Thursday 11 August 2011

Tower Bridge Road Railway Bridge built by Handyside in London, UK.

The Derby firm Andrew Handyside who made Friar Gate bridge in Derby also made many hundreds of other bridges of many different sizes around the world such as this railway bridge thats still in constant use today.

While on a recent trip to London I found this Handyside railway bridge. When you look at my photographs  you will notice lots of ornate details that have gone into this design.
I wonder how many millions of people have gone under and over it during the hundred years this bridge has been in situe.

This railway bridge is located on Tower Bridge Road (A100) near The Shard, you can see The Shard (almost completed) in one of my photographs so you can see where this bridge is located. Druid Street runs along side the North East edge of the bridge.

This bridge carries 12 sets of railway tracks over Tower Bridge Road, The nearest underground station to this bridge is London Bridge. As you can see in my photographs its quite a wide bridge consisting of 28 single span arched girders. There are four makers badges which read "Handyside Derby & London", these are located on both ends of the two outer girders.
It does not say "Andrew Handyside" just "Handyside" so must have been a late work from the Britannia Foundry in Derby, Probably around 1910.

The top of the bridge on both sides consists of 6 panels of decorative cast iron Balustrades (10 Balusters per panel section). These 6 panels are supported by the outer arches on 11 decorative posts (which vary in height around the arch), these are adorned by scrolled capitals.

Here are my six photographs of the various aspects of this railway bridge.

A photograph showing Tower Bridge Road Railway Bridge and The Shard in the background.
Tower Bridge Road Railway Bridge built by Handyside.

A train travelling over Tower Bridge Road Railway Bridge.
Tower Bridge Road Railway Bridge built by Handyside.

A shot showing the many single span arches under the bridge.
Tower Bridge Road Railway Bridge built by Handyside.

A close up of the decorative cast iron Balustrades and scrolled capital supports.
Tower Bridge Road Railway Bridge built by Handyside.

Close up showing the location of the makers badge "Handyside Derby & London"
Handyside badge on Tower Bridge Road Railway Bridge

Close up of the makers badge "Handyside Derby & London"
Handyside badge on Tower Bridge Road Railway Bridge


Map Location:
View my Andrew Handyside World Map to see the exact location of this bridge on the world map.
My world map is the result of hundreds of hours of research into the company, plotting out each item as I find it.

Google Streetview has captured this bridge HERE.

Can you help find more Handyside stuff ?
If anyone out there knows of any other bridges around the world bearing the Handyside badge that I have not mentioned yet then please get in touch with details, location, photographs etc.

Thanks
Andy

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