DEVELOPMENT – BRIDGE 13 (Step 1.2.4.1)

Bridge 13 (uploaded 24 October 2008)

This is Bridge 13, a slender, highly skewed bridge with a span of 40ft square on, but nearly 52ft on the skew, and which has become the most difficult structure to restore for regular traffic use. A concrete road passing underneath it once provided access for miners to Big Pit, and is thus referred to locally as the ‘Old Pit Road’ bridge. It is difficult to imagine, with the now sylvan background, that in even earlier days, the bridge was threaded by a large number of railway lines coming under the structure at a very acute angle and passing to the right foreground.

The bridge is in poor condition with significant corrosion in the joints between the two large longitudinals and the transverse beams underneath. The bearing pads at each end are also breaking up. We were not prepared to accept replacement of this historically interesting bridge with a modern version – probably of re-inforced concrete, and fought for its retention. Although we seem to have won this battle, the cost has been that the bridge deck must be supported by a pair of massive four-feet deep girders underneath. Not pretty, but it won’t be seen by our passengers, and hopefully the bridge will continue to rumble impressively when trains pass over it.

Viewed from the nearby cyclepath, this is a view, looking broadly west, under Bridge 13 Viewed from the other side, looking east

Physical work on this bridge is expected to begin early in 2009

Main beams installed (uploaded 10 March 2009)

.After over a month of work the final big step on the difficult Bridge 13, and indeed, the final big step on all of the bridges (17,16,14 and 13) in the project to extend the railway to Blaenavon (High Level) finally took place on Thursday 9 April, when the new four-feet deep re-inforcing beams were hoisted into position. Although we will upload a more detailed history in due course, we thought you’d like to see a few images of this important event. With this work done, the route to completion is now clear, and clearly not far off. We have been given a date of 23 May, but it may be even quicker than this.

The original bowstring longitudinals, and their cross girders (painted in grey primer) are retained, but serve little purpose other than to retain a heritage appearance. Rails and trains are supported by the massive 4ft deep beams seen under the original bridge. Img_2257rr

The new beams support a number of cross girders (or rather, outriggers, since they do not touch the outer , original, longitudinals). Here we see one of the many cross girders being lifted onto the new beams. The grey cleats on the new beam , in turn, support the massive wooden beams to which the chairs and rails are attached. The wooden beams are up on the embankment standing by ready to be fitted. Img_2258rr

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