Windsor Railway Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Windsor Railway Bridge |
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|---|---|
The wrought iron railway bridge
downstream side, looking towards Windsor |
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| Carries | 2 tracks of Slough to Windsor & Eton line |
| Crosses | River Thames |
| Locale | Windsor |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Tied arch |
| Material | Wrought iron |
| Width | 202 feet (62 m) |
| Height | 17 feet 9 inches (5.41 m) |
| Number of spans | 1 |
| History | |
| Designer | Brunel |
| Opened | 1849 |
The Windsor Railway Bridge is a special bridge in Windsor, Berkshire. It is made of a strong metal called wrought iron. This bridge is a 'tied arch' design, which means it has a curved top part (the arch) that is held together by a straight bottom part (the tie).
A famous engineer named Isambard Kingdom Brunel designed this bridge. It was built for his Great Western Railway (GWR) train line. This line connects Slough to Windsor (Windsor and Eton Central station). The bridge crosses the River Thames, a well-known river in England. It stands between two locks, Romney Lock and Boveney Lock.
The Windsor Railway Bridge is very old but still in use today. It is the world's oldest wrought iron bridge that trains still cross regularly! This bridge was an early example of Brunel's amazing work. It helped him design his later, even bigger bridge, the Royal Albert Bridge, in Saltash. In 1975, the bridge was given a special status as a Grade II* listed structure. This means it is an important historical building that needs to be protected.
Building the Bridge
The train line that uses this bridge started running in 1849. Building the line and the bridge took some time. There were delays because of disagreements from the head of Eton College, called the Provost. He had concerns about the railway coming so close to the famous school.
Later, between 1861 and 1865, a new brick viaduct was built. A viaduct is like a long bridge with many arches. This new brick viaduct replaced an older wooden one that carried the train tracks.
How the Bridge Works
The Windsor Railway Bridge has one main section that spans across the river. It has three special curved structures called bowstring trusses. These trusses create two spaces, or "bays," where the original two train tracks used to be.
Even though the bridge was built for two tracks, one track was removed in the 1960s. This happened when the train line was made simpler. Now, the space where the removed track used to be is used to carry a large pipe. This pipe helps move sewage or water.
Images for kids
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The brick viaduct carrying the GWR line into Windsor (looking east towards Eton College).
See also
In Spanish: Puente ferroviario de Windsor para niños
