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Kentmere 100 pushed to 400 exposed with Olympus XA stand developped in 5ml Rodinal into 300ml distilled water for a hour
Before heading to the car I couldn't resist this going shot. This really shows the grade leveling off right before the Golf Road bridge!
The High Level Bridge is a road and railway bridge spanning the River Tyne between Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead in North East England. It is considered the most notable historical engineering work in the city. It was built by the Hawks family from 5,050 tons of iron. George Hawks, Mayor of Gateshead, drove in the last key of the structure on 7 June 1849, and the bridge was officially opened by Queen Victoria later that year.
It was designed by Robert Stephenson to form a rail link towards Scotland for the developing English railway network; a carriageway for road vehicles and pedestrians was incorporated to generate additional revenue. The main structural elements are tied cast-iron arches.
Notwithstanding the considerable increase in the weight of railway vehicles since it was designed, it continues to carry rail traffic, although the King Edward bridge nearby was opened in 1906 to ease congestion. The roadway is also still in use, although with a weight restriction. It is a Grade I listed structure.
In 1835, the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway (N&CR) Act authorised the line to approach Newcastle to a terminus at Redheugh, on the south bank of the River Tyne, close to the end of the present-day New Redheugh Bridge. The Act also authorised a crossing of the Tyne there, giving rail access to the north shore quays. The river was shallow at this point, and the bridge would have been at a low level, only 20 ft (6.1 m) above high water. The line would then have climbed to a terminus at the Spital, near Neville Street and the east end of the present-day Newcastle Central station. The climb was to be at a gradient of 1 in 22 and would have been operated by a stationary steam engine with rope haulage.
Hitherto railways in the region had had a local focus, but now the Great North of England Railway (GNER) obtained authorising Acts to build from Newcastle to York, forming part of a continuous trunk railway network to connect to London; the project was controlled by George Hudson, the so-called Railway King. At first the GNER was content to get access to the N&CR Newcastle terminus, by connecting with the N&CR at Redheugh and running over its line across the Tyne and up to the Spital. This had the advantage of avoiding a separate, and expensive, crossing of the river, but would have meant a steep descent to Redheugh as the GNER line approached on high ground from the Team Valley, only to climb once again to the Spital. Moreover, William Brandling had made known his intention to reach Newcastle from his line by running at a high level through Gateshead. On 25 April 1837, the N&CR decided to build to their south side, low-level terminus at Redheugh, but to leave the issue of the Tyne crossing open.
Richard Grainger was a developer in Newcastle, and had acquired lands at Elswick (on the north bank of the Tyne west of the proposed Redheugh crossing). In 1836, he published a pamphlet recommending a crossing of the Tyne there, and the formation of spacious railway terminal accommodation there. Drawing attention to the limited scope for extending eastwards from the Spital, and "in the event of an Edinburgh Railway also terminating in this situation, the interchange of passengers, goods, and cattle would be greatly increased".
Grainger's plan was not adopted, and the Brandling Junction Railway reached Gateshead in 1839. The GNER ran out of money and it was superseded in Hudson's railway empire by the Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway, which opened its line using the Brandling Junction Railway from the south east instead of through the Team Valley. The Brandling Junction line had a terminus in Gateshead at Greenesfield at a high level, and the N&CR line was built climbing on an inclined plane at a gradient of 1 in 23 from Redheugh to reach that. The Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway opened its line from the south to Pelaw, allowing its trains to reach Gateshead over the Brandling Junction line, in 1844. The tables had been turned, and indeed for a while Greenesfield was the de facto main station for the conurbation of Newcastle and Gateshead.
John and Benjamin Green were a father and son architectural practice active in Newcastle. In 1841 Benjamin Green had proposed a high level bridge for road traffic, substantially on the alignment of the actual High Level Bridge; and sensing the commercial climate he explained how it could be adapted for railway use. He failed to get any financial support, but in 1843 George Hudson was looking for ways to extend his railway network northwards, and the Greens' scheme fitted with his takeover of the Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway; the line got its authorising Act on 22 May 1844, and the Act included the road bridge.
