Leycester Creek railway bridge, Lismore

The Leycester Creek railway bridge is a heritage-listed railway bridge and viaduct that carries the mostly-closed Murwillumbah railway line across Leycester Creek and Pine and Union Streets in Lismore, in the City of Lismore local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The bridge is owned by RailCorp, an agency of the Government of New South Wales and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.[2]

Leycester Creek railway bridge
Leycester Creek railway bridge over Union Street, 2010
Location in New South Wales
Coordinates28°48′08″S 153°16′16″E
CarriesMurwillumbah railway line
Crosses
LocaleLismore, City of Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
OwnerRailCorp
Followed byColemans Bridge
Characteristics
DesignTruss bridge and viaduct
MaterialSteel
Pier constructionTimber
Longest span5.2 metres (17 ft)
No. of spans3
Clearance below3.8 metres (12 ft)
above Union Street
Rail characteristics
Track gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
History
Constructed byCrosbie, Marquand and Co.
Construction start1891
Construction endOctober 1892 (1892-10)
Construction costA£22,110[lower-alpha 1]
OpenedMay 1894 (1894-05)
Official nameLismore railway underbridges
TypeState heritage (built)
Designated2 April 1999
Reference no.1044
TypeRailway Bridge / Viaduct
CategoryTransport - Rail

History

The bridge was built by contractors Crosbie, Marquand and Co.[3] The contract included both the Leycester Creek and Wilson's Creek bridges, the contractors accepting A£20,708 to build the two bridges, later increased to A£22,110.[1][4] Construction suffered various delays, such as damaged and broken iron cylinders, but was finally completed in October 1892.[5][6][7] It was claimed at the bridge's completion that it was the first steel bridge in the country.[8] The railway over the bridge opened in May 1894.[4]

The bridge has been disused since the closure of the Murwillumbah railway line in 2004.[9]

Description

The bridge consists of a steel three-span truss along with three sets of timber viaducts over the flood plain, with one 3.7-metre (12 ft), one 4.9-metre (16 ft) and one 5.2-metre (17 ft) spans.[2]

Heritage listing

The Lismore bridges and viaducts are a fine set of bridges all in one location demonstrating the problems of building railways in this flood prone area dating from 1892.[2]

Lismore railway underbridges was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.[2]

The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

This item is assessed as historically rare. This item is assessed as scientifically rare. This item is assessed as arch. rare. This item is assessed as socially rare.[2]

See also

Notes
  1. Included the cost of construction of the railway bridge over the Wilson River, Lismore.[1]

References
  1. "The Banquet". The Richmond River Herald And Northern Districts Advertiser. 5 (246). New South Wales, Australia. 27 March 1891. p. 8. Retrieved 20 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. "Lismore railway underbridges". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Office of Environment and Heritage. H01044. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  3. "GOVERNMENT GAZETTE". The Sydney Morning Herald (16, 531). New South Wales, Australia. 18 March 1891. p. 5. Retrieved 20 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "THE LISMORE-TWEED RAILWAY". The Sydney Morning Herald (17, 521). New South Wales, Australia. 16 May 1894. p. 5. Retrieved 20 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Lismore". The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser. LII (1626). New South Wales, Australia. 5 September 1891. p. 552. Retrieved 20 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "The Northern Star". The Northern Star. 17. New South Wales, Australia. 6 July 1892. p. 2. Retrieved 20 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "LATEST TELEGRAPHIC". Clarence And Richmond Examiner. New South Wales, Australia. 1 October 1892. p. 5. Retrieved 20 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "Lismore". Australian Town and Country Journal. XLV (1189). New South Wales, Australia. 29 October 1892. p. 14. Retrieved 20 July 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "Last train: The day our rail service fell silent". Northern Star. 16 March 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2018.

Attribution

This Wikipedia article was originally based on Lismore railway underbridges, entry number 01044 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales and Office of Environment and Heritage 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 2 June 2018.

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