Kingston Railway Bridge

Infobox_Bridge
bridge_name=Kingston Railway Bridge


caption= South West Trains service crossing Kingston Railway Bridge
official_name=
carries= Kingston-Richmond loop line
crosses=River Thames
locale= Kingston upon Thames
maint=
id=
designer = J E Errington
design=
material = Iron
spans = 5
pierswater = 2
mainspan=convert|22|ft|11|in|m
length=
width=
height=convert|22|ft|4|in|m [River Thames Alliance. [http://www.visitthames.co.uk/text.asp?PageId=320 Bridge heights on the River Thames.] ]
clearance=
below=
traffic=
open=1863
closed=
toll=
map_cue=
map_

map_text=
map_width=
coordinates= coord|51|24|40|N|0|18|32|W|region:GB_type:landmark
lat=
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Kingston Railway Bridge crosses the River Thames near Kingston upon Thames, England carrying the South West Trains looping branch line from London Waterloo to Shepperton and Richmond. It was first discussed in 1860 and completed in 1863. [Fred. S. Thacker "The Thames Highway: Volume II Locks and Weirs" 1920 - republished 1968 David & Charles] The bridge links Kingston and Hampton Wick stations, and crosses the Thames on the reach above Teddington Lock. There are arches on both sides over dry land and that on the Kingston side has a road running though it.

Kingston power stations were located close to the bridge on the Kingston side. The first Kingston power station, Kingston A was situted in Down Hall Road. It opened in November 1893 and and did not close until August 1959. Kingston B was officially opened nearby on 27 October 1948 by King George VI with Queen Elizabeth and ceased generation in autumn 1980. Being close to the Thames, coal came up river by barge, and ash was sent away the same way. [ [http://www.glias.org.uk/news/155news.html Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society] ] The Bargedock was constructed at Kingston Railway Bridge close to the present the upstream entrance to Canbury Gardens. A landscaping scheme has been developed to open up this section of riverside that has been closed to the public. [ [http://thames-landscape-strategy.org.uk/file_download/72 Thames Landscape Strategy] ]

ee also

* Crossings of the River Thames

References