The Newcastle and North Shields Railway had opened in 1839 from its own terminus at Carliol Square, on the north-east edge of Newcastle. As a purely local concern, the disconnection was not important, but interest gathered in a railway to central Scotland; the "Edinburgh Railway" foreseen by Grainger. A Scottish concern, the North British Railway, had got its Act of Parliament the previous year to build as far south as Berwick (later known as Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Now Hudson was intent on capturing the line to Edinburgh for his empire, and he encouraged the development of railway plans to get there; the route such a line might take continued to generate considerable controversy. There was still ambiguity about Hudson's intentions for the bridge—an easier crossing point at Bill Quay, two miles downstream had been considered—and Newcastle Town Council sought undertakings from him. In addition, he promised a footway crossing; this was apparently not a sweetener to the Town Council, but a commercial decision, expected to bring in £250 a week. The footway crossing was later extended to include horse-drawn vehicles.
Finally, the Newcastle and Berwick Railway was authorised by Act of Parliament of 31 July 1845. The line would cross the Greens' high level bridge, starting from the Gateshead Greenesfield station, and commitments made to the building of a bridge by the Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway were transferred to the Newcastle and Berwick Railway.
The bridge was to be designed by Robert Stephenson; T E Harrison did the detailed design work.
The height of the railway, at about 120 ft (37 m) above high water, was determined by the level of the Brandling Junction line in Gateshead. A double-deck configuration was selected because of road levels on the approaches, and to avoid the excess width of foundations which a side-by-side arrangement would require. The deck width was determined by the useful roadway width plus the width of structural members, which gave the railway deck the width for three tracks.
The foundations were to be difficult because of the poor ground conditions in the river, and this ruled out an all-masonry structure, so cast iron or wrought iron was inevitable for the superstructure. A tied arch (or bow-string) design was favoured because the outward thrust imposed by an arch is contained by the tie; no abutments capable of resisting the thrust could be provided here.
Stephenson had used this configuration before; he recorded that, "The earliest railway bridge on the bowstring principle is that over the Regent's Canal, near Chalk Farm, on the London and Birmingham Railway".
The arch would consist of iron ribs. Fawcett says, "The reasons for not using wrought iron was due to some engineers' distrust of rivetting, the relatively small size of wrought iron plates then available, and the higher cost… On 1 October 1845 when the Newcastle and Berwick Board instructed T E Harrison for their bridges, none of the uses of wrought iron had been developed far enough to be considered as an alternative to cast iron for the High Level Bridge. A tubular bridge might have been considered by Robert Stephenson but the distance between solid and reasonably shallow foundations would have given a span much larger than the Britannia Bridge."
The depth of rock in the riverbed resulted in a height of 140 ft (43 m) from there to the superstructure. Three river piers were permitted by the Tyne Improvement Commissioners, and therefore four river spans of 125 ft (38 m) were decided on; there were additional subsidiary spans on the shore.
The cast iron arch ribs are 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m) deep at the crown, increasing to 3 ft 9 in (1.14 m) at the springing, with 12-inch (30 cm) flanges; the flanges and webs were three inches thick; in the case of the inner ribs, and two inches for the outer ribs. The rise was 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m), determined by the desired geometry to confine the horizontal thrust within bounds. Each arch was cast in five sections, bolted together.
Stephenson described the tie bars:
The ties consist of flat wrought-iron bars, 7 inches by 1 inch of best scrap iron, with eyes of 3½ inches diameter, bored out of the solid, and pins turned and fitted closely. Each external rib is tied by four of these bars, and each internal rib by eight. The sectional area of each external tie is 28 [square] inches, and of each internal tie 56 [square] inches, giving a total area of 168 square inches. These bars were all tested to 9 tons on the square inch.
The rail deck is supported above the arches by twelve 14-inch (360 mm) square columns at 9 feet 11 inches (3.02 m) centres. Suspension rods supported the road deck, and both decks had two layers of diagonally laid three-inch deck timbers on suitable wrought iron cross girders (and rail-bearers in the case of the rail deck).
