Albert Bridge, Brisbane facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Albert Bridge
Coordinates	27°30′20″S 152°58′25″E / 27.5056°S 152.9737°E / -27.5056; 152.9737
Carries	Railway
Crosses	Brisbane River
Locale	Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Official name	Albert Bridge
Characteristics
Design	Steel Truss bridge
Total length	208 metres (682 ft)
Longest span	two spans each 103.7 metres (340 ft)
History
Opened	1895

The Albert Bridge is a special railway bridge in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It's made of strong steel and crosses the Brisbane River, connecting the areas of Indooroopilly and Chelmer. This bridge was designed by Henry Charles Stanley and built between 1894 and 1895. It replaced an older bridge that was washed away in a big flood in 1893. Both bridges were named after Prince Albert, who was the Prince of Wales at the time. The Albert Bridge is considered a very important historical site in Queensland.

The bridge helps trains travel between Indooroopilly and Chelmer. It has two large steel sections supported by stone foundations on each side. There is also a strong concrete pillar in the middle of the river. This pillar is protected by a special iron casing. There used to be a walkway on one side for people to cross, but that's not used anymore.

Building the Albert Bridge

The First Bridge and the Big Flood

The very first Albert Bridge was finished in July 1875. It was important because it allowed the railway line to extend from Grandchester and Ipswich all the way to Brisbane. Before this bridge, people often used boats to travel between Ipswich and Brisbane.

However, a huge flood in 1893 completely destroyed this first bridge. This meant that ferries had to be used again to move people and goods across the river. This period was quite dangerous, and sadly, a ferry accident in 1896 caused many lives to be lost.

Designing the New Bridge

The second and current Albert Bridge was built in 1895. It was designed by Henry Charles Stanley, who was Queensland's Chief Engineer of Railways. Many people consider this bridge his most important work. He designed it as a "hogsback" steel truss bridge, which means it has a curved shape like a hog's back.

Stanley designed the bridge with two long sections and only one central pillar. He did this to make sure that floodwaters could flow through more easily. The first bridge had more pillars, which had caused it to be washed away. His design also included new ideas to protect against trains going off track, strong winds, and changes in temperature.

Construction Challenges

The company John McCormick & Son won the contract to build the bridge in August 1893. The cost was about £66,061. They also built parts of another famous bridge in Brisbane, the Victoria Bridge. The Albert Bridge was supposed to be finished by December 1894, but it didn't open until August 1895. This delay happened because a coal strike in Scotland held up the delivery of the steel for eight months. Also, it took four months just to remove the rock from the riverbed for the central pillar.

A special rule for the building contract was that as much work as possible had to be done in Queensland. So, McCormick & Son set up a workshop near the bridge site in Indooroopilly. They brought in special machines to build the top part of the bridge and the casing for the central pillar. Up to 240 people worked on the site at one time. They used local stone from quarries for the bridge's foundations and other parts. When it was finished in 1895, the Albert Bridge was the largest bridge in Australia built using local materials and workers.

The hardest part of building the bridge was creating the central pillar and its foundation. This foundation weighed about 230 long tons (230 t) and went 81 feet (25 m) below the high water mark. It was even sunk 2 feet (0.61 m) into the solid rock below the river. Workers had to dredge sand and gravel, and divers had to remove the rock by hand.

The southern part of the bridge was built over what was left of the old bridge. Then, the old pillars were removed. The northern part of the bridge was floated into place using special staging on an old ship and winches. The old bridge's foundations were also made wider and taller to support the new, bigger bridge.

When the bridge first opened, people could walk across it. But after the nearby Walter Taylor Bridge was built in 1937, the walkway on the Albert Bridge was no longer used by the public.

Albert Bridge Today

The Albert Bridge is still one of Australia's largest truss bridges. When it was finished, it had the second-longest span of any metal truss bridge in Australia. Today, it's the third-longest metal truss bridge in Australia, after Brisbane's Story Bridge (built in 1940) and the second Hawkesbury rail bridge (built in 1945).

This bridge was very important for the railway system that connected Brisbane with Ipswich and other parts of Queensland. As more trains used the line, another railway bridge was built next to it in 1957. For many years, these two bridges were the only railway crossings over the Brisbane River until the Merivale Bridge was built in 1978.

Today, the Albert Bridge is mainly used for passenger trains. Another railway bridge, built in 1957, is located next to the Albert Bridge. This second bridge was added to help handle more train traffic on the Ipswich railway line.

How the Bridge Looks

The Albert Bridge stretches across the Brisbane River between Indooroopilly and Chelmer. It is made entirely of steel parts joined together with rivets. It has two curved "hogsback" steel sections. These sections rest on stone foundations on each side of the river and on a central concrete pillar. This pillar is covered with an elliptical iron casing up to the water level, and then built up with stone.

Each steel section is about 103.7 metres (340 ft) long, 12.6 metres (41 ft) high in the middle, and 8.2 metres (27 ft) wide. Each section weighs around 606 metric tons (596 long tons; 668 short tons). The design uses a criss-cross pattern of diagonal metal bars, similar to a system developed in the United States. Strong horizontal and overhead bracing helps to make the bridge even more stable.

The railway tracks are supported by four long steel trough-shaped beams. The sides of these beams act as guards to prevent trains from derailing. These beams are supported by large cross-beams that are attached to the main steel sections of the bridge. The bridge deck is made of strong timber laid on bitumen and sand, and bolted to steel bars.

There is also a wrought iron walkway that sticks out from the upstream side of the bridge.

Why the Bridge is Important

The Albert Bridge is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because it's a very important part of Queensland's history and engineering.

• A Big and Important Bridge: It was one of the first large metal truss bridges in Australia. It's still the third-longest metal truss bridge in the country. When it was built, it was the biggest bridge in Australia made entirely with local materials and workers.
• Key to Railways: The bridge was crucial for connecting Brisbane by railway to southern and western Queensland. For over 60 years, it was the only railway crossing over the Brisbane River.
• Great Design: The bridge is still in excellent condition. It shows us how railway bridges were designed and built in Australia in the late 1800s.
• Looks Good: The bridge is also important because it's a landmark and adds to the beautiful view along the Brisbane River.
• Smart Engineering: It shows off new ideas in bridge design and construction. It's a major example of the skills of engineer H.C. Stanley and the work of the builders, John McCormick & Son.

See Also

• List of bridges in Brisbane
• List of heritage-listed bridges in Queensland

Images for kids

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  Original Albert Bridge, looking south to Chelmer

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  Original Albert Bridge (destroyed in the 1893 Brisbane flood)