Sadliers Crossing Railway Bridge, Historic railway bridge in Ipswich, Australia.
Sadliers Crossing Railway Bridge is a two-span Whipple truss bridge of rolled steel with concrete and timber elements, crossing the Bremer River between Tallon Street, Sadliers Crossing and Dixon Street, Wulkuraka. Its main span measures 45.7 metres (150 ft), the second longest of its type in Queensland. It was designed by Chief Engineer Henry Charles Stanley and completed in March 1902, carrying a double track over the river.
The first bridge at this crossing dates from the 1875 deviation that replaced the original 1864 Ipswich route, cutting the first 6 kilometres of line in half. After the 1893 floods, the line was duplicated between Ipswich and Wulkuraka and the bridge raised above flood level; tenders were called in January 1900 and J McCormick and Sons won the contract that February. The new bridge, designed under Chief Engineer Henry Charles Stanley, was completed in March 1902 and carried double track, one for Rosewood and one for the Brisbane Valley branch.
The bridge carried two tracks: one for the Rosewood line and one for the Brisbane Valley branch, so trains from two directions shared the crossing. Its 1902 replacement followed the 1893 floods, after which Whipple trusses were favoured for Queensland railway bridges until through Pratt trusses took over.
The bridge carries the active Ipswich and Rosewood railway line, so it is seen from outside the track corridor rather than walked across. The 1902 structure crosses the Bremer River between Tallon Street, Sadliers Crossing, and Dixon Street, Wulkuraka; the riverbanks are the vantage points, and the 1893 flood history explains why the deck was raised.
Its 45.7-metre Whipple truss span is the second longest of its kind in Queensland, exceeded only by the former Burdekin River Rail Bridge at Macrossan. The Whipple design, developed by engineer Squire Whipple, was a stronger variant of the Pratt truss patented by Thomas and Caleb Pratt in 1844, and was favoured after the 1893 floods.
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