The main contractors for the ironwork were Hawks, Crawshay, and Sons, who were assisted by John Abbot and Co., of Gateshead Park Works, and Losh Wilson and Bell, of Walker Ironworks, in the production of the castings. The tender was accepted at £112,000. The contract for the bridge piers and land arches and for the Newcastle Viaduct were won by John Rush and Benjamin Lawton of York for £94,000 and £82,500 respectively. The total cost of the contracts at 1999 prices would be over £30 million.
The first masonry was laid on 12 January 1847. A temporary timber viaduct on the east side was ready on 20 August 1848.
Timber coffer dams were constructed; they were 76 ft 6 in (23.32 m) by 29 ft (8.8 m) with two skins, the space between being filled with puddle clay. James Nasmyth had a novel design of steam pile driver; it had first been used in Devonport Docks in 1845; it could deliver 60 to 70 blows a minute; the cycle time with the hand-operated pile drivers formerly in use was four minutes. The drop weight was 1½ tons and its stroke was 2 ft 9 in (0.84 m); one was purchased from Nasmyth.
The ground gave considerable trouble during construction; Stephenson recorded:
Many difficulties occurred in driving the piles which considerably retarded the progress of the work, and, among others, the peculiar effect of ebb and flow during this operation is worthy of note. At flood-tide, the sand became so hard as almost totally to resist the utmost efforts of driving, while at ebb the sand was quite loose, and allowed of doing so with facility. It was therefore found necessary to abandon the driving on many occasions during high water. The difference between high and low water is 11 feet 6 inches. Another difficulty arose from the quicksands beneath the foundations. Although the piles were driven to the rock bottom, the water forced its way up, baffling the attempts to fill in between them; this, however, was remedied by using a concrete made of broken stone and Roman cement, which was continually thrown in until the bottom was found to be secure.
The arch ribs were erected in section by travelling crane; each arch was temporarily erected at the contractor’s works. The first was placed on 10 July 1848, and the erection of the ironwork was quick.
Already on 29 August 1848, it was possible to pass a special train over the first arch, and over a temporary structure for the rest of the crossing:
The High Level Bridge Over the Tyne: This important junction between the York and Newcastle and the Newcastle and Berwick Railway has been completed, and the event was celebrated on Tuesday last. In the afternoon of that day, a train of [specially invited] passengers passed along the temporary timber viaduct from the station at Gateshead to the station at Newcastle. Mr Hudson and several other Directors of the York, Newcastle, and Berwick line, who had been visiting Sunderland ... proceeded in a special train from that town to Gateshead... Several carriages were then added to the special train, and an open truck placed at each end, in which bands of music were stationed. The shrill sound of the whistle gave the signal for a royal salute, under the booming of which the train passed along the line, the band playing, and the thousands assembled to witness the event, rending the air with joyous acclamation Upon reaching the bridge, the bands struck up the well-known local air of "The Keel Row" which they continued till the train had reached the solid ground on the northern side of the river... The train proceeded to the Newcastle and Berwick station, where the company alighted and walked in procession to the Queen’s Head Inn, where a magnificent entertainment had been provided for the Directors and their friends, by the Mayor of Newcastle.
[From the south abutment of the High Level Bridge] and the river pier on the south side, the cast iron arch and road-way are nearly completed, and the second arch will be in progress in the course of a few weeks. From the middle of the first arch, the line curves to a temporary timber viaduct erected along the west side of the intended bridge. The height of this viaduct is one hundred and twenty feet to the level of the rails; it is built upon piles, which are driven between thirty and forty feet into the bed of the river. Its stability was sufficiently tested on Monday, when Captain Leffan (sic), the Government Inspector of Railways, examined it preparatory to the opening. On that day, two powerful engines weighing upwards of seventy tons, traversed it at different degrees of speed for between two and three hours; the weight would be about one ton to a foot, being four or five times greater than the temporary structure will ever be required to bear, and the result was, in the highest degree, satisfactory.
