Archive footage of the Wrestlers Bridge collapse 1966

[Hatfield Shed]

Post-LNER of course, and fortunately immediately detected by the chance of ballasting work underway very nearby as the collapse began. Anyone happen to know what cause was determined?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-englan ... s-66822128

[Mickey]

We wasn't living in WGC at the time of the bridge collapse because we only moved to WGC in September of 1966 but the first time that I heard it mentioned was around 1968. From memory a pedestrian walkway perched high above all four running lines replaced the collapsed bridge just north of the collapsed Wrestlers bridge between 1966 and through the rest of the 1960s and the 1970s and may well have even lasted into the 1980s.

[iands]

Apologies for being a bit 'late to the pass' on this one (a new-ish member reading through a few topics). I don't know if you are aware, but there is an MoT Accident Report on this incident on The Railways Archive website. Hopefully this link works.

https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/docum ... 1966-2.pdf

[Hatfield Shed]

Gratefully received.

Soggy Hertfordshire clay then as the root cause. The only way the underground condition of that bridge structure was going to be discovered was by exploratory adjacent digging around to provoke movement and potentially collapse, with the technique than available. This had been an expensive section of a few miles to construct. Marshmoor to the South of Hatfield requiring a huge quantity of 'Faggott Wood' to greate a sufficiently stable road through that bog, with Digswell viaduct and Welwyn tunnels to the North.

Interesting comment that the C19th route of The Great North Road by 1966 still had significant traffic; this despite the more direct and wider 1953 A1 route all lying well to the West of the railway at this location. Far fewer pubs on the new route of course...

[Mickey]

Soggy Hertfordshire clay then as the root cause. The only way the underground condition of that bridge structure was going to be discovered was by exploratory adjacent digging around to provoke movement and potentially collapse, with the technique than available. This had been an expensive section of a few miles to construct. Marshmoor to the South of Hatfield requiring a huge quantity of 'Faggott Wood' to greate a sufficiently stable road through that bog, with Digswell viaduct and Welwyn tunnels to the North.

Hatfield Shed a similar construction problem occurred on the double-track Holme-Yaxley length across the wet and boggy Stilton Fen south of Peterborough which required a similar solution I believe with a 'carpet of fagot wood' having to be laid down first across Stilton Fen then tons of earth was laid down on top of the 'carpet of fagot wood' before finally the P.Way was laid down on top of the earth and then it was deep ballasted.