Macleay River railway bridge, Kempsey
The Macleay River railway bridge, also known as the Kempsey rail bridge over Macleay River, is a heritage-listed railway bridge that carries the North Coast railway across the Macleay River from Kempsey to South Kempsey, both in the Kempsey Shire, New South Wales, Australia. The property is owned by Transport Asset Holding Entity of New South Wales (TAHE), a state-owned corporation of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.[1]
Macleay River Railway Bridge | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) Heritage boundaries | |
| Coordinates | 31°05′12″S 152°49′53″E |
| Carries | North Coast railway |
| Crosses | Macleay River |
| Locale | Kempsey, Kempsey Shire, New South Wales, Australia |
| Begins | Kempsey (north) |
| Ends | South Kempsey (south) |
| Owner | Transport Asset Holding Entity |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Truss bridge |
| Material | Steel |
| Pier construction | Steel and concrete |
| History | |
| Fabrication by | Walsh Island Dockyard and Engineering Works |
| Construction end | 1917 |
| Official name | Kempsey rail bridge over Macleay River |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 1041 |
| Type | Railway Bridge/Viaduct |
| Category | Transport – Rail |
| Location | |
History
The bridge was built in 1917 along with the extension of the North Coast line to Kempsey. The steelwork for the bridge was made at the Walsh Island Dockyard and Engineering Works and transported to the bridge site by steamer.[2]
The bridge was damaged in floods in 1949 and 1950. It was initially proposed to replace the entire bridge as a result, but this proposal had been abandoned by 1953.[3][4]
In 1966 the bridge spans were raised by one metre (three feet) due to the 1950s floods, with new pre-cast concrete approaches constructed.[1]
Description
The bridge is a steel Pratt truss bridge with consisting of three 61-metre (200 ft) steel spans and two 20-metre (66 ft) plate girder spans. It was built with steel approaches, with the pre-cast concrete approaches added later when the bridge was raised.[1][5]
Heritage listing
The Macleay River bridge is one of the major river crossings on the North Coast railway line. When opened in 1917, the crossing of the river was achieved by 3 61-metre (200 ft) steel truss spans, approached by timber trestles. After two floods in 1949 and in 1950, the steel trusses were raised approximately one metre (three feet) and the approaches replaced by pre-stressed concrete spans.[1]
The Kempsey rail bridge over the Macleay River was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.[1]
The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.
This item is assessed as historically rare. This item is assessed as architecturally rare. This item is assessed as socially rare.[1]
See also
- List of railway bridges in New South Wales
References
- "Kempsey rail bridge over Macleay River". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01041. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence. - "North Coast Railway". The Wingham Chronicle And Manning River Observer. New South Wales, Australia. 15 June 1917. p. 8. Retrieved 19 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- "New Rail Bridge For Kempsey". Morning Bulletin. No. 27, 784. Queensland, Australia. 19 July 1950. p. 1. Retrieved 19 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- "NO NEW KEMPSEY RAILWAY BRIDGE". Macleay Argus. No. 9984. New South Wales, Australia. 6 February 1953. p. 4. Retrieved 19 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- "N.S.W. BRIDGES". Daily Examiner. Vol. 24, no. 7493. New South Wales, Australia. 19 July 1932. p. 21. Retrieved 19 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
Attribution
This Wikipedia article was originally based on Kempsey rail bridge over Macleay River, entry number 01041 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 2 June 2018.
External links
