Algebuckina Bridge
| Algebuckina Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The bridge in 2009 | |
| Coordinates | 27°53′57″S 135°48′27″E / 27.8993°S 135.8075°ECoordinates: 27°53′57″S 135°48′27″E / 27.8993°S 135.8075°E |
| Carries | Railway (disused) |
| Crosses | Neales River |
| Locale | South Australia |
| Heritage status | |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Steel |
| Total length | 1,900 feet (580 m) |
| Number of spans | 19 |
| History | |
| Construction cost | £AU 60,000 |
| Opened | 1892 |
| Closed | 1981 |
| Replaces | Surface level crossing |
The Algebuckina Bridge is a Victorian era railway bridge south-east of Oodnadatta, on the Central Australian Railway in South Australia, and opened in January 1892.[1][2] It was the longest bridge in South Australia until construction of the Seaford suburban rail line across the Onkaparinga River south of Adelaide in 2014.[1][2]
Of lattice steel construction, it comprises 19 span each 100 feet (30 m) long.[1] It was strengthened in 1926 to allow it to carry heaver trains.[2]
It was built by a team of around 350 men, working in extreme desert heat.[1] The grave of one of them, David Saunders, lies nearby. He died in January 1890 from “heart disease accelerated by heat apoplexy.”[1][3]
The bridge crosses the floodplain of the Neales River,[2] which is prone to seasonal flooding, and replaced a surface-level railway which was frequently washed away.[1] After a severe flood in 1974, which almost reached the bridge decks, the line was closed in 1981 and a new route built 100 miles further west.[1]
The bridge is on the Register of the National Estate[2] and the South Australian Heritage Register.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "The Australian Outback". Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways. Episode 2. 2012-12-13. Channel 5. Retrieved 2012-12-13.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Infornmation plaque at the bridge, pictured at http://letsgotravelaustralia.com/tag/algebuckina-bridge/
- ↑ "Algebuckina on the Oodnadatta Track". Retrieved 1 February 2013.
External links
Media related to Algebuckina Bridge at Wikimedia Commons