TRANSPORTER OF DELIGHT
The Warrington transporter bridge
Once just visible from the comfort of a ‘Duchess’hauled express, and now Virgin ‘Pendolinos’, on the West Coast Main Line, near Warrington Bank Quay station, a unique piece of railway archaeology stands silhouetted against the industrial skyline. Warrington Transporter Bridge is a little-known gem of industrial heritage, rarely noticed by passengers on inter-city trains. Built by the same civil engineering company as the Forth Bridge and Tower Bridge it’s believed to be the world’s only surviving rail transporter bridge and one of only three remaining transporter bridges in Britain. Of the eight transporter bridges left in the world, Warrington’s is the smallest and youngest, built during the First World War. Spanning the River Mersey in north Cheshire, this dramatic structure - once used to transport cement wagons to the main line, just south of Bank Quay - celebrated its centenary last year. Now, award-winning preservationists are campaigning for the landmark piece of steam-era infrastructure - more than 300ft long and 30ft wide - to be restored to its former magnificence. The bridge, a scheduled ancient monument, is listed by English Heritage as Grade II*, but is currently on the Heritage At Risk register because of its poor condition and deteriorating ironwork. It’s preserved under a 50-year lease the possession of Warrington Borough Council. The gondola which carried the wagons remains intact.
HISTORY SPAN
Out of commercial use since about 1964, the bridge was opened in 1916 at a cost of £34,000, after two years’ construction work. It connected parts of the Joseph Crosfield & Sons soap and detergent works - later Lever Brothers and then Unilever - and was originally one of two such bridges at the location. Initially, the bridge carried railway wagons of up to 18 tonnes, but was converted for road vehicles in 1940 and upgraded to convey 30 tonnes in 1953. The double steel cantilevers on each of the two towers support a central 200ft span of riveted mild steel plates and angles. The overall length of the structure is 339ft, and it provides 76ft clearance at high water. It was designed by William Henry Hunter and built by contractor Sir William Arrol and Company, of Forth Bridge fame. Railway tracks on the factory site were used to transport raw materials, from wharves on a loop in the Mersey, to the cement works built on the peninsula, and then finished products to the bridge for the onward journey from the company’s sidings by a private branch line to the LNWR and later LMS. Today, Friends of Warrington Transporter Bridge (FoWTB) are actively campaigning to secure the future of the structure and preserve it as a monument to railway and industrial archaeology. This flourishing group was formed in 2015 to be “the independent voice of the last rail transporter bridge in the world.” After a meeting with FoWTB last year, Warrington Borough Council gave the group a copy of the lease and an engineer’s report from 2000, as well as a set of engineer’s drawings. The squeeze on local authority funding could restrict direct council support for the project, but it has promised a new engineer’s survey and remedial work on the brickwork. Trees growing out of the stanchions are also being removed as part of the pre-inspection work, while a footpath and a pedestrian ramp have been constructed to give visitors access to the river and the bridge, which is to be a major landmark in the proposed Warrington Waterfront Development in the area. FoWTB Chairman Margaret Ingham said: “We are working closely with Warrington Borough Council to find a means of preserving and promoting the structure so that people in the North West and the rest of the world know about this unique rail transporter bridge. “Funding is tight everywhere, but I am confident that the
300-strong FoWTB will continue to grow, and work towards preserving our bridge.” Margaret believes Warrington Transporter Bridge could become as iconic in the town as the Angel of the North is in Gateshead, attracting visitors to the area. Council chiefs have admitted other issues will take precedence before it can focus on saving the bridge, but the group is seeking donations and grants to help pay for publicity. Margaret was also delighted to receive a rare shot of a Fowler 0-4-0 diesel shunter which worked at Crosfield’s, from former employee Alan Smith. “Any other former workers are urged to get in touch with their memories,” she said. To join the FoWTB free of charge and receive regular updates on the progress of this valuable preservation project, visit www.warringtontransporterbridge.co.uk On Facebook, search for Save Warrington Transporter Bridge. People who are not on Facebook can see all posts via the news link on the website. Thanks to Bob Darvill and the Industrial Railway Society for their help in the preparation of this article.