Bredbo River railway bridge, Heritage railway bridge in Bredbo, Australia.
The Bredbo River railway bridge is a timber truss structure crossing the river with ten span sections supported by wooden piers. The bridge carries a single railway track and features deck trusses as its primary structural system.
Construction occurred between 1881 and 1889 as part of extending the railway line from Queanbeyan to Cooma. It was built during a period when government funding for rail development was being reduced.
The bridge's Queen post deck truss was copied from Isambard Kingdom Brunel's St Germans viaduct in Cornwall, built about 30 years earlier. Whitton had already used the design on the Main North line between Glen Innes and Wallangarra. The Bredbo viaduct is one of only six such timber Queen post deck truss bridges in New South Wales, alongside four on the Main North line and the Michelago bridge over Ingalara Creek.
The bridge sits near the village of Bredbo and is visible from nearby roads. You can view the structure best from the old railway line or from ground level below.
The structure uses Queen post deck trusses, a design choice that emerged from budget constraints of the era. This building method allowed engineers to create a solid crossing with less material and expense.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,962 contributors worldwide.