Melbourne Mt Alexander & Murray River Railway bridge Maribyrnong R 2015 7
The double track railway bridge was proposed by the Melbourne Mt Alexander & Murray River Railway Company, to carry its Melbourne-Williamstown line across what was then the Salt Water River. The government acquired the company's faltering operations in 1856, and the design and erection of the bridge became the responsibility of George C Darbyshire, the first Engineer in Chief, of the newly formed Victorian Railways Department. The massive tubular box girder iron bridge with bluestone abutments was erected in 1858-59. The iron girders were fabricated in Manchester by William Fairbairn & Sons. It has been claimed that the eminent English engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who arranged manufacture of the girders and acted as Inspecting Engineer, made minor modifications to the design to save costs and to simplify and facilitate fabrication. The girders, which spanned 200 feet (60.9 metres), were erected by George Holmes & Company on bluestone abutments constructed by Pierce & Dalziel. In 1911 Mephan Ferguson, a local engineering firm, contracted to replace the box girder span with the present through hog-back Pratt steel truss structure in order to accommodate heavier loads.
Melbourne Mt Alexander & Murray River Railway bridge Maribyrnong R 2015 7
The double track railway bridge was proposed by the Melbourne Mt Alexander & Murray River Railway Company, to carry its Melbourne-Williamstown line across what was then the Salt Water River. The government acquired the company's faltering operations in 1856, and the design and erection of the bridge became the responsibility of George C Darbyshire, the first Engineer in Chief, of the newly formed Victorian Railways Department. The massive tubular box girder iron bridge with bluestone abutments was erected in 1858-59. The iron girders were fabricated in Manchester by William Fairbairn & Sons. It has been claimed that the eminent English engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who arranged manufacture of the girders and acted as Inspecting Engineer, made minor modifications to the design to save costs and to simplify and facilitate fabrication. The girders, which spanned 200 feet (60.9 metres), were erected by George Holmes & Company on bluestone abutments constructed by Pierce & Dalziel. In 1911 Mephan Ferguson, a local engineering firm, contracted to replace the box girder span with the present through hog-back Pratt steel truss structure in order to accommodate heavier loads.