316:. As at 2021, the swing bridge had (has) to pass all east-bound coal traffic originating (sporadically) from Ryan's coal plant at Blaengwrach in the Neath Valley and earlier, Blaenant colliery (now defunct) and still (2021) that of washery coal traffic to & from Onllwyn in the Dulais Valley on the former Neath & Brecon Branch. All such traffic has to travel from those valleys to Jersey Marine South Junction for reversal up the Rhondda & Swansea Bay Branch to Dynevor Junction immediately west of the swing bridge to then transit eastbound. Apart from some track at Court Sart Junction at Briton Ferry, the R&SB line or what is left of it, runs from Dynevor Junction to Burrows Sidings east of Kings Dock Swansea.
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After many years of decline, however, the swing-bridge facility was hardly ever used. In total, it was used 14 times in 1947, three times in 1948, only once in 1949, and once again in 1956. The last operation was only for testing purposes, at the request of the Neath harbour commissioners. In recent
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Bridge has three steel approach spans on the west side and two on the east. They are of plate girder construction, and of through type, supported on piers that each consists of a pair of cylindrical columns, either of wrought iron or steel plate, which are connected by horizontal and cross bracing.
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The 180-foot-long opening span (55 m) is pivoted centrally on a pier of six cylindrical columns similar to those that form the piers to the approach spans, but placed in a ring. They are capped by a large cylindrical drum that contains the supporting rails and the operating mechanism. The
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times, the bridge suffered vandalism. A serious fire destroyed its dynamos and pumps, evidence of which is still visible in the steelwork.
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Board proposed to cease operating the swing-bridge over the River Neath, a move that was considered controversial in
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river crossing still exists, now forming part of a diversionary goods and any passenger traffic routing over the
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West
Glamorgan Archive Service Transport - Railways/Acts Of Parliament - Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway Bills
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http://www.coflein.gov.uk/cy/safle/177/manylion/RAILWAY+SWING+BRIDGE+OVER+NEATH+RIVER+NAVIGATION,+SKEWEN/
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http://www.archivesnetworkwales.info/cgi-bin/anw/fulldesc_nofr?inst_id=34&coll_id=76512&expand=
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This swing bridge (permanently locked) carries the current
Swansea District Line and the former
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Despite the bridge being welded shut to permanently lock it, with much of the original
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Railways Bill (By Order) HC Deb 19 March 1985 vol 75 cc825-30
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339:"Full Report for Listed Buildings-Neath River Swing Bridge"
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The total length of the bridge is 388 feet (118 m).
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Railway Swing Bridge Over Neath River
Navigation, Skewen
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308:route now closed, the section incorporating the
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268:Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway Act 1892
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260:Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway
39:Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway
403:(photographs by Cedwyn Davies)
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18:Bridge in Port Talbot, Wales
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258:. It carried the former
244:Neath River Swing Bridge
203:Neath River Swing Bridge
25:Neath River Swing Bridge
163:180 ft (55 m)
432:Swing bridges in Wales
293:On 19 March 1985, the
314:Swansea District Line
111:Swansea District Line
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216:Reference no.
77:51.6516°N 3.8369°W
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248:swing bridge
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160:Longest span
154:swing bridge
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299:South Wales
279:River Neath
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135:Port Talbot
121:River Neath
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55:Coordinates
43:River Neath
411:Categories
320:References
208:Designated
194:– Grade II
181:Statistics
100:SS73029636
65:51°39′06″N
250:over the
68:3°50′13″W
41:over the
232:Location
348:27 June
168:History
117:Crosses
107:Carries
264:Skewen
173:Opened
150:Design
127:Locale
47:Skewen
310:Neath
262:near
256:Wales
254:, in
246:is a
219:23310
139:Wales
131:Neath
45:near
350:2021
343:Cadw
277:The
242:The
176:1892
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328:^
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