I spent more than a few weekends as a kid playing on and around this bridge. You could get up underneath and walk the full length, and when a train came, the whole thing shook like crazy. It was exhilarating , and have many fond memories. Thanks for the great video!
I am lucky enough to have a view of this very bridge and the beautiful valley it crosses over from my home office window, as well as of planes flying in and out of two nearby airports. When I bought the house, the view from the window was completely obscured by some poor choices of the previous owners, but I saw the potential immediately, and now I enjoy this bridge for hours every day, and walk the trails underneath it for my daily walks.
When my mate moved into Gowanbrae many years ago we had a view of the bridge from his balcony on the second level. Then people built houses which got rid of the view
Another example of the wonderful over engineering that was done in that era, The builders at the time would have had no idea of the tonnages that the bridge carries today , and yet it has needed no modifications to carry the modern loads.
philip wilkin, though traffic has increased, modern locomotives are lighter and dont hammer the rails like the connecting rods on steam engines do. in fact, this bridge, being on the most important line in the state, would have been built for victoria's biggest and heaviest locos. in fact, this line to albury was the only one built strong enough to take the 23 1/2 ton axle load of heavy harry. even today most of the interstate lines are not built above that or are rated less than that. by the way, i'm sure that this rail track is no longer built to take a 23 1/2 ton loco even if the bridge still can.
Untrue. The bridge has been strengthened in recent years with bracing. Various scenarios including an emergency braking situation for a freight train on the bridge with a trespasser identified the bridge was in danger of collapse unless remedial work was carried out.
Great video Brenden, good information. I remember when I was about nine or ten, my cousins Robert, Graeme and I walked across that bridge, Margaret wouldn't walk across so we left her behind! It was frightening to look down for a young lad, we jumped onto the safety platform when a steam engine came through on a freight. There were no houses around it either back then, pretty much farm land. Most enjoyable and thanks Brenden.
Goodday Brendan, What a great & informative, you drive in the Ring Road you cross over Teddy Whittam bridge there it is & you take it for granted. 90 years that is awesome. Any chance you can do a story on the bridge that crosses over Sunshine Rd. Important bridge & junction too. Cheers Louis 👍
Broad Gauge loops are located at Jacana and North Sunshine. The old SG Tullamarine Loop that was located next to Westfield was decommissioned, dismantled and a longer SG Loop was installed as a part of the dual gauge Tullamarine Loop. There is also a SG loop at McIntyre near Sunshine.
10:37 That angle makes the viaduct appear shorter than it actually is. (I can hear in my head Chico Marx saying "Viaduct[Why a duck]? Why not a chicken or a cow?" LOL)
@@neilforbes416 if you look at old photos of old parliament house in Canberra when it was first opened in 1927 it look shorter on an angle r but really its longer as the camera was shot that way
I'm not sure about a drone. There is a walkway under the rail set itself so inspections can still take place. I'm sure inspections take place as speed restrictions are placed on the bridge from time to time.
@@Schony747 Thanks. Drones with Cameras offer Recorded Vision of All Beams and Joints from All Directions. Plus the Vision can be Taken Safely and of course Vic. Rail has a Permanent Copy. Great Viaduct, Thanks for the Quality Video.
Excellent photography, thanks for posting. Lovely to see those EMD designed locomotives still being used, or is the footage from many years ago? Is there a pedestrian walkway suspended alongside just below the train tracks?
The Stramliner EMDs are in use on a daily basis in Victoria mainly on grain trains with SSR. Some pf the vision is a few years old but the EMDs are still a common sight particularly around Melbourne.
There is a similar bridge on the same rail corridor a few k’s south at Sunshine North. Can you tell me if the proposed airport rail link will use that same bridge or a new one is planned?
A tender has been released for construction of a new elevated twin track rail crossing of the Maribyrnong River to the west of and immediately adjacent to the existing Albion Viaduct supporting both Melbourne Airport Rail up and down tracks. The new elevated twin track rail crossing includes a North Approach Structure (approximately 48m), a new Maribyrnong River Viaduct (approximately 456m) and a South Approach Structure (approximately 48m). At its highest point the new Maribyrnong River Viaduct will be approximately 50m above existing ground level.
