Scotswood Railway Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Scotswood Railway Bridge, on 25 August 2005 | |
| Coordinates | 54°58′06″N 1°41′37″W / 54.9684°N 1.6935°W |
| OS grid reference | NZ196637 |
| Carries |
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| Crosses | River Tyne |
| Locale | Tyneside |
| Preceded by | Blaydon Bridge |
| Followed by | Scotswood Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Beam bridge, hog-back girders on cylinder piers |
| Material | Wrought iron |
| Pier construction | Cast iron |
| Total length | 212.6 m (698 ft) |
| Width | 7.7 m (25 ft) |
| Longest span | 37.9 m (124 ft) |
| No. of spans | 6 |
| Piers in water | 5 |
| Rail characteristics | |
| No. of tracks | (Formerly) 2 |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) |
| History | |
| Construction end | 1871 |
| Construction cost | £20,000 |
| Opened | 1871 |
| Closed | 4 October 1982 |
| Location | |
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Scotswood Railway Bridge is a pipeline bridge and former railway bridge crossing the River Tyne in North East England. It previously carried the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway between Scotswood and Blaydon stations.
The first railway bridge on this site was completed in 1839. Largely built of wood, it burnt down two decades later and was briefly replaced by a pair of bridges until the construction of the present bridge was completed in 1871. It was constructed largely of wrought iron, which was supplied by the local firm Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, and cost roughly £20,000. The bridge has a six-span hog-back configuration and is supported upon five cast iron cylindrical piers; the deck is intentionally skewed across the river to avoid sharp curves that would necessitate reducing the speed of passing trains.
This bridge was in use by railway traffic for over one hundred years without major issue, albeit some strengthening measures being required during 1943. On 4 October 1982, it was permanently taken out of service, with its traffic being redirected across former freight-only lines to the King Edward VII Bridge and through Dunston, allegedly as a cost-saving measure. While unused for its original purpose for decades, the Scotswood Railway Bridge has remained in situ, carrying utilities across the river to the present day. Its railway tracks have been lifted and it is uncrossable to the general public.