Smardale Viaduct

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Smardale Viaduct
Westmorland

The Smardale Viaduct
Location
Type: Railway viaduct
Carrying: Settle–Carlisle line
Crossing: Scandal Beck
Location
Grid reference: NY733082
Location: 54°28’7"N, 2°24’48"W
Structure
Length: 710 feet
Type: Railway viaduct
History
Built 1870-1875
Information

The Smardale Viaduct is a Victorian railway viaduct which carries the Settle to Carlisle Railway Line across the Scandal Beck in Westmorland. It was built for the Midland Railway by the contractors Benton & Woodiwiss.

The viaduct is 710 feet long and 130 feet high; the highest on the line. Over 60,000 tons of stone were used in its construction.[1] Local limestone was used for its construction, with the arch quoins made of millstone grit. Two of the twelve piers, the fourth and the tenth, are of considerably heavier construction.

The bridge opened in August 1875 having taken five years to construct. It crosses both Scandal Beck and the former Stainmore railway line.[2][3]

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material
about Smardale Viaduct)

References

  1. Frederick Smeeton Williams (1888), "VII. Viaducts", Our Iron Roads: their history, construction and administration, pp. 183–185, https://archive.org/stream/ourironroadsthei00willrich#page/182/mode/1up 
  2. Rennison, Robert William (1996), Civil engineering heritage: Northern England, "Smardale Viaduct" , pp.111–112 
  3. "Smardale Viaduct", www.engineering-timelines.com, http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=544