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566:, 1 June 1857 by Lady Isabella Fitzmaurice, with the first train crossing the bridge and entering the Bryn Tunnel in June 1854, but it could not proceed further as Kennard's construction team had not yet finished the Hengoed Viaduct, which he had won the contract to design and act as civil engineer on. The final Crumlin viaduct, at 200 feet (61 m) high and 1,650 feet (500 m) across its two spans and ten trusses in length (1,066 feet (325 m) and 584 feet (178 m)), remained the highest railway viaduct in Great Britain throughout its working life. Nearby were the
594:, the last booked westbound scheduled passenger train ran over the viaduct on Saturday 13 June 1964, the 8.55pm from Pontypool Road to Aberdare (High Level), arriving at 10.09pm, which was booked to stop at Crumlin (High Level) at 9.20pm. The very last eastbound train over the Vale of Neath line was the 8.45pm from Neath (General) to Aberdare (High Level) which on Saturdays was extended from Aberdare to Pontypool Road arriving there at 11.18pm, calling at Crumlin (High Level) at 10.54pm. but apparently ran only as far as Aberdare on that date.
601:. But while the stone Hengoed Viaduct survived, a structural survey of the cast-iron Crumlin Viaduct showed its poor state, and resultant need for high investment to secure its future, let alone ongoing maintenance costs. The decision was therefore made to dismantle it because, by then, housing had extended into the lower valley area.
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in
Crumlin. Mad Jack was actually John Thomas Jenkins, a locomotive driver born in 1821. He raced across the viaduct despite being told to go slowly. Upon completing the crossing he told the angry engineer "when eternity looks you straight in the face, you may as well go at full speed to meet it!" He
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As
Liddell predicted, the location proved to be susceptible to high winds and resultant swaying, resulting in continual expensive maintenance. The NA&HR route, due to a combination of its height and steepness, proved to be one of the most expensive railway lines in all of the UK to operate. It
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concluded that stone would be a poor choice for construction of a suitable bridge, as additional stone would need to be shipped to the valley, and the height of the resulting structure would result in an unstable and high-maintenance bridge. Further, the solidity of a stone structure would create
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additional compressed wind flow around the rail tracks, resulting in a possible safety hazard for passengers and train crew. Overall, the required over-engineered result would also have been very expensive. His recommendation therefore to the board was for a cast-iron structure.
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Hailed as "one of the most significant examples of technological achievement during the
Industrial Revolution", in its 107 years of service until being dismantled in 1965, it remained: the least expensive bridge for its size ever constructed; the tallest railway viaduct in the
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Kennard began construction in
October 1853 by building the Crumlin Viaduct Works on the east bank. Here castings from Falkirk were brought together with wrought iron from Blaenavon, and all fitting and fabrication work took place. After shortening the spur from the
448:, and hence allow direct and LNWR controlled access. The LNWR approved the required capital expenditure, and merged the existing three railways and the extension project in the new Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway.
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died at 65 still in service with London and North
Western Railways. After a series of tests, during which a deflection of less than 1.5 inches (38 mm) was measured, the bridge was approved for use in the same month.
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Crumlin
Viaduct, on the Taff Vale Extension of the West Midland Railway ca 1855 by H J Cooke, fl ca 1855 and Maclure, Macdonald and Macgregor (lithographers), Engraver
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The iron parts of the bridge had been completely dismantled by the end of 1967, and only the stone and cast concrete abutments now remain visible on the valley sides.
386:, that mine owners were desperate for competitor railway companies to both improve speeds of shipping, provide access to new markets, and hence reduce shipping rates.
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502:. Contracts were signed in December 1852, with a stipulated completion date of 1 October 1857. After further experimentation with his design system at his father's
401:, by controlling the Llanfihangel Railway and the Grosmont Railways as feeder lines into the Hereford Railway, and hence onwards via the joint GWR/LNWR controlled
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Preservation of the historic viaduct was discussed, and the structure was scheduled as being of architectural and historical interest by the
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on 3 August 1846, the construction of the Taff Vale
Extension, which would connect Coedygric North Junction at Pontypool with the TVR/GWR at
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The route for the Taff Vale
Extension required the construction of two significant viaducts across two major river valleys: one across the
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Crumlin viaduct on the
Newport, Abergavenny & Hereford railway extension to Taff vale ca 1865 by Newman and Co. (London, England)
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Its height, created both a structural problem and a wind problem, as the valley funnelled and hence increased wind speed
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or lead weighing a total of 370 long tons (380 t) were placed in charge of locomotive driver "Mad Jack" of
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in the north via the Bryn Tunnel (398 yards (364 m)) to the viaduct east end, came by the end of May 1857.
