Transport Archive: the Learning Zone

Ten Great Central bridges

A latecomer to the railway system, the Great Central had to span cities and valleys and pass beneath roads:

Girder bridge over Arkwright Street in Nottingham.

Building the Soar Lane bridge, Leicester.

Stanford on Soar viaduct, Nottingham.

Iron girder bridge near High Wycombe.

Brick arch viaduct, Sheffield.

Bridge 438 north of Newton.

Constructing the bridge over the Midland Railway Station, Nottingham.

Bulwell Viaduct, Nottinghamshire.

Footbridge at South Harrow.

Northgates Bridge, Leicester, nears completion.

Filton through the decades

These aerial views show how Filton's landscape has changed over the previous 70 years:

Bristol Flying School, 1930s.	Rolls Royce, Patchway, 1950s.
Filton runway in the 1970s.	West Works Rolls Royce, 1990s.

Trafford Park buildings

Trafford Park was the world's first purpose built industrial park. Here are four of its factories and buildings:

Grain elevator no. 1.	Metropolitan Vickers experimental radio aerial.
The Trafford Park Hotel	The Ford automobile factory.

Tunnels and Cuttings

Canal builders had to dig routes through and beneath the land, using natural features to their best advantage where possible. Here are some examples of their excavations:

Inclined ramp at Partington.	Brickwork from Worsley underground canal.
Navvies at work cutting the Manchester Ship Canal.	Waters meet at Worsley underground canal.

Four aircraft hangars

As technology advanced and aeroplanes changed, the buildings that they were built and kept in had to adapt. Here are four examples of aircraft hangars:

Aerial view of western airfield hangars.	Interior of West Works hangars.
Rolls Royce flight test hangar.	Purpose built Brabazon hall.