Among the company in the train were four ladies, who are deserving of honourable mention, from the courage they displayed in accompanying it, namely, Mrs Nichs. Wood, and Miss F. Wood, Mrs I. L. Bell, and her sister, Miss Pattinson of Washington. As the train passed steadily over the bridge the anxiety of the immense multitude seemed intense, and the scene was truly exciting, yet fearful—not only from the lofty eminence occupied by the train but, from the apparent narrowness and nakedness of the platform on which it rolled along. It seemed from its noiselessness, rather an aerial flight, than the rattling sweep of the iron horse.
Ordinary traffic appears to have used the temporary single line structure after this date.
The eastern track was ready for an inspection by Captain Laffan, Inspecting Office for the Board of Trade, when he visited on 11 August 1849; a load test with four tender locomotives and eighteen wagons loaded with ballast, a total weight of 200 tons. Laffan approved the bridge:
I believe all the works of the bridge are completed, and that I believe it to be perfectly secure and safe. The Company have as yet only laid one line of rails over this structure, and I beg to recommend that permission be given to open that one line.
The first passenger train crossed the completed structure on the morning of 15 August 1849.
Queen Victoria formally inaugurated the bridge on passing through by train on 28 September 1849.
The Queen at Newcastle: Her Majesty yesterday honoured this ancient borough with her presence. The event was one of universal and all-engrossing interest... The morning, unfortunately, was dull and the weather unsettled, giving forebodings of a wet and uncomfortable day... Notwithstanding, however, the unfavourable weather dense crowds assembled at every spot in this locality, where a view of the royal carriage could be obtained, and many remained for hours exposed to the weather in order that they might retain the places which at an earlier period of the morning they had secured. The bridge was densely lined with people, and the platform was well covered, though not inconveniently crowded. A profusion of banners were displayed on this elegant and substantial structure, and from nearly all the public and many of the private buildings both in Newcastle and Gateshead. The vessels in the river hoisted their flags mast-high on the occasion, and the church bells of the two towns rung many a merry peal in honour of the royal visit... Pursuant to a request issued by the Mayor, most of the shops were closed about 11 o’clock, and the manufacturers were desired by our worthy chief magistrate "not to produce smoke between that hour and one," with which we believe, they generally complied... At precisely twenty minutes past twelve, the royal carriage appeared in sight, and when it reached the Spital, a splendid locomotive, built by the celebrated house of Stephenson and Co., gaily decorated and bearing on its front "God save the Queen" surmounted by a crown, and a suitable inscription encircling the boiler, was attached to the train. It then slowly proceeded to the centre of the colossal fabric, amidst bursts of loud and rapturous cheering from the assembled thousands, her Majesty repeatedly acknowledging these marked demonstrations of loyalty and affection from her faithful and attached subjects.
The Mayors of Newcastle and Gateshead presented a formal address. The queen travelled in the royal carriage belonging to the London and North Western Railway.
In other carriages were members of her Majesty’s suite and the directors of the York, Newcastle, and Berwick Railway. The engine drawing the royal train was under the direction of Mr T. E. Harrison, the resident engineer, and driven by Mr Thos. Carr... After staying altogether from five to ten minutes, the train was again put in motion, and amidst firing of artillery and rapturous plaudits from the dense throng, proceeded en route to Darlington.
The bridge and its immediate approaches had cost £243,000.
The road deck was re-opened only in a southbound (towards Gateshead) direction and carries only buses and taxis; the one-way operation is required because of width considerations after protection to the structural members was inserted. Pedestrians and cyclists use the bridge freely. Railway traffic continues in full use of the bridge, although the majority of mainline trains use the King Edward VII bridge for reasons of convenience.
Out practicing with the new zoom. The NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 is certainly sharp and the VR is great - 1/60 wide open.
