Detail of the expansion joint in the Forth Bridge rails. Digital image of B 3153
SC 728335
Description Detail of the expansion joint in the Forth Bridge rails. Digital image of B 3153
Date 29/8/1988
Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu
Catalogue Number SC 728335
Category On-line Digital Images
Copy of B 3153
Scope and Content Expansion joint in special 'Forth Bridge Rails', Forth Bridge, Edinburgh and Fife The Forth Bridge was built between 1883 and 1890 to designs by engineers Sir John Fowler (1817-98) and Sir Benjamin Baker (1840-1907) with Sir William Arrol (1839-1913) and Joseph Phillips as contractors. This massive steel railway viaduct features three double cantilevers connected by girders with a total span of 2.5 km. This shows an diagonally-cut expansion joint between two of the special 'Forth Bridge Rails'. These run lengthwise on wooden beams, rather than on sleepers and ballast (gravel) like conventional rails, keeping weight of track to a minimum. The rails are set within a metal trough to ensure trains do not move from the central area if they become derailed. The Forth Bridge expands and contracts due to climate changes, sometimes varying up to 0.6m in length between summer and winter. To cope with these variations expansion joints (rails cut at an angle so they can slide backwards and forwards) in the rails move with the bridge to ensure the safety of trains. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.
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