Railpage

 

Avon River Bridge at Stratford

About this thread
 
    •   Search thread   Image gallery
    1 2 of 4 3 4
      Nightfire Minister for Railways

    Location: Gippsland
    I can't find any mention of this, but Is the bridge over the Princes Highway going to  be replaced ? As It currently has a 4.6 Metre clearance, that Is low for a National Highway.
    Posted: 30 Mar 2020 16:40

    Sponsored advertisement

      Donald Chief Commissioner

    Location: Donald. Duck country.
    Don't tell everyone, all our idiot truck drivers will want to give it a go.
    Posted: 30 Mar 2020 17:03
      david harvey Chief Train Controller

    Location: Bairnsdale Wharf
    I can't find any mention of this, but Is the bridge over the Princes Highway going to  be replaced ? As It currently has a 4.6 Meter clearance, that Is low for a National Highway.
    Nightfire
    Don't Panic Mr Manering. The maximum height that any heavy  vehicle truck can legally travel at is 4.3 metres. Any higher  than that the truck will need a over dimensional (O.D) permit from vicroads  or depending what state you are in your local friendly state road authority. For vehicles higher that 4.6 metres wish to pass through Stratford, there is a O.D. route around the back of Stratford that starts and finishes at the police station at the round abound. The route that the trucks have to take makes the vehicles ford the Avon River on a low level non existent bridge that has water flowing over it the majority of the time.
    Posted: 30 Mar 2020 20:20
      david harvey Chief Train Controller

    Location: Bairnsdale Wharf
    Further updates https://www.railpage.com.au/news/s/stratford-rail-bridge-works-steam-ahead
    bevans
    The above link when opened shows the local member, Mr Darren Chester who happens to also be the Federal Minister for Veterans Affairs sprouting the benefits of the new and improved rail bridge over the Avon River at Stratford. "trains will now be able to run at 90 kilometres per hours across the new bridge " That's not really much good for passenger trains considering that the Stratford station is right at the end of the bridge. Mr Chester also went onto say that Stratford will get a new skate park as part of the beautification works next to the bridge . The Question that should be asked is 'What happened to the old skate park and the fantastic  enclosed timber walled adult size maze that sat on the banks of the Avon River." OHH thats right they both got washed away when the river flooded. It doesn't look like a big river,back in 1998 it washed the rail line away between the Avon River bridge and the 4.6 metre overhead rail bridge that crosses the Princess Highway. so when it floods, shee a beauty mate.
    Posted: 01 Apr 2020 14:55
      bevans Site Admin

    Location: Melbourne, Australia
    Assuming the new bridge will allow freight back into Bairnsdale?
    Posted: 01 Apr 2020 15:54
      Nightfire Minister for Railways

    Location: Gippsland
    Assuming the new bridge will allow freight back into Bairnsdale?
    bevans
    In theory, yes.
    Posted: 01 Apr 2020 18:33
      freightgate Minister for Railways

    Location: Albury, New South Wales
    Could log traffic restart to Geelong ?
    Posted: 01 Apr 2020 19:51
      kuldalai Chief Commissioner

    Could log traffic restart to Geelong ?
    freightgate
    Perhaps with an Operator other than PN as grapevin has it that Midway previously only departed rail because they were sick of being ripped off by PN who just kept jacking up their prices.
    Posted: 01 Apr 2020 21:35
      david harvey Chief Train Controller

    Location: Bairnsdale Wharf
    Could log traffic restart to Geelong ?
    freightgate
    If log traffic restarted to travel westward from Bairnsdale then  trains may operate at speeds up to the promised 90 KPH across the Avon River Bridge. The Log yard at Bosworth Road Bairnsdale is always full of logs and timber that has been milled and racked out ready for transport. The loop siding at Bosworth Road is still connected as no loading of timber would take place in the Bairnsdale yard. Timber traffic may depend on who has the wagons and if there are any VFTY wagons at all to be found at all ???          One other freight opportunity that may  present itself is the sand mine at the Finger boards, thats if it gets approval to start and if the sand gets moved by rail ????.
    Posted: 01 Apr 2020 21:35
      Galron Chief Commissioner

    Location: Werribee, Vic
    Could log traffic restart to Geelong ?
    freightgate
    With the shutdown of the timber industry imminent, and with most if not all Gippsland operators still shut down post fires i doubt it. Sand mine is still on the cards at the fingerboards, between stratford and bairnsdale, but not for a while, and not if the local community have anything to say about it. No reson an intermodal operator couldnt make use of the bosworth rd sidings either. Some competition for the incumbent primary trucking company up there can only be good.
    Posted: 02 Apr 2020 12:59

