The other bridges are on the main line of the South Wales Railway, and
are four in number, each for two lines of way.
One at Loughor is a wrought-iron swing bridge, of 30 feet opening, of
the ordinary construction, with girders 90 feet in length, resting upon
36 rollers, which are secured in a ring concentric with the pivot. The
opening and closing is effected by means of a crab, fixed clear of the
bridge, near the centre. A chain passes from the overhanging end of the
bridge to this crab, and taking one or two turns round the barrel, to
ensure a sufficient amount of friction, is led to the tail end. The
bridge can thus be opened or shut by turning the crab handle in opposite
directions. The overhanging end, when across the river, is raised
upwards to a small extent by weighted levers, and wedges are then drawn
in under it to give it a solid bearing.
At Kidwelly and at Haverfordwest there are wrought-iron lifting bridges,
the former of 20 feet, and the latter of 30 feet span. Each of these
turns on a horizontal axle like the Bullo Pill bridge; but, instead of
being lifted by levers overhead, it has a narrow, heavily-weighted tail
end, beneath the planking of the viaduct, which is pulled down with a
chain worked by a crab. The portion which carries each line of way is
made to open independently. In this form of bridge no wedges or
adjusting arrangements are required for the bearings of the overhanging
end.
Over the river at Caermarthen is a skew bridge of three girders, each
116 feet long, for a double line of way. It occupies two spans and rolls
back, so as to leave a 50-feet opening for the navigation. The swing
bridge at Bristol, already described, was at first intended to be a
rolling bridge, and to be furnished with wheels to run back on fixed
rails, but the difficulty of forming a good foundation for the wheel
path led to the design being altered. At Caermarthen the same difficulty
was overcome by putting wheels turning in fixed bearings on the pier and
abutment of the bridge. The undersides of the girders carry inverted
rails, and run back on the wheels. The bridge, when shut, is on an
incline of 1 in 50. When about to be opened it is made to assume a
horizontal position by turning a supporting cam to lower the overhanging
end, and the tail end then rises sufficiently to pass clear above the
part of the railway over which it runs back.
By this arrangement the bridge, while in motion, moves along a level
path. It is opened and closed by hydraulic machinery.
All these opening bridges have worked satisfactorily since they were
constructed.
_Trussed Bridges._
When the timber viaduct over the river Usk, at Newport, was burnt
down,[98] Mr. Brunel decided to form the new superstructure of the
centre opening with three iron trusses, for the two lines of way.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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