Bridge in Allandale Station, South Australia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Algebuckina Bridge is a Victorian era railway bridge in the Australian state of South Australia located about 55 kilometres (34 mi) south-east of the town of Oodnadatta in the locality of Allandale Station on the route of the now-closed Central Australia Railway.[1][2] It opened in January 1892.[3][4][5] It was the longest bridge in South Australia[3][5] until construction of the Seaford suburban rail line across the Onkaparinga River south of Adelaide in 2014.[6]
Algebuckina Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The bridge in 2009 | |
| Coordinates | 27.8993°S 135.8075°E |
| Carries | Railway (disused) |
| Crosses | Neales River |
| Locale | Allandale Station, South Australia |
| Heritage status | |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Wrought iron |
| Total length | 587 metres (1,927 ft) |
| No. of spans | 19 |
| History | |
| Construction cost | £AU 60,000 |
| Opened | 8 January 1892 |
| Closed | 1981 |
| Replaces | Surface level crossing |
| Location | |
 | |
The 1,927 feet (587 m)[2] bridge consists of 19 spans[2] of 100 feet (30 m) length and which are of lattice wrought iron construction,[2][3] sitting on cast iron cylindrical piers.[2] It was strengthened in 1926 to allow it to carry heavier trains.[5]
It was built by a team of around 350 men, working in extreme desert heat.[3] Several graves are nearby, and one of them is for David Saunders, who died in January 1890 from “heart disease accelerated by heat apoplexy.”[3][7]
The bridge crosses the floodplain of the Neales River,[5] which is prone to seasonal flooding, and replaced a surface-level railway which was frequently washed away.[3] After a severe flood in 1974, which almost reached the bridge decks, the line was closed in 1981 and a new route built 100 miles further west.[3]
The bridge was listed on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate[2] on 28 September 1982 and listed as a state heritage place on the South Australian Heritage Register on 20 November 1986.[2][8]