I spent near enough half my 60's era childhood mucking about on that fine old viaduct as me and my mates headed over to the nearby Essendon airport to do our weekend airplane thieving and airport recconnaisance manouveres, The highlight of the scary old bridge was the rope swing on the western approach which allowed the brave Glenroy West lads to swing out over over a drop of twenty metres. If you slipped off the phucken rope you were dead. Only the bravest local lads swung that rope. I personally preferred the daily car trains from Fishermen's Bend Holden plant, on their way north to Sydney and I estimate, conservatively, to taking out the front windows of two or three thousand brand spanker Holden's and was the only boy to ever take out the purple neon sign on the back of the nightly Southern Aurora passenger express, as it screamed through our suburb at 60 miles an our, It took me six years of nightly training but I got the bastard in the end. When there were no trains we used to throw lit match boxes off the viaduct to start fires to clean out the box thorns that lined the Moonee Ponds Creek. I pity the poor kids of today with their useless Iphones to while away their spare time. Poor little urban bastards. Thanks on the memories and as for steel viaducts, I gaurantee that our little 90 year old urban bridge has successfully carried more tonnage than any rail bridge in Australasia. Go the VR. Rory Wray-McCann, Queenstown
I spent more than a few weekends as a kid playing on and around this bridge. You could get up underneath and walk the full length, and when a train came, the whole thing shook like crazy. It was exhilarating , and have many fond memories. Thanks for the great video!
You can do the same under the Maribyrnong River Viaduct as well.
I am lucky enough to have a view of this very bridge and the beautiful valley it crosses over from my home office window, as well as of planes flying in and out of two nearby airports. When I bought the house, the view from the window was completely obscured by some poor choices of the previous owners, but I saw the potential immediately, and now I enjoy this bridge for hours every day, and walk the trails underneath it for my daily walks.
When my mate moved into Gowanbrae many years ago we had a view of the bridge from his balcony on the second level. Then people built houses which got rid of the view
Wow !
That old bridge is really going great, considering her age !
Still in really good shape. I checked out the one at Maribyrnong as well and that's holding up well too
THANK YOU FOR SHARE VIDEO
Thanks for having a look
Wow look at the collection of bulldogs on that SSR, nice!
SSR never fails to disappointment! There's always some decent combo up front.
Nice compilation and interesting facts.
Thanks Man 😀😀
Another example of the wonderful over engineering that was done in that era, The builders at the time would have had no idea of the tonnages that the bridge carries today , and yet it has needed no modifications to carry the modern loads.
philip wilkin, though traffic has increased, modern locomotives are lighter and dont hammer the rails like the connecting rods on steam engines do. in fact, this bridge, being on the most important line in the state, would have been built for victoria's biggest and heaviest locos. in fact, this line to albury was the only one built strong enough to take the 23 1/2 ton axle load of heavy harry. even today most of the interstate lines are not built above that or are rated less than that. by the way, i'm sure that this rail track is no longer built to take a 23 1/2 ton loco even if the bridge still can.
Untrue. The bridge has been strengthened in recent years with bracing. Various scenarios including an emergency braking situation for a freight train on the bridge with a trespasser identified the bridge was in danger of collapse unless remedial work was carried out.
great video
Thanks 😀😀
Great video Brenden, good information. I remember when I was about nine or ten, my cousins Robert, Graeme and I walked across that bridge, Margaret wouldn't walk across so we left her behind! It was frightening to look down for a young lad, we jumped onto the safety platform when a steam engine came through on a freight. There were no houses around it either back then, pretty much farm land. Most enjoyable and thanks Brenden.
Awesome. Sounds like something I would have done! Great story.
Excellent historic films: you must donate them to
the state Library. Thanks Terry
I actually found the photos on the State Library website. You can browse the extensive collection and much of it is copyright free as well
Love seeing SCT, Aurizon, QUBE And Pacific National trains rumble through the bridge!
An amazing feat of engineering and construction for its time. I hope it is heritage-listed and protected. Great video and info Brenden.
No idea about heritage. It's far too important to pull down anyway.
Thanks for the history Brenden , I never thought about looking it up, now I don’t have to 👍
Thanks. I'm also doing a similar video on the Maribyrnong bridge as well
Back in the early 70s, the 2 stroke mini bikes thrashing around there under the bridge made more noise than the trains!
Wouldn't surprise me. The odd bike still roams around under the bridge as well!
You should do one these exellent videos on the Moorabool viaduct on the Geelong Ballarat line!!!!
It's on my list!
Great work! Keep it on! You are very good at this.
Thanks 😀😀
@@Schony747 You are very welcome.
Goodday Brendan,
What a great & informative, you drive in the Ring Road you cross over Teddy Whittam bridge there it is & you take it for granted. 90 years that is awesome.
Any chance you can do a story on the bridge that crosses over Sunshine Rd.
Important bridge & junction too.
Cheers
Louis 👍
Both bridges are on my list of things to so.
