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The Nepean River railway bridge is a
heritage-listed This list is of heritage registers, inventories of cultural properties, natural and man-made, tangible and intangible, movable and immovable, that are deemed to be of sufficient heritage value to be separately identified and recorded. In many i ...
railway bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
that carries the
Main Southern railway line The Main Southern Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs from Sydney to Albury, near the Victorian border. The line passes through the Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes and Riverina regions. ...
across Menangle Road and the
Nepean River Nepean River ( Darug: Yandhai), is a major perennial river, located in the south-west and west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Nepean River and its associated mouth, the Hawkesbury River, almost encircles the metropolitan region ...
located at the outer south-western Sydney settlement of Menangle in the
Wollondilly Shire Wollondilly Shire is a periurban local government area adjacent to the south-western fringe of Sydney, parts of which fall into the Macarthur, Blue Mountains and Central Tablelands regions in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wollondil ...
local government area of
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
, Australia. It was designed by
John Whitton John Whitton (1820, near Wakefield, Yorkshire, England – 20 February 1898), an Anglo– Australian railway engineer, was the Engineer-in-Charge for the New South Wales Government Railways, serving between 1856 and 1890, considered the Father o ...
as the Engineer-in-Chief, of the
New South Wales Government Railways The New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR) was the agency of the Government of New South Wales that administered rail transport in New South Wales, Australia, between 1855 and 1932. Management The agency was managed by a range of diffe ...
and NSW Department of Public Works. The railway bridge was built in 1863 by Messers Peto, Brassey and Betts. It is also known as Menangle rail bridge over Nepean River and Menangle Railway Bridge. The property was added to the
New South Wales State Heritage Register The New South Wales State Heritage Register, also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Herita ...
on 2 April 1999.


History

The Menangle Bridge is the first large iron railway bridge erected in New South Wales, whereas the first large railway bridge, an eight-span stone arch viaduct, was opened at
Lewisham Lewisham () is an area of southeast London, England, south of Charing Cross. It is the principal area of the London Borough of Lewisham, and was within the historic county of Kent until 1889. It is identified in the London Plan as one o ...
in 1855. The bridge opened in 1863. It was the first large iron railway bridge on the New South Wales Government Railways network. The bridge was manufactured in England by The Canada Works in
Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; Historic counties of England, historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the R ...
. The bridge opened on 1 July 1863 with the line from Campbelltown station to Picton station. In 1907, the bridge was strengthened with intermediate piers and extra girders added.Investigation Report for Uplifting Speed Limit across Bridge
URS Corporation 9 September 2005
When John Whitton planned the railway extension from Campbelltown to Picton, he was under pressure from the Government to keep costs low by using as much local material as possible. A metal girder design had been proposed by contractors Peto, Brassey and Betts but Whitton substituted a timber bridge made from ironbark and other strong hardwoods, a relatively short , low level crossing. However the flood of 1860, some above the proposed rail level, caused him to design a high level, large span bridge to maximise the waterway, flanked by long timber approach viaducts, a total of . It was a massive structure for its time, comprising of masonry, of brickwork and tons of wrought iron for a total cost of
The pound (Sign: £, £A for distinction) was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 14 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. As with other £sd currencies, it was subdivided into 20 shillings (denoted by the symbol s ...
94,562. The iron superstructure was manufactured in England at the Canada Works, Birkenhead (opposite
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
) and shipped out in December 1861. One ship arrived in Sydney in April 1862 but the other was wrecked at the entrance to the Mersey River. However, the replacement ironwork was delivered to Sydney in December 1862. Construction of the locally quarried
sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
abutments and piers were completed in October 1862 and the iron bridge was assembled ready for service by June 1863. Load testing, by three locomotives in full steam, followed and the line to Picton was opened on 1 July 1863. The use of a continuous superstructure was technically significant because the analysis of such structures was a relatively new, sophisticated procedure. Also, it showed that Whitton and Fowler (London) appreciated the structural benefits that a continuous girder over three spans offered compared to three simply-supported spans. The sister bridge to the Menangle Bridge was the
Victoria Bridge Victoria Bridge may be a reference to: Bridges ;Australia * Victoria Bridge, Brisbane, a road bridge across the Brisbane River in Brisbane * Victoria Bridge, Devonport a road ridge across the Mersey River in Devonport, Tasmania * Victoria Bridge, ...
over the
Nepean River Nepean River ( Darug: Yandhai), is a major perennial river, located in the south-west and west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Nepean River and its associated mouth, the Hawkesbury River, almost encircles the metropolitan region ...
at Penrith. Their sizes and design were such that they were featured in an international text book Modern Examples of Road and Railway Bridges by William H. Maw and James Dredge, London, 1872.


Description

Since 1907, when intermediate
piers Piers may refer to: * Pier, a raised structure over a body of water * Pier (architecture), an architectural support * Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name) * Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...
were built in the middle of the three original spans, the bridge has six spans. Between the original stone abutments, these additional brick piers alternate with the original stone piers. The superstructure consists of two massive,
wrought iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a wood-like "grain" ...
, cellular (box) girders, continuous from abutment to abutment, no breaks at the piers. These deep girders are at centres which allows for a double track between them, supported on a series of closely spaced cross girders. On the outer surfaces of the girders there are pairs of curved angle iron suggesting the inclusion of an arch. These are purely decorative, there is no arch action, the superstructure is a girder. At the Sydney end, one of the ornamental tops to a pier was demolished by a derailment in 1976. The iron bridge received only localised superficial damage but the stonework was not replaced, thereby leaving the cellular cross section of the girder exposed.


