watching and walking. (Full article...)
Schematic Map of the SVRSevern Valley Railway
BridgnorthEardingtonHampton LoadeCountry Park HaltHighleyThe Engine HouseArleyVictoria BridgeNorthwood HaltWyre Forest LineBewdleyStourport BranchBewdley TunnelConnection to Network RailKidderminsterMaps#Schematic maps of the pre-closure SVRMapandlinks.png
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larger interactive version

For 101 years between 1862 and 1963, the Severn Valley Railway formed part of the national railway network, running for 40 miles between Hartlebury and Shrewsbury. Established as a separate company, it was mainly operated by the Great Western Railway (GWRGreat Western Railway) and later by British Railways (BRBritish Rail or British Railways).

The present day Severn Valley Railway (SVRSevern Valley Railway) was established in 1965 to preserve part of the line as a heritage railway. Today it has six stations and two halts and runs for 16 miles along the Severn Valley between Bridgnorth in Shropshire and Kidderminster in Worcestershire, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route. Operations involve a mixture of steam and heritage diesel-hauled services.

This unofficial website is a project aimed to collect information and record events relating to the SVRSevern Valley Railway, both past and present.

For timetables, fare information, and news about special events, please visit the SVR Official Website. Other news and information of interest to members, shareholders and enthusiasts can be found on SVRLive.

In April 2023 the SVRSevern Valley Railway announced the launch of a Survival Fund to enable it to overcome the current financial crisis and implement longer-term plans for its future. Information and details of how to donate may be found on the SVRSevern Valley Railway's Survival Fund page.

Categories of article

History of the Severn Valley Railway

Current events on the SVRSevern Valley Railway

Information about the SVRSevern Valley Railway

Miscellaneous


Query Corner

Unsurprisingly, there are a large number of questions about the SVRSevern Valley Railway, both in pre-preservation days and for a number of historical items since then. Take a visit down to Query Corner to see if you have a recollection relating to some long forgotten event, or know of a reliable source (maybe an early edition of the SVR News?) that might have the information we need!

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This site, or "wiki", is a collaborative effort, and anyone who has any knowledge relating to the SVRSevern Valley Railway should feel free to contribute. Once you have created a user account and logged in, you can modify any page by clicking the "Edit" button in the top right hand corner. For some tips on how to format pages, and some guidelines on how to make this wiki accessible can be found on Tips for contributing to the SVR Wiki.

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