@@Schony747
Awesome can't wait finally abit of a spot light on Sunshine
Cheers
Louis 👍
Super captures!!! Excellent video!!! Cheers from Greece :-)
Thanks for having a look 😀😀😀😀
Great Footage and Photos Brenden, is there a siding or loop on either side? and whats its name?thanks for the up..
Broad Gauge loops are located at Jacana and North Sunshine. The old SG Tullamarine Loop that was located next to Westfield was decommissioned, dismantled and a longer SG Loop was installed as a part of the dual gauge Tullamarine Loop. There is also a SG loop at McIntyre near Sunshine.
10:37 That angle makes the viaduct appear shorter than it actually is. (I can hear in my head Chico Marx saying "Viaduct[Why a duck]? Why not a chicken or a cow?" LOL)
its an illusion the way the camera is positioned
@@top40researcher31 It's the angle of the dangle gets you in a tangle at Menangle! LOL
@@neilforbes416 if you look at old photos of old parliament house in Canberra when it was first opened in 1927 it look shorter on an angle r but really its longer as the camera was shot that way
@@top40researcher31 I know all that! Shee-eesh! I was having a silly moment with a play on words. Did you not get that?
@@neilforbes416 oh course i did i was just testing you LOL
Well Done Victoria Great Rail Viaduct.
However the Bridge has had a Thorough Inspection with Drones etc ?.
I'm not sure about a drone. There is a walkway under the rail set itself so inspections can still take place. I'm sure inspections take place as speed restrictions are placed on the bridge from time to time.
@@Schony747 Thanks.
Drones with Cameras offer Recorded Vision of All Beams and Joints from All Directions. Plus the Vision can be Taken Safely and of course Vic. Rail has a Permanent Copy.
Great Viaduct, Thanks for the Quality Video.
Excellent photography, thanks for posting. Lovely to see those EMD designed locomotives still being used, or is the footage from many years ago? Is there a pedestrian walkway suspended alongside just below the train tracks?
The Stramliner EMDs are in use on a daily basis in Victoria mainly on grain trains with SSR. Some pf the vision is a few years old but the EMDs are still a common sight particularly around Melbourne.
Thanks for this. What about the similar one over the Maribyrnong river?
Similar design but 38 metres high.
@@Schony747 So is the Maribyrnong one the highest of the two?
@@radic888 Yes
@@Schony747 Thank you.
Since this was just before the earthquake. Maybe a revisit might be in order.
The bridge was still intact today with the usual tools still walking across the tracks.
There is a similar bridge on the same rail corridor a few k’s south at Sunshine North. Can you tell me if the proposed airport rail link will use that same bridge or a new one is planned?
A tender has been released for construction of a new elevated twin track rail crossing of the Maribyrnong River to the west of and immediately adjacent to the existing Albion Viaduct supporting both Melbourne Airport Rail up and down tracks.
The new elevated twin track rail crossing includes a North Approach Structure (approximately 48m), a new Maribyrnong River Viaduct (approximately 456m) and a South Approach Structure (approximately 48m). At its highest point the new Maribyrnong River Viaduct will be approximately 50m above existing ground level.
@@mjmcb1 Okay, thanks for that.
Hey Brendan, just wondering how to get to the spot at 8:15 where the whole viaduct is in view. Thanks
Here's the google maps pin mate.
maps.app.goo.gl/JNV2eLChDFXZzk2Q9
I spent near enough half my 60's era childhood mucking about on that fine old viaduct as me and my mates headed over to the nearby Essendon airport to do our weekend airplane thieving and airport recconnaisance manouveres,
The highlight of the scary old bridge was the rope swing on the western approach which allowed the brave Glenroy West lads to swing out over over a drop of twenty metres. If you slipped off the phucken rope you were dead. Only the bravest local lads swung that rope.
I personally preferred the daily car trains from Fishermen's Bend Holden plant, on their way north to Sydney and I estimate, conservatively, to taking out the front windows of two or three thousand brand spanker Holden's and was the only boy to ever take out the purple neon sign on the back of the nightly Southern Aurora passenger express, as it screamed through our suburb at 60 miles an our, It took me six years of nightly training but I got the bastard in the end.
When there were no trains we used to throw lit match boxes off the viaduct to start fires to clean out the box thorns that lined the Moonee Ponds Creek. I pity the poor kids of today with their useless Iphones to while away their spare time. Poor little urban bastards.
Thanks on the memories and as for steel viaducts, I gaurantee that our little 90 year old urban bridge has successfully carried more tonnage than any rail bridge in Australasia. Go the VR.
Rory Wray-McCann, Queenstown
I've only been in the north for around 25 years and I hear stories that you have mentioned! Great days back then.
that bridge is pretty high.
Just under 35 metres!