Meldon Viaduct
Bridge in United Kingdom / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Meldon Viaduct is a disused railway viaduct crossing the West Okement River at Meldon, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south-west of Okehampton, on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon, South West England. This truss bridge was constructed from wrought iron, instead of stone or brick arches. It opened in 1874 for a single track; in 1879 its width was doubled for a second track. Although regular services were withdrawn in 1968, the bridge was used for shunting by a local quarry. In the 1990s the remaining single track was removed.
Meldon Viaduct | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 50°42′47″N 4°02′03″W |
Carries | The Granite Way cycle & walkway |
Crosses | West Okement River |
Locale | Dartmoor |
Owner | Meldon Viaduct Company Ltd |
Heritage status | Scheduled monument |
Characteristics | |
Design | Warren trusses on lattice trestles |
Material | Wrought iron |
Total length | 535 ft (163 m) |
Width | Double-track standard gauge rail |
Height | 151 ft (46 m) |
No. of spans | 6 |
History | |
Engineering design by | W. R. Galbraith |
Opened | 12 October 1874 |
Closed | 1990 |
Location | |
The crossing is now used by the Granite Way, a cycle track skirting Dartmoor. It is a scheduled monument, and is one of only two surviving railway bridges in the United Kingdom that use wrought iron lattice piers to support wrought iron trusses.