Ouseburn Viaduct

Ouseburn Viaduct
Ouseburn Viaduct, 1915
Coordinates54°58′35″N 1°35′35″W / 54.9764°N 1.59305°W / 54.9764; -1.59305
CarriesEast Coast Main Line
CrossesOuseburn Valley
LocaleNewcastle-upon-Tyne, England
History
Opened18 June 1839
Location
Map

Ouseburn Viaduct carries the East Coast Main Line over the Ouseburn Valley through the East End of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Designed by architects John and Benjamin Green, it was originally built in the late 1830s for the Newcastle and North Shields Railway.[1] It is a Grade II* listed building.[2]

The viaduct is 918 ft (280 m) long and 108 ft (33 m) high with five arches (plus two approach arches) each of 116 ft (35 m) span. When originally built the viaducts were made of laminated timber construction on the Wiebeking system, whereby each arch was made from multiple layers of timbers held together by trenails and supported on stone pillars.

The viaduct was rebuilt in iron between 1867 and 1869 by the Weardale Iron & Coal Company to the designs of engineer Thomas Elliot Harrison for the North Eastern Railway Company, doubling its width to accommodate four tracks but preserving the bridge's original appearance. It now carries the East Coast Main Line.[3]

It is one of three high level bridges in close proximity making the same crossing, with the Byker Viaduct carrying the Tyne and Wear Metro and then the Byker road bridge both to the south.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Railway Bridges Around Newcastle". Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  2. ^ "Name: OUSEBURN VIADUCT WITH ACCOMMODATION ARCH List entry Number: 1120788". Historic England. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  3. ^ "Restoration of landmark Ouseburn viaduct wins top award". 12 April 2014.

54°58′35.040″N 1°35′34.980″W / 54.97640000°N 1.59305000°W / 54.97640000; -1.59305000 (Ouseburn Viaduct)