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coalfields was at best restricted, having to route trains south to
Cardiff along the TVR, then along the
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In the period between closure of the NA&HR and dismantling operation beginning, scenes for the
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Crumlin viaduct. On the Newport, Abergavenny & Hereford railway extension to Taff vale ca 1865
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Two tender responses were received by August 1852, with Liddell's recommendation for a design by
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1,650 ft (502.9 m) (1,066 ft (324.9 m) + 584 ft (178.0 m))
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939:. Vol. III: Links with Leviathans. Stroud: The History Press. pp. 20–21.
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This article is about the bridge in Wales. For the bridge in Northern Ireland, see
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Highest railway viaduct in the United Kingdom throughout its working life
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The Ebbw Valley posed two significant challenges through its geography:
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via the GWR, before being able to access LNWR controlled track.
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reduced the entire extension line to single track after 1947.
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It is actually two valleys, the Ebbw and the smaller Kendon
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Inspector, Colonel Wynne. Six locomotives loaded with
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Buildings and structures in Caerphilly County Borough
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Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway (NA&HR)
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was therefore no surprise when, following the post-
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250:£62,000 (£41 7s per foot) (£6.262m at 2014 prices)
16:Former viaduct crossing the Ebbw River and Crumlin
285:The viaduct passing by Crumlin Low Level Station
529:Testing began that same month, in front of the
506:, the iron structures were cast at Kennard's
393:had developed a route for the industrialised
382:so monopolised the trade of shipping coal to
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1016:Buildings and structures demolished in 1966
789:Railway Magazine September 1957 pp. 647-649
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976:Crumlin Viaduct @ BBC Wales History
21:Crumlin Viaduct (Northern Ireland)
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1001:Railway bridges in Monmouthshire
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403:Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway
632:The abutments are visible at:
520:Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal
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300:located above the village of
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1011:Demolished bridges in Wales
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935:Jones, Stephen K. (2009).
562:The viaduct was opened on
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1021:Bridges completed in 1857
1006:Railway viaducts in Wales
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996:History of Monmouthshire
713:51.6789333°N 3.1435528°W
682:51.6798556°N 3.1416861°W
651:51.6808861°N 3.1373750°W
568:Crumlin railway stations
44:Crumlin Viaduct in 1957
906:Smith, Martin (1994).
887:. crumlinviaduct.co.uk
850:. RIBA. Archived from
718:51.6789333; -3.1435528
687:51.6798556; -3.1416861
656:51.6808861; -3.1373750
586:Closure and demolition
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937:Brunel in South Wales
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376:South Wales Coalfield
364:Industrial Revolution
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211:Engineering design by
181:7 (Ebbw) + 3 (Kendon)
969:4 April 2019 at the
964:CrumlinViaduct.co.uk
170:150 feet (46 m)
160:200 feet (61 m)
828:. caerphilly.gov.uk
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310:Taff Vale Extension
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914:. pp. 64–66.
606:Universal Pictures
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338:the timber viaduct
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231:Construction start
73:51.6804°N 3.1396°W
854:on 19 August 2012
848:"Crumlin Viaduct"
826:"Crumlin Viaduct"
578:nationalisation,
508:Falkirk Ironworks
496:Thomas W. Kennard
442:Act of Parliament
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921:0711022739
777:References
550:Operations
458:Ebbw River
352:Background
318:Ebbw River
103:Ebbw River
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912:Ian Allan
891:5 October
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191:Architect
64:3°08′23″W
967:Archived
535:pig iron
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409:and the
271:Location
201:Designer
178:of spans
138:Material
728:Gallery
431:Newport
342:Portage
330:Spoleto
312:of the
302:Crumlin
298:viaduct
295:railway
186:History
99:Crosses
89:Carries
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694:&
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293:was a
263:Closed
255:Opened
157:Height
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608:film
370:from
334:Italy
119:Owner
941:ISBN
916:ISBN
893:2011
860:2011
834:2011
618:and
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421:and
397:and
389:The
368:coal
289:The
266:1964
242:1857
234:1853
429:to
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176:No.
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