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Almond Valley Viaduct

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Not to be confused with Almondell Viaduct.
The Viaduct

The Almond Valley Viaduct is a large Victorian railway viaduct on the boundary between West Lothian and Edinburgh in Scotland.[1][2][3] The viaduct is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long and has 36 masonry arches, making it one of the longest viaducts in Scotland.[2][1] It is Category A Listed.[4]

History

The viaduct was designed by the engineer John Miller[5] and constructed by John Gibb. It opened in 1842 to carry the newly completed Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway (today the Glasgow-Edinburgh via Falkirk line) over the River Almond.[1] It is known simply as "The Arches" locally.[6]

The viaduct was designed so the railway was kept as level as possible with a planned maximum gradient of 1 in 880, ensuring the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was the most level main line in the UK at the time.[2]

As it is situated between Broxburn (in West Lothian) and Newbridge / Ratho (on the periperhy of the City of Edinburgh council area, the viaduct is sometimes known by those names;[6] however, there is another Broxburn Viaduct [de] immediately to the west which carries the same railway lines over the A89 road and Brox Burn,[7] and another viaduct over the Almond on the approach to Newbridge / Ratho a short distance to the south, carrying the North Clyde Line railway, which is more commonly known as Birdsmill Viaduct[8] (to add to the potential confusion, the Broxburn Viaduct is considered by some to be part of the Almond Valley Viaduct,[6] and the properties lending their name to Birdsmill Viaduct are accessed from a road of that name which leads off the A89 under the Broxburn Viaduct). Both of these bridges are also listed structures.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Historic Environment Scotland. "Kirkliston, Almond Valley Viaduct (50786)". Canmore. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "A Victorian Vision – the Almond Valley Viaduct". Konect, West Lothian. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  3. ^ Hogg, Chris; Patrick, Lynn (2015-10-15). Scottish Railway Icons: Central Belt to the Borders. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-4456-2115-9.
  4. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "RAILWAY VIADUCT, ALMOND VALLEY (Category A Listed Building) (LB7428)". Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Making Tracks" (PDF). West Lothian Council. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Almond Valley Viaduct (Ratho Viaduct), Gazetteer for Scotland
  7. ^ Broxburn Viaduct, Kirkliston, British Listed Buildings
  8. ^ Birdsmill Viaduct, Kirkliston, British Listed Buildings
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