NYMR Bridge 27 progresses despite weather

WORK on the replacement of Bridge 27 at Goathland on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway has made steady progress, despite the worst efforts of the winter storms, which have been relatively mild this year, with no snow to disrupt proceedings.

By the end of February, the complex work of fitting the reinforcing steel for the concrete deck had been completed and the concrete deck itself had been poured, more or less on schedule. Various cast concrete blocks that form the end of the bridge and act as ballast retaining walls had been lifted into place and by mid-march the new concrete deck was receiving its protective coat of Wolfin waterproofing material in readiness for the first layer of ballast to be dropped, this in turn being the prelude to the track and signalling being replaced. As for the old steel bridge components, the cut-up sections were transported to Pickering and loaded onto road transport to be sent for recycling.

Bridge 8 cut up

At Pickering, Bridge 8 was cut up at the end of February and the remains lifted out using the railway’s own Plasser 12T crane. The Kirow crane still on the NYMR is due to move to Pickering to work on lifting the new bridge deck into place but was trapped at Goathland because of rerailing work being carried out at Goathland summit.

By mid-march, the new bridge deck had been lifted in and waterproofing of it completed, allowing the Kirow crane to enter the shed at New Bridge for annual maintenance work to be carried out.

Finishing-off work at this site was due to include a further, substantial stone drop to raise the height of the new track by 90mm to match the height of the track to be installed in the new shed. A new point has been test-assembled at New Bridge ready to provide the first access to the new shed.

The bridge works at both locations are expected to be completed comfortably in time for the start of the new season.