Yarm Viaduct Explained

Yarm Viaduct
Coordinates:	54.5114°N -1.3569°W
Os Grid Reference:	NZ417131
Carries:	Railway traffic
Crosses:	River Tees
Locale:	Yarm, North Yorkshire/County Durham
Owner:	Network Rail
Maint:	Network Rail
Height:	(above river)
Number Spans:	43
Piers In Water:	1
Num Track:	2
Designer:	Thomas Grainger John Bourne
Builder:	Trowsdale, Jackson & Garbutt
Begin:	1849
Cost:	£44,500 (1852)
Open:	15 May 1852
Embedded:	Embed: yes Designation1: UK GRADE II Designation1 Offname: YARM VIADUCT Designation1 Number: 1139259

Yarm Viaduct is a railway viaduct carrying the railways above the town of Yarm in North Yorkshire, England. It crosses the River Tees which forms the boundary between North Yorkshire and County Durham. The railway runs between and, and was opened in 1852 as part of the extension of the Leeds Northern Railway to Stockton-on-Tees. The line and viaduct are currently owned and maintained by Network Rail and carries passenger traffic for TransPennine Express and Grand Central train operating companies. It also sees a variety of freight traffic.

The viaduct consists of 43 arches; 41 of which are made of red brick, with the two arches straddling the water constructed of stone. The viaduct, which is cited for its appearance and height above the town, was grade II listed in 1966.

History

The section of line through Yarm to Eaglescliffe (original Preston) Junction^{[1] [2] [3]} was formally started in July 1847,^[4] but work on the viaduct did not commence until 1849.^[5]

The structure opened up to traffic on 15 May 1852^[6] and it was the last work completed by Grainger as he died two months later in a railway accident in Stockton-on-Tees.^[7] The viaduct is noted for its height above the town of Yarm and is variously described as being "towering", "very beautiful" and "great".^{[8] [9]} One local writer described the viaduct as being "acknowledged as the finest in the kingdom".^[10] Due to its height and length, when viewing the town from afar (especially from the west) the viaduct is a dominating structure across the town.^[11]

The line that the viaduct is on (Northallerton to Eaglescliffe line) carries passenger services for Grand Central (to)^[12] and TransPennine Express (to) as well as a variety of freight traffic to and from the north east.^[13]

The structure was strengthened in two of its spans with extra bricks on the inside of the arches and stabilisation works undertaken in 2001 due to subsidence, lessened the vibrations felt by property owners below the viaduct either significantly or completely.^{[14] [15]}

Structure

The viaduct extends for over in a north/south direction over the town of Yarm and across the River Tees.^[16] It consists of 43 arches; 41 of them are span and are constructed of 7.5 million red bricks. The other two arches are constructed from stone and are across^[17] with one pier standing in the river. The two spans across the river are composed of of stone^[18] and are skewed across the river by 20 degrees.^{[19] [20]} On the downstream side of the viaduct (eastern side) is a large plaque set into the stone section of where the bridge spans the river. This commemorates the engineers and contractors on the project.^{[21] [22]}

Workers on the structure (navvies) were paid £1 per day with the total cost of the bridge being £44,500 by its completion in 1852 (£5.6 million equivalent in 2016).^[9] A system of pulleys worked by teams of horses allowed the raw materials to be brought onto the site.^[23]

Incidents

• In 1855, when Yarm railway station was at the northern end of the viaduct,^{[24] [25]} a train travelling south overshot the station in the darkness and bad weather. A passenger alighted from a carriage and fell to his death.^{[26] [27]}
• In 1997, a train of ballast became partially derailed in Eaglescliffe as it was heading south. When it travelled over the viaduct, loose ballast from the derailed wagon was thrown onto the properties below the viaduct.^[28]

External links

• Images on ncl site
• Footage of a freight train transiting the viaduct in 1962 (begins at 28:00)

