Bridge numbers.

Is there any scource of identifying some Bridge plates I was given years ago? Any help would be much appreciated

 

What is the number? A picture would be good?

 

Most plates are number only and therefore very difficult to locate.
The style of casting may be another clue.
Very high numbers will eliminate some lines. ie. How many Br 30's are there ? Compared to how many Br 300's?
Also some plates may have a 3 letter, sometimes with an additional number, reference which can be used to locate but these will be more modern versions.

 

Bear with me..I'll have to find them first....now where did I put them..

 

It's only in the last 20 years that new bridge plates have given a mileage end Engineers Line Reference.
More recently an emergency contact number, the name of the bridge and grid reference have been included as an industry wide standard. LUL and I think Tyne and Wear Metro provide similar details.

From maybe 20 to 25 years ago the Western Region started stencilling the ELR and bridge number and mileage on bridges. It looked rough and ready and done in a hurry on overtime. Some were in unexpected places like over the long closed line from Gunnislake to Callington, but Network Rail still maintained the bridges.

Modern Bridge numbers should read something like this "RTJ2/12 18m16ch".

Cheers, Neil

 

One abutment of bridge BAA4 at Cliddesden still stands with stencilled number. Not bad considering it last carried a train when Will Hay made 'Oh! Mr Porter'.
Pat