Condition

As at 26 April 2006, the physical condition is good. Apart from the inclusion of the intermediate piers in 1907, the 1863 Menangle Bridge retains most of its original fabric.


Modifications and dates

The principal modification was the building of the intermediate piers in 1907 which, by halving the original spans, greatly increased the load capacity of the bridge such that it is still in service carrying modern heavy, fast rail traffic. The original iron bridge was flanked by timber viaducts which were replaced by steel girders in 1923. In 1993 Consulting Engineers, Dames & Moore of North Sydney, recommended a number of actions for a general refurbishment of the main bridge, some minor repairs, cleaning up and painting, maintenance to the bearings and the like, but no major changes. In March 2003, the bridge was closed for one month while repairs were carried out. When it reopened it had a speed limit, later increased to . It was announced in April 2003, the bridge would be replaced but to date this has not happened. In October 2005, the speed limit was increased to . In 2013 it was increased to the maximum line speed.


Heritage listing

As at 16 April 2003, the Menangle Railway Bridge, constructed in 1863 over the Nepean River, is one of the most historic bridges in Australia because: :(a) it was the first large iron bridge in New South Wales and the largest bridge until the 1889 Hawkesbury River railway bridge; :(b) it has a dominant appearance in a rural landscape; :(c) it shares in the enormous benefits, social and commercial, that the Main South Railway has made to New South Wales in 140 years; and :(d) it was a technically advanced design for its time and received international recognition in 1872. The Menangle and Victoria Bridges are the only bridges of their type in New South Wales. They are excellent examples of heavy duty, wrought iron girder bridges continuous over three spans. Apart from the inclusion of the intermediate piers in 1907, the 1863 Menangle Bridge Retains most of its original fabric. The Menangle rail bridge constructed in 1863 is the oldest surviving bridge on the State rail system and is of highest significance in the development of railway technology in the State. It is an excellent example of early bridge construction. The bridge is one of two identical bridges constructed for the NSW Railways, the other being over the Nepean River at Penrith. The Penrith Bridge was opened in 1867 but has been used for road traffic since 1907. The Menangle rail bridge is typical of British bridge engineering of the 1860s, the iron spans having been fully imported. Additional supporting piers were later erected under the spans so that heavier engines could be used on the main south line. The bridge is of national, if not international, significance as there are few such bridges still in use in the United Kingdom. Menangle Railway Bridge was listed on the
New South Wales State Heritage Register The New South Wales State Heritage Register, also known as NSW State Heritage Register, is a heritage list of places in the state of New South Wales, Australia, that are protected by New South Wales legislation, generally covered by the Herita ...
on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales. The 1863 Menangle Railway Bridge over the Nepean River is one of the most historic bridges in Australia. It was the first large iron bridge in New South Wales and the largest bridge until the 1889 Hawkesbury River Bridge. The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales. The bridge has a dominant appearance in a rural landscape, partly obscured by excessive growth of adjacent trees. The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group in New South Wales for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. The Main South Railway has been an enormous benefit to the social and commercial development of the southern quarter of New South Wales for 140 years, and this bridge, part of the original railway construction, has shared in the significance of that contribution. The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. The 3-span continuous girder design was, for the 1860s, a technically sophisticated design that was noted in an international 1872 text book. The cellular construction, whereby the top and bottom parts of the girders are made in the form of two boxes or cells, was a recent development for resisting lateral buckling arising from the famous experiments by Fairfairn and Hodgkinson for the 1849 Britannia Bridge in Wales. The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales. The Menangle and Victoria Bridges are the only bridges of their type in New South Wales. The place is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a class of cultural or natural places/environments in New South Wales. The Menangle and Victoria Bridges are excellent examples of heavy duty, wrought iron girder bridges continuous over three spans.


Engineering heritage award

The bridge received an Engineering Heritage Marker from
Engineers Australia Engineers Australia (EA) is an Australian professional body and not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is to advance the science and practice of engineering for the benefit of the community. Engineers Australia is Australia's recognized or ...
as part of its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.


See also

* List of railway bridges in New South Wales *
Victoria Bridge (Penrith) The Victoria Bridge (Penrith), also known as the Victoria Bridge over Nepean River and officially known as The Nepean Bridge, is a heritage-listed former railway bridge and now wrought iron box plate girder road bridge across the Nepean River on ...


References


Attribution


External links

* * {{Australian railway bridges, state=autocollapse Bridges completed in 1863 1863 establishments in Australia Railway bridges in New South Wales Menangle New South Wales State Heritage Register Articles incorporating text from the New South Wales State Heritage Register Main Southern railway line, New South Wales Girder bridges Wrought iron bridges Recipients of Engineers Australia engineering heritage markers