Gasworks Bridge, Past, Present and Future

Thanks to Glynn S and CHR here are a couple of pictures and notes about forthcoming activity with the track around Gas Works Bridge.

Firstly a recap, the bridge over the railway is locally known as Gasworks Bridge as many years ago there used to be the town gasworks located next to the cemetery.  This site is now the location of the Lidl store.  The whole site is shown on the Gasworks Location Map.  The gas works was an imposing structure and formed the backdrop to the original FC Oswestry ground.  This view shows the gasworks in the distance behind the manicured football pitch!

This gasworks next to the railway replaced the earlier gas plant which was on Willow Street and which first supplied the town with coal based Town Gas. I am not sure as to when the gasworks finally closed though there seems to have been some activity at least in to the 1950's

The gasworks were demolished in 1970 but the bridge is still known locally as Gasworks Bridge, although modern maps and town planners call it the Shrewsbury Road bridge. 

As detailed previously the rails under the lowered bridge will be mounted directly to the concrete slab, this allows us to maximise the vertical clearance under the bridge whilst not going so deep with the excavation.  The reinforced concrete slab has been designed such that the new flat bottomed rail will be bolted to the base using special chairs.  Here is a picture of the chairs in store and waiting to be installed with bolts and epoxy glue.  There will be two rail lengths on the slab with a welded joint in the middle, this thermic welding will be carried out by contractors along with the installation of the rail and chairs. 

At either side of the slab there will be a transition onto concrete flat bottomed sleepers and these have been moved in to position.  At the end of the section the rail will revert to the normal chaired track using the ready prepared sleepers. 

Weather and completion of other jobs notwithstanding the contractors should be on site in January to carry out these tasks.

Further along the line the sleepers have been laid out and spaced and so far the joints look to be lining up.

Once again thanks to Glynn for the details and pictures.

Until next time