Menu
  PHOTO GALLERY GROUP 15
 
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
 

Above: Not all girder viaducts have been dismantled for scrap. This is Bennerley Viaduct at Awsworth (near Nottingham), which carried the Great Northern Railway's line from Awsworth to Ilkeston over both the Erewash Valley, and the Midland Railway's Erewash Valley line. The viaduct was opened in January 1878 and closed in 1973. It is 1,400ft long and is now Grade II listed, being one of only two of its kind in Britain. It survived demolition due to its wrought iron construction: oxy-acetylene cannot cut through wrought iron, which meant the viaduct would have to be dismantled rivet by rivet – a process so expensive that it was decided to keep the structure as a local monument. It is now managed by Sustrans Ltd., the Bristol-based path building company, which means that it may find some leisure use in the future. December 2005. (Bob Prigg)
 
Above: Staying with the theme of viaducts, this is Lambley Viaduct on the former Alston branch, which ran from Haltwhistle (Northumberland) to Alston (Cumbria) following the valley of the South Tyne River. There was a station either side of the viaduct, Lambley on the left and Coanwood on the right. South of Featherstone Park, this old branch line now forms the South Tyne Trail, and recent restoration work on Alston Arches Viaduct at Haltwhistle, partly financed by the club, could help to see the last couple of miles into Haltwhistle opened up as well. Lambley Viaduct forms an integral part of the walk and, for the last couple of miles into Alston, flagging walkers can take a train from Kirkhaugh station on the narrow gauge South Tynedale Railway. September 2004. (Richard Lewis)
 
Above: This view of the Alston branch north of Kirkhaugh is typical of the walking on offer. The line features plenty of these characteristic overbridges, as well as no less than ten viaducts in its 13 miles. The South Tyne Trail is a highly scenic walk and is highly recommended. September 2004. (Richard Lewis)
 
Above: Moving to the south of the country, this is the Hayling Island branch looking north from the embankment that led on to the now demolished viaduct over Langstone Harbour. The concrete piers for the vanished timber superstructure can be seen clearly in the water. To the webmaster's way of thinking, the closure of this branch from Havant was a disgraceful affair, for the line was making a profit right until the end: the real reason for it being axed was the unwillingness of British Railways (and no doubt the then Ministry of Transport) to repair Langstone Viaduct. Accordingly, the line steamed into history on 4th November 1963. January 2005. (Richard Lewis)
 
Above: Penmaenmawr (literally 'Great Stone Head') on the north Wales coast is littered with tramways and inclines associated with the area's former quarrying industry. In places, the infrastructure has simply been abandoned and left to rust, as can be seen from this incline in the western quarries. Note the broken wire cable protruding above the second rail from the left. When the incline was operational, this cable would have formed a continuous loop running up and down between each pair of rails, with wagons attached to it. Many such inclines were 'self acting', with loaded descending wagons providing the power to hoist empty wagons up the other way. Obviously, braking mechanisms were necessary to stop to the upward wagons being launched into space, and several large braking drums remain in the area. If any reader can provide precise details of how this particular incline worked, we would be very pleased to hear from you. Please get in touch via our Contact page if you can help. May 2004. (Richard Lewis)
 
Above: Another view of the incline at Penmaenmawr, which gives a better impression of its steepness, and how far the loaded wagons had to travel on their way down. The community at the foot of the drop is Llanfairfechan, whose residents are no doubt rather pleased that wagonloads of granite no longer travel this way. Member Mike Hodgson evidently has a head for heights! May 2004. (Richard Lewis)
 

Left: Elsewhere in these quarries, the terrain and industrial remains are equally impressive, as can be seen from the size of this further incline. The granite quarried here was exceptionally hard and was used for everything from roads to quays and airfields, with a lot of it being exported to places like the Hook of Holland and the Belgian coastal towns. After about 1900, machinery accelerated the quarrying process and destroyed the prehistoric village of Penmaenmawr, along with about 500ft of the mountain's summit. May 2004. (Richard Lewis)
  
Above: Don't say that this website never shows you a lovely view! This is what you can see from the top of Penmaenmawr mountain on a fine spring day looking east towards Anglesey. The views up here are equally impressive in every direction. May 2004. (Richard Lewis)