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সারী নদী, লালাখাল , সিলেট।
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Just beyond the sunset
Someone waits for me
Just beyond the sunset
Lies my destiny
Where the purple mountains
Lie in deep tranquillity
There I’ll find the treasure
Of love eternally
Just beyond the sunset
Waits someone so fair
Just beyond the sunset
All alone they wait there
Their hair is golden
The colour of the sand
Their eyes sparkle in the night
Like diamonds in your hand
Just beyond the sunset
Lies a home for me
Where the world is peaceful
Like a paradise should be
Just beyond the sunset
Someday is where you’ll find me
---
David Harris
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The Lucky 3 UE Eurotour
3 Man crew
My 3rd time and
3 Countries - Luxembourg, France and Belgium
A heap of locations, 1541 KMs driving, a late night rainy steep infiltration to a famous urbex haunt and a day mostly spent driving and walking to some wrong coordinates.
Full set here:
www.flickr.com/photos/timster1973/sets/72157633420917013/...
Previous Eurotours:
www.flickr.com/photos/timster1973/sets/72157632759059815/
www.flickr.com/photos/timster1973/sets/72157631939892302/
Also on Facebook:
Melinda Crane; Christopher Eckerberg, Vattenfall AB; Chris Levesque, TerraPower; Evengy Pakermanov, Rusatom Overseas; Fiona Rayment, National Nuclear Laboratory; Bernard Salha, EDF
Just after a shower of rain, 68006 crosses over Kirknewton Level Crossing with 5G13. This is the Motherwell - Waverley ECS for Scotrail.
18/8/15 at 1531
Ogni gesto lascia un'impronta che evoca una storia. La fotografia lo testimonia e ne conserva la memoria, talvolta mentendo, talvolta dicendo la verità. Chi vede, distingue. Quelle che si scorgono sono le tracce di alcuni attraversamenti. I luoghi sono quasi sempre quelli dell'abbandono e delle rovine: un modo, come altri, di pensare il tempo. Dietro l'apparenza di ciascuna immagine, c'è un soggetto invisibile. E' il protagonista, o meglio, sono i protagonisti di infinite piccole storie. Non solo personali.
L.Amaduzzi
All three levels of the Moonlight Dome were luxuriously outfitted and maintained to perfection, and my trusty Google Pixel managed to do them all justice (this is straight-from-the-camera, no filters, no post-processing - the stories of the Pixel's photographic capabilities are not exaggerated!).
Hagside Level Crossing signal box by the Up Main line alongside Hinds Lane level crossing at Warth in Radcliffe. 18:45, Tuesday 19th September 1978
Bank Top signal box was a Saxby & Farmer type 6 design fitted with a Saxby & Farmer lever frame that opened in 1873 for the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Company, being renamed as Hagside Level Crossing within ten years. The frame was possibly 16 levers and the original locking was replaced by tappet locking in 1883, and was replaced in 1941 by a 16 lever Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Company Tappet frame. The signal box closed on 16th March 1980 when a replacement signal box opened diagonally opposite across the level crossing in connection with the new station at Bury Interchange
The signal box carried a London Midland & Scottish Railway Company post-1935 design nameboard
Ref no 00765
Thanks to 4foot2 for the better flick!! good to meet you boss!! fun day paint, pretty pleased with how it turned out. The kids seemed to like the happy Mr Turd.
Cattle Egret - Somerset Levels
These herons, the latest addition to our avifauna, go about their work seemingly with great efficiency hoovering up everything in their path. I have a feeling though that their spread might adversely affect some ground-nesting species?
My level headed little caretaker. Sure she looses her cool over ridiculous things like candy or the toy she so desperately needs but at the end of it all she's a caring little level headed child.
I was upset over something yesterday and she said to me... "Can you get it fixed?". I told her, "Yeah'. Her reply "Then why worry about it and be sad, it's no big deal".
These kids, wiser than me I tell you.