    Last edited by Galron on 02 Apr 2020 13:06; edited 1 time in total
      B 67 Chief Commissioner

    Location: Central Gippsland
    Could log traffic restart to Geelong ?
    If log traffic restarted to travel westward from Bairnsdale then  trains may operate at speeds up to the promised 90 KPH across the Avon River Bridge. The Log yard at Bosworth Road Bairnsdale is always full of logs and timber that has been milled and racked out ready for transport. The loop siding at Bosworth Road is still connected as no loading of timber would take place in the Bairnsdale yard. Timber traffic may depend on who has the wagons and if there are any VFTY wagons at all to be found at all ???          One other freight opportunity that may  present itself is the sand mine at the Finger boards, thats if it gets approval to start and if the sand gets moved by rail ????.
    david harvey
    If log traffic were to start up, in the absence of log wagons, wouldn't it be relatively easy to built and fit 2 or 3 removable frames to container wagons - basically a container floor with folding stakes to hold logs in place? Then they can still be used for other traffic when not required for logs.



    And regarding the OD route at Stratford. OD7 is for overdimensional vehicles along Princes Hwy (A1) and takes in Bengworden Road (C106) from Sale and Stratford-Bengworden Rd (C495) at Stratford. The route from the police station is mainly used by traffic to and from Maffra that can't clear the 4.3m bridge on the Stratford-Maffra Rd (C105).
    Posted: 21 Apr 2020 22:39

    Last edited by B 67 on 21 Apr 2020 22:42; edited 2 times in total
      B 67 Chief Commissioner
    Posted: 21 Apr 2020 22:50
      david harvey Chief Train Controller

    Location: Bairnsdale Wharf
    Could log traffic restart to Geelong ?
    If log traffic restarted to travel westward from Bairnsdale then  trains may operate at speeds up to the promised 90 KPH across the Avon River Bridge. The Log yard at Bosworth Road Bairnsdale is always full of logs and timber that has been milled and racked out ready for transport. The loop siding at Bosworth Road is still connected as no loading of timber would take place in the Bairnsdale yard. Timber traffic may depend on who has the wagons and if there are any VFTY wagons at all to be found at all ???          One other freight opportunity that may  present itself is the sand mine at the Finger boards, thats if it gets approval to start and if the sand gets moved by rail ????.
    If log traffic were to start up, in the absence of log wagons, wouldn't it be relatively easy to built and fit 2 or 3 removable frames to container wagons - basically a container floor with folding stakes to hold logs in place? Then they can still be used for other traffic when not required for logs.



    And regarding the OD route at Stratford. OD7 is for overdimensional vehicles along Princes Hwy (A1) and takes in Bengworden Road (C106) from Sale and Stratford-Bengworden Rd (C495) at Stratford. The route from the police station is mainly used by traffic to and from Maffra that can't clear the 4.3m bridge on the Stratford-Maffra Rd (C105).
    B 67
    Thats a great idea having the log traffic put on to removable framed or containerizing the flat trucks , I didnt look at it that way. You are correct B67 there is another over dimensional vehicles route  around Stratford but I was really focusing on the river and how the O.D route is impassable even with a little bit of water over the O.D.route because its a concrete ford that goes through about a foot of water when the rivers not running hard.  I really did forget to mention about the other O.D route . Sorry about that chief .
    Posted: 27 Apr 2020 22:31
      lkernan Deputy Commissioner
    Posted: 27 Apr 2020 22:53
      B 67 Chief Commissioner

    Location: Central Gippsland
    Yep! That's just what I meant. No new dedicated wagons would need to be built.



    [img]https://i.ibb.co/PDmwFym/DSCN9461-2.jpg[/img]



    Photo taken at Stratford this afternoon. Because I can. Wink

    David, I'd never really thought about Weirs Crossing as being an actual OD route, but I know trucks do go that way when they're too high to clear the rail bridge on Stratford - Maffra Rd.

    Most of the time there's no water over any of it (they did some improvements a few years ago). But other times, even that concrete bridge is under water. I've always found it odd that in many locations they build bridges above normal flood levels - but never the road either side. Here's Weirs Crossing during a "normal" flood 5 years ago today.

