Algebuckina Bridge, Railway bridge in Allandale Station, South Australia
The Algebuckina Bridge is a lattice wrought iron railway bridge of 19 spans, each 100 feet long, carried on cast iron cylindrical piers across the Neales River floodplain. Its deck runs 1,927 feet (587 m) along the closed Central Australia Railway, about 55 km south-east of Oodnadatta in the locality of Allandale Station.
The Algebuckina Bridge opened in January 1892, replacing a surface-level railway on the Neales River floodplain that was repeatedly washed away. About 350 men built it in extreme desert heat; David Saunders died nearby in January 1890 of heart disease accelerated by heat apoplexy. It was strengthened in 1926 for heavier trains, and after a 1974 flood nearly reached the decks the line closed in 1981, with a new route built 100 miles west.
The bridge shows Victorian engineering methods and the determination to build reliable transport in the Australian outback. It represents the effort of early settlers to connect remote areas and develop them economically.
The bridge is about 55 kilometres (34 mi) south-east of Oodnadatta, in the locality of Allandale Station, on the route of the closed Central Australia Railway. The Neales River floodplain below it floods seasonally, so check conditions before travelling. The nearest settlements are far away, so carry your own supplies and water.
The bridge's 1926 strengthening let it carry heavier trains, and after the 1974 flood nearly reached the decks, the line closed in 1981 and a new route was built 100 miles (160 km) further west. The bridge was added to the South Australian Heritage Register on 20 November 1986.
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