Queanbeyan railway bridges over Queanbeyan and Molonglo Rivers, Historic railway bridges in Queanbeyan-Palerang Region, Australia
The Queanbeyan railway bridges are two separate structures crossing the Queanbeyan and Molonglo Rivers on the Bombala railway line. Both are Warren deck steel trusses: four 44-foot (13 m) spans on each approach, with three 90-foot (27 m) spans at the Queanbeyan River and two at the Molonglo River. The trusses sit on the original brick piers and stone abutments, whose stone came from Pyrmont quarries in Sydney.
The original bridges were built between 1885 and 1887 using arched hardwood timber and brick piers for the river crossings. A major reconstruction in 1926 replaced the timber with steel Warren trusses, giving the structures their current form.
The bridges, listed in the State Heritage Register since 1999, represent the evolution of New South Wales railway infrastructure and engineering practices from the 19th century.
The bridges remain in active use by trains on the Bombala railway line and are best viewed from the riverbanks or nearby access points. Visitors can observe them from a distance without interfering with rail operations.
The 1926–27 steel trusses sit on the foundations of the 1885–87 timber bridges, and the original hardwood was so well preserved it sometimes could not be cut when removed. The Warren deck truss type survives at only four other railway sites in New South Wales.
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