    [img]https://i.ibb.co/mSN9dDT/Weirs-Crossing.jpg[/img]

    Posted: 28 Apr 2020 20:46
      thekingoffoxes Chief Train Controller
    Posted: 28 May 2020 19:27
      bevans Site Admin

    Location: Melbourne, Australia
    Good to see some limited progress but wonder why they did not consider just lifting the old spans off and replacing them?  Was this considered?
    Posted: 28 May 2020 22:00
      ath Junior Train Controller

    Just replacing the spans doesn't address the issues of the timber viaduct on the approach (I seem to recall that it is near end of life as well?).
    Posted: 29 May 2020 07:35
      EmrldPhoenix Station Master

    Location: Melbourne, VIC
    Also the bridge and the viaducts are listed on the Victoria Heritage Register.

    https://heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/HERITAGE-COUNCIL-ENDORSED-REPORT-INCLUSION-Avon-River-Rail-Bridge-6-Dec-2018.pdf

    So the government must not alter the design or the structure without stringent approvals. Probably easier to build a new bridge than to adapt the old bridge to higher speeds while conforming to the heritage listing.
    Posted: 29 May 2020 08:34
      bevans Site Admin

    Location: Melbourne, Australia
    Also the bridge and the viaducts are listed on the Victoria Heritage Register.

    https://heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/HERITAGE-COUNCIL-ENDORSED-REPORT-INCLUSION-Avon-River-Rail-Bridge-6-Dec-2018.pdf

    So the government must not alter the design or the structure without stringent approvals. Probably easier to build a new bridge than to adapt the old bridge to higher speeds while conforming to the heritage listing.
    EmrldPhoenix

    Seems now the most logical reason for the new build.  Does seem to be taking a while however?
    Posted: 29 May 2020 09:58
      gippslander Chief Commissioner

    Location: Central Gippsland, Vic
    The reason the bridge was replaced is to allow the Bairnsdale passenger service to remain open, and to allow freight services to restart in the event that contestable freight is found at some point in the future. The rail trail had a bypass path constructed several years ago to allow users to travel into Stratford via the highway bridge. It is unclear what the future purpose of the demised railway bridge will be in the future as it it would be hugely expensive to convert it for rail trail use (and be safely maintained by its volunteer Committee). The Traralgon-Maffra-Stratford rail trail does have a new steel deck and handrails over some trestle bridges closer to Traralgon, so there is a precedent.

    The placement of hand railing would also require Heritage Council approval. It's probably safe to assume it will just be preserved as a ruin - the timber section could probably last for decades until it disintegrates.
    Posted: 29 May 2020 10:27
      skitz Chief Commissioner

    Update on construction.



    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIaiakqKs04
    thekingoffoxes
    Near the start of the video it clearly shows the construction stuff up (on the curve section) that has plauged this bridger (clerances) all its life.

    Its too hard to attach photos, otherwise I would screen shot it and point it out.
    Posted: 29 May 2020 11:30
      david harvey Chief Train Controller

    Location: Bairnsdale Wharf
    Good to see some limited progress but wonder why they did not consider just lifting the old spans off and replacing them?  Was this considered?
    bevans


    I was told by a reliable source that the concrete piers may look grand and structural but in fact some of them have sunk into the river between the river banks, hence the 5 or 10 Kilometre speed limit. If you travel on the train and look out the window on the down side, on top of each concrete pier there is a solar panel which drives a battery which drives a censer which drives a computer chip which up links to the satellite which up links to the mother ship, sorry I lost it then.........every thing was true up until the word satellite. The censer records movement in the piers.
    Posted: 29 May 2020 11:59
      bevans Site Admin

    Location: Melbourne, Australia
    The reason the bridge was replaced is to allow the Bairnsdale passenger service to remain open, and to allow freight services to restart in the event that contestable freight is found at some point in the future.
    gippslander

    I am really hoping we can get some freight restarted on the line into Bairnsdale.
    Posted: 29 May 2020 14:11
      gippslander Chief Commissioner

    Location: Central Gippsland, Vic
    The reason the bridge was replaced is to allow the Bairnsdale passenger service to remain open, and to allow freight services to restart in the event that contestable freight is found at some point in the future.

    I am really hoping we can get some freight restarted on the line into Bairnsdale.
    bevans
    Mineral sands and intermodal loading is the best chance - Bairnsdale is nearly 300km from Melbourne, a contestable distance for rail. The old growth timber industry is on its knees and has been for years, so it is not part of the future - very little plantation timber in East Gippsland. There is a heap of fire damaged timber to be taken out, but it generally has to be shifted within 12 months - so it will go by road. There has also been some interest in use of rail for roadmaking materials, but it requires a rail freight provider to go after the business.
    Posted: 29 May 2020 16:05

    Sponsored advertisement

    •   Search thread   Image gallery
    1 2 of 4 3 4

    Subscribers: B 67, bevans, david harvey, Nightfire, Trans-Siberian

    Display from: