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-   -   Cadishead Rail Viaduct (http://www.nwex.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7645)

Reddood 02-07-2010 15:21

Cadishead Rail Viaduct
 
It's not really a high place, and not really Urbex, so here i've put it, please feel free to move it.

Cadishead Viaduct, it was built between 1885 and 1890 with the line it carried becoming live in 1893.

The bridge was built to replace the original line which had to be closed due to the building of the Manchester Ship Canal, The ship canal ment the building of 5 new railway bridges over it's planned corse, this was named "Number 4" and was on rail deviation SJ716921

The line ran from the glazebrook junction to partington, and as the line had to be elevated to cross the canal they had to build two new stations, both of which have now gone with only small signs that they ever exsisted.

this shows them cutting the canal in 1890

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/...c5d2ce3f_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4082/...4233d0a0_z.jpg

The line ran happyly untill 1960's when Dr Beeching's axe fell, meaning the closure of a lot of the British rail lines, the line finally closed in 1964 and began to fall into a state of disrepair.

By 1985 a lot of the line, fixtures and fittings had been stolen including some of the bridge.

This shows the bridge in 1985.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4137/...45ca7387_z.jpg

from the mid 80's till the early 90's, the kids from Cadishead and the kids from partington would meet on this bridge to fight, By 1995 there had been 4 deaths, 3 of which were from falling from the bridge.

at this stage, they decided to block entry onto the bridge by placing 4 shipping containers at each end, welding them togeather and placing barbed wire on top, sinse then, there has been a further 5 deaths, All caused by trying to climb around the containers.

This is how it looks today!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/...27a01e78_b.jpg

And this is what you are faced with if you want to get on to it.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4115/...8346eace_b.jpg

These are the views from the top, not actually on the bridge, but next to the barracade.

Looking over to the Partington side

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/...589af99d_b.jpg

The is looking towards Manchester, along the new Irlam bypass, and over what was once the site of the "irlam steel works" which has now been flattend and is home to the northbank industral est..

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/...be441314_b.jpg

Towards Warrington

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/...dccf399e_b.jpg

and this is along the line towards the old Cadishead Station.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/...a43548b7_b.jpg

I have walked the full Lenth of the line and there are some intresting features still in place, funny looking foot bridges that are over grown with trees, old signals, and the remains of the old platforms.

at the partington end you can see the entrance to the old subway that ran under the line.

if there is anyone who can rope up, and fancys a go at getting on the bridge, give me a shout, I WANT

Earth Worm Jim 02-07-2010 15:32

I give it three days before we see the pictures from Morrisey, Boboil and Manx abseiling off the bridge. :p :D

Ojay 02-07-2010 16:02

Nice work :)

sallybear 02-07-2010 16:09

...went underneath this on a Ferry up the ship canal the other day.

I love walking along old railways, have been on a few but not this one, what sort of things did you come across?

Reddood 02-07-2010 16:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by sallybear (Post 123400)
...went underneath this on a Ferry up the ship canal the other day.

I love walking along old railways, have been on a few but not this one, what sort of things did you come across?

well as said, this elevated line was built to replace one on a lower level, on the upper line there isnt a whole lot appart from another bridge untill you pass the area where the Cadishead station once was.

you can over winter see where the old platform was, in summer it's a bit over grown and kind of hidden. if you walk a bit further you come to sandy lane bridge which is where the first cadishead station was.

The foot bridge here still stands, as well as a couple of signal things and the foundations of the first station.

on the lower line, again there is the remains of signals and a couple of switch's as well as the remains of some kind of brich "sheds" not sure what these were, they are about 8ft high and the floors are a 4ft square.

loads of things really if you look hard enough.

Gone 02-07-2010 21:57

Lovely photographs, I was up on Acton Grange Viaduct a few weeks back :)

tristanjay 03-07-2010 11:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earth Worm Jim (Post 123398)
I give it three days before we see the pictures from Morrisey, Boboil and Manx abseiling off the bridge. :p :D

Im sure its been done a few times now.

urban 03-07-2010 11:54

Drove past this last weekend....was amazed at the shipping containers blocking the bridge...they went to town on that one...how stupid though that more have been killed trying to get onto the bridge than got killed whilst you could just walk on!

Good report and some good pics...nice one.

urko 18-07-2010 15:01

cadishead railway bridge
 
good work mate.the line was still open for freight untill the late eighties i think.i live local and used to go up there regularly.at 12.00 midnight each night through the week,a mail train used to cross the bridge from partington side into cadishead.below the embankment ,where the new papermill is being built,was the coal basin.this was about 20 sidings which coal trains would load ships off ,in the ship canal.i cant remember any deaths off the bridge though and ive lived here for 45 years.i remember the fights with cadishead as well.happy days.

Reddood 18-07-2010 15:13

well i live about a 2 min walk from the line, and i moved here in march 1986, it was clossed in 1986 and even then, the upper track had sections missing, the lower section had gone completely.

i used to walk my dog along the line (and still do from time to time).

where is the papar mill they are building (and coal basin) i presume it's over the water from me? wouldn't mind a look at that!


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