Great Western Railway Usk bridge
Encyclopedia
The Great Western Railway Usk bridge http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/39611 is a crossing of the River Usk
in Newport city centre
, Wales
. It carries the Great Western Main Line
across the river in an east—west direction.
The original wooden structure was constructed by the South Wales Railway
in 1848, but just as the final arch was being put into place on May 31, a heated bolt ignited chemicals used to preserve the wood and a catastophic fire destroyed most of the structure.
To prevent a recurrence of the fire, the renowned railway engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel
invented the now-common bow-string-shaped girders to replace the wood sections.
In 1888 the bridge was replaced with one made of stone, and by 1911 it had been widened to four lines.
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
in Newport city centre
Newport city centre
Newport city centre is traditionally regarded as the area of Newport bounded by the west bank of the River Usk, the George Street Bridge, the eastern flank of Stow Hill and the Great Western Main Line. Most of the city centre is contained within two conservation areas: the central area and the area...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It carries the Great Western Main Line
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
across the river in an east—west direction.
The original wooden structure was constructed by the South Wales Railway
South Wales Railway
The South Wales Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway with Neyland in Wales.-History:The need for the railway was created by the need to ship coal from the South Wales Valleys to London, and secondly to complete Brunel's vision of linking London with...
in 1848, but just as the final arch was being put into place on May 31, a heated bolt ignited chemicals used to preserve the wood and a catastophic fire destroyed most of the structure.
To prevent a recurrence of the fire, the renowned railway engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
invented the now-common bow-string-shaped girders to replace the wood sections.
In 1888 the bridge was replaced with one made of stone, and by 1911 it had been widened to four lines.