Ballindalloch Railway Bridge
{{Short description|19th century railway bridge in Moray, Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
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| image = Detail of old railway bridge, Ballindalloch (geograph 5020165).jpg
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| caption = The view along the bridge
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| coordinates = {{coord|57|24|50|N|3|23|08|W|region:GB|display=title}}
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| carries = Pedestrians, cyclists (formerly railway)
| crosses = River Spey
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| heritage = Category A listed building
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| material = Wrought iron
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| mainspan = {{cvt|195|ft|m}}
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| architect = Alexander Gibb
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| fabricator = G McFarlane, Dundee
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| open = 1863
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The Ballindalloch Railway Bridge is a former railway bridge on the crossing the River Spey at Ballindalloch in Moray, Scotland. Built in 1863 as a part of the Strathspey Railway, it was in use until the line was closed in 1968. It is now designated as a Category A listed building, and carries pedestrians and cyclists over the river as a part of the Speyside Way.
Description
The Ballindalloch Railway Bridge crosses the Spey at Ballindaloch, linking the parishes of Inveravon in Banffshire and Knockando in Moray.{{cite web |title=Railway Bridge over the Spey |url=http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/building_full.php?id=417482 |website=Dictionary of Scottish Architects |publisher=Dictionary of Scottish Architects |access-date=7 July 2019}} It is a wrought iron lattice girder bridge, with a single-span of {{convert|195|ft|m|abbr=off}}, supported by rubble abutments, and with plate girder spans at either end giving an overall length of around {{convert|250|ft|m|abbr=off|round=5}}.
History
The Ballindalloch Railway Bridge was constructed in 1863 for the Strathspey Railway.{{cite book |last1=Hume |first1=John R |title=The Industrial Archaeology of Scotland 2. The Highlands and Islands |date=1977 |publisher=B.T. Batsford Ltd |location=London |isbn=071340809X |page=234}} It was designed by Alexander Gibb,{{cite book |last1=Paxton |first1=Roland |last2=Shipway |first2=Jim |title=Civil Engineering Heritage - Scotland Highlands and Islands |date=2007 |publisher=ICE Publishing |pages=135–136|isbn=978-0727734884 |url=https://canmore.org.uk/event/929929 |access-date=7 July 2019}} an engineer for the Great North of Scotland Railway,{{cite book |last1=Paxton |first1=Roland |last2=Shipway |first2=Jim |title=Civil Engineering Heritage - Scotland Highlands and Islands |date=2007 |publisher=ICE Publishing |isbn=978-0727734884 |url=https://canmore.org.uk/event/929922 |access-date=7 July 2019}} and the ironwork was fabricated by G. MacFarlane of Dundee. The Strathspey Railway was absorbed into the Great North of Scotland Railway in 1866,{{cite book|last=Vallance|first=H. A. |title= Great North of Scotland Railway|series=The History of the Railways of the Scottish Highlands Vol. 3.|date=27 June 1991|publisher=David St John Thomas|isbn=978-0-946537-60-0}} and the bridge was in regular use on the line, carrying passengers and large volumes of whisky from the nearby distilleries, until it was closed to regular passenger traffic in 1965, and closed completely in 1968.{{cite web |title=Ballindalloch, Railway Bridge |url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/16004/ballindalloch-railway-bridge |website=CANMORE |publisher=Historic Environment Scotland |access-date=7 July 2019}} The bridge was designated a Category A listed building in 1987, and was a scheduled monument until 2006.{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB8466|desc=Ballindalloch, former railway bridge over River Spey|cat=A|accessdate=7 July 2019}} It is open to pedestrians and cyclists, forming a part of the Speyside Way.