Hagside Level Crossing signal box located by the Down Main line alongside Hinds Lane at Warth in Radcliffe. Monday 16th May 1988
Hagside Level Crossing signal box was a British Railways London Midland Region non standard design built by Norwest Holst in 1978 to replace the mechanical signal boxes at Hagside Level Crossing, Buckley Wells, and Bury South. It opened fitted with a British Railways London Midland Region one control switch signalling panel on 16th March 1980 in connection with the closure of Bury Bolton Street railway station and opening of Bury Interchange. The signal box closed on 17th August 1991 when the Bury to Crumpsall section of the Bury to Manchester railway line was handed over to Greater Manchester Metrolink for conversion into a tram system with the plan being to retain the building as a station equipment room. The closed circuit television to monitor the level crossing was not ready when Greater Manchester Metrolink reopened the line on 6th April 1992 and as a result the signal box opened as a non block post with a crossing keeper operating the level crossing. After the closed circuit television to monitor the level crossing was commissioned in 1993 it was used for its planned role as a station equipment room. The closed circuit television level crossing was replaced by a stop and proceed over crossing at 10 mph if clear instruction to trams in August 2020, the former signal box being demolished in November 2020
Ref no 08478
Operating the Iberia IB3166 from Madrid to London Heathrow on 2nd April 2023. Arriving on runway 09L late afternoon. Not perfect as the sun has gone off the nose, but it might have been one of my last chances to photograph one of these. They seem to be in the process of being painted into mainline Iberia colours.
HEY FLUIDVILLEEEE 💦💦💦Introducing the Lulu Collection!! Now available at Level EVENT... She’s comfy, she’s cute, she’s LULU With 10 color options + a dainty belly chain detail? Belly chain comes seperately purchased unless purchasing the FULL COLLECTION! It is a Star diamond belly ring with a chain connected to it including diamond assets along the front! Each short purchase contains two shorts! One with graphic one basic color! This set is rigged for Legacy Reborn Kupra Waifu Muneca and Muneca FLAT. Thank you for all support!! she’s going in your faves perfect for any occassion. Please do not forget to try a demo!
GBRF 66708 6J46 Peak Forest Cemex Gbrf to Hope St Peakstone P.Sdgs passing Clayton Bridge Level Crossing
At the heart of the Summerland Meadows, Glastonbury Tor is a conical hill standing 158 m above the mists and wetlands of the Somerset Levels (which are at about sea level). It is composed of Blue Lias limestone and shale beneath a sandstone cap, the latter reinforced by iron deposited by the artesian spring of Chalice Well.
The hill has been used, if not permanently occupied, since at least 300–200 BCE, initially as an easily defended site during Iron Age conflicts. Roman pottery suggests it was similarly visited in that era, but the first evidence of settlement seems to date from the 5th to 7th Centuries; by the Saxon era, the hilltop featured a wooden church and monastic cells.
The 11th/12th Century wooden church, dedicated to St Michael, was destroyed by the major earthquake of 11 September 1275. A replacement was built in local sandstone, within the existing foundations, by Abbot Adam of Sodbury in the 14th Century, as a daughter church of the nearby Glastonbury Abbey. This lasted until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539, when the Monastery of St Michael on the Tor was demolished, apart from the church tower, and the last Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey, Richard Whiting, was hanged, drawn and quartered here alongside two of his monks.
Occasionally repaired, the three-storey buttressed tower remains (obviously), as a Grade I Listed Building, scheduled monument and iconic landmark of the region.
The path is is a 20th Century attempt to minimise erosion by increasing numbers of visitors, but the means of formation and purpose of the tor's terraced slopes is a slight mystery: agricultural, defensive or even a ritual labyrinth?
Glastonbury Tor is perhaps best known for its association with Celtic mythology, though it's important to distinguish between historical records and more modern Neo-pagan reinterpretation (perfectly valid beliefs, just not necessarily supported by archæology!)
Apparently known to Celtic peoples as Ynys Afalon ('Isle of Apples'), from the late 12th Century it became associated with Arthurian legends (following the 'discovery' in the Abbey of coffins labelled 'Arthur' and 'Guinevere'), as the mythical Avalon. Others say a dragon sleeps within the hill (remember that earthquake?) and a credible explanation has been made about the Tor and Chalice Well's symbolism in modern Goddess worship.