Notes and References

1. Web site: History of Preston Junction, in Stockton on Tees and County Durham Map and description . www.visionofbritain.org.uk . 9 December 2018.
2. Book: Langley . J Baxter . The illustrated official guide and tourist's hand book to the North Eastern Railway and its branches . 1963 . Lambert . Newcastle-upon-Tyne . 198. 25963310.
3. Book: Hoole . K . A regional history of the railways of Great Britain. Vol. 4, North East England . 1974 . David & Charles . Newton Abbot . 0-7153-6439-1 . 126.
4. News: OPENING OF THE LEEDS NORTHERN EXTENSION TO STOCKTON AND HARTLEPOOL . The Leeds Mercury . 6,180 . 18 May 1852 . 5. 11968069.
5. Book: Thompson . Alan R . Groundwater . Ken . British railways past and present. . 1992 . Silver Link . Kettering . 0-947971-84-X . 65.
6. Book: Rennison . R W . Civil engineering heritage. Northern England . 1996 . Thomas Telford . London . 0-7277-2518-1 . 94–95 . 2.
7. Book: Chrimes . Mike . Skempton . A W . Chrimes . M M . Cox . R C . Cross-Rudkin . P S M . Rennison . R W . Ruddock . E C . A biographical dictionary of civil engineers in Great Britain and Ireland . 2002 . Thomas Telford . London . 0-7277-2939-X . 265.
8. Lee . C H . Grainger, Thomas (1794–1852), railway engineer . 11237 . 23 September 2004.
9. News: Lloyd . Chris . Yarm viaduct: way to go! . 3 December 2018 . The Northern Echo . 12 May 2016.
10. Book: Heavisides . Henry . The annals of Stockton-on-Tees; with biographical notices . 1865 . Heavisides . Stockton-on-Tees . 211. 23381160.
11. Web site: Yarm Conservation Area Appraisal . stockton.gov.uk . 6 December 2018 . 6 .
12. Web site: Hartlepool Borough Council Local Transport Plan 3 2011-2026 . hartlepool.gov.uk . 5 December 2018 . 16 . PDF . April 2011.
13. Web site: East Coast Main Line Route Utilisation Strategy . archive.nr.co.uk . 5 December 2018 . 53 . February 2008.
14. Book: Hughes . M T . Railway engineering 2002 5th international conference and exhibition, London, UK, 3-4 July 2002 ; [registered papers] . 2002 . Engineering Technics Press . Edinburgh . 0947644490 . 116.
15. Book: Lesley . L . Robinson . Mark . Kapoor . Ajay . Fatigue in Railway Infrastructure. . limited . 2009 . Woodhead Publishing . Cambridge . 978-1-84569-702-0 . 50 . 2; Fatigue in railway and tramway track.
16. Web site: Yarm Railway Viaduct . www.bridgesonthetyne.co.uk . 9 December 2018.
17. The original design by Grainger had called for a single span over the water of
18. News: Imposing giant found favour in quaint town . Evening Gazette . 19 March 2013. .
19. Web site: Engineering Timelines - Yarm Viaduct . engineering-timelines.com . 5 December 2018.
20. News: Lloyd . Chris . From the archive: Yarm viaduct . 6 December 2018 . Darlington and Stockton Times . 16 May 2016.
21. Book: Woodhouse . R . The River Tees : a North Country river . 1991 . T. Dalton . 0-86138-091-6 . 65.
22. Web site: Bridges over the Tees . ice.org.uk . 9 December 2018 .
23. Web site: A Brief History of the River Tees . heritage.stockton.gov.uk . 5 December 2018 . 17 .
24. The original station opened with the line in 1852 and closed in 1960. A new station was opened in 1996 some distance south of the first station across the river on the Yorkshire side.
25. Book: Hoole . Ken . Railway stations of the North East . 1985 . David & Charles . Newton Abbot . 0-7153-8527-5 . 198.
26. Book: Chrystal. Paul. The Place Names of Yorkshire; Cities, Towns, Villages, Rivers and Dales, some Pubs too, in Praise of Yorkshire Ales. 2017. Stenlake. Catrine. 9781840337532. 91. 1.
27. News: Barlow . Rob . Yarm Viaduct . 9 December 2018 . www.bbc.co.uk . 30 August 2007.
28. News: Brayshay . Chris . Residents' fears over 'bouncing' rail line . The Northern Echo . 21 May 2001. .