Bridge 180A Over Trent & Mersey Canal - Northwich, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 13.766 W 002° 28.237
30U E 535338 N 5897925
This railway bridge carries the Northwich to Sandbach branch line of the London and North Western Railway across the Trent and Mersey Canal.
Waymark Code: WMW7W3
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/21/2017
Views: 0
The Trent and Mersey Canal
The Trent and Mersey Canal was the UK's first long distance canal and as the name suggests was built to give a connection to the Rivers Trent and Mersey. (Access to the Mersey was actually via the Bridgewater Canal with some locks at Runcorn that no longer exist).
It opened in 1777 and is 93.5 miles (150.5 km) long and stretches from its connection with the Bridgewater Canal at Preston Brook to its connection with the River Trent at Derwent Mouth.
The Railway
The railway line opened in 1867 for goods trains and then opened to passengers in 1868 with a station in the middle of the line at Middlewich.
In 1885 extra passenger services were extended along other existing lines to provide a service between Manchester and London though this ceased by World War II.
The remaining passenger service between Sandbach and Northwich ended in 1960 and the Middlewich station was demolished.
In the case of freight traffic the branch line from Sandbach through Middlewich to Northwich was primarily built to serve the industries lying near the railway. The most important in tonnage terms were the Cheshire salt mines which provided the line with much revenue up to recent times, when the traffic switched to road haulage. The related chemical factories also raised revenue for the railway companies. Short railway sidings were laid from the branch line to serve the bigger salt and chemical establishments. A goods depot was provided at Middlewich for the receipt and despatch of freight wagons and there was a parcels office for public use. The Middlewich branch continues to be used by freight trains and for occasional train diversions.
The bridge
The bridge is a girder bridge and carries a footpath alongside the main part of the rail bridge.
Bridge Type: Girder
Bridge Usage: Railroad
Moving Bridge: This bridge is static (has no moving pieces)
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