Swithland Viaduct
| Swithland Viaduct | |
|---|---|
 The South Viaduct of the Swithland Viaduct |
|
| Carries | Great Central Railway |
| Crosses | Swithland Reservoir |
| Engineering design | Henry Lovatt & Co. |
| Material | brick |
| Coordinates | 52°43′5.00″N 1°10′28.50″W / 52.71806°N 1.174583°WCoordinates: 52°43′5.00″N 1°10′28.50″W / 52.71806°N 1.174583°W |
Swithland Viaduct is a railway viaduct in Leicestershire that carries the former Great Central Main Line over Swithland Reservoir. It is unusual in that it carries the line over a reservoir rather than a valley. It actually consists of two separate viaducts, with an embankment over Brazil Island in the centre of the reservoir. The line now carries the Great Central Railway. The reservoir had to be temporarily drained for the construction of the viaducts.
Swithland viaduct (bridges No. 349 and 350) were constructed by Henry Lovatt & Co. of Wolverhampton, as part of contract No.2, Leake to Aylestone.[1] The south viaduct has a skew girder section approximately half way along its length.
Photography may be undertaken from the south from Main Street, or at very long range from the dam which carries Kinchley Lane. If one has a lineside permit, one can walk south from Quorn and photograph trains coming north off the viaduct. The viaduct itself however is out of bounds. The best location is probably from the east at Kinchley Hill but there is no public access there (the land is owned by Severn Trent)
[edit] References
- ^ "Swithland viaduct, Leicestershire". 1897. http://prints.leics.gov.uk/swithland_viaduct_leicestershire/print/671742.html. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
[edit] External links
Media related to Swithland Viaduct at Wikimedia Commons
