Trafford Road Swing Bridge was completed in December 1892, but for me it has always been there. As a youth, it was en route to my godparents in Stretford, and crossed on the walks to Old Trafford to watch United. Trafford Road is now an alien landscape compared to then. The only vestiges along route are the bridge, the now defunct entrance to the docks, and the adjacent dock office building, now converted to fashionable apartments.
1. Old Trafford Bridge
Throughout the nineteenth century, Salford's population grew exponentially.[7] Increasing urban density and the rigours of industrialization spawned appalling living conditions as labourers and 'operatives' lived cheek and jowl with the factories and mills that employed them. Turnpikes, canals, and railways cut through countryside and cityscape alike, while the local corporation struggled to provide the necessary infrastructure to cope with the demands of a rapidly changing environment. In 1878, the Corporation of Salford spent £30,230 (£3,572,549 in 2019) to build Old Trafford Bridge, which crossed the River Irwell, allowing intercourse via Trafford Road with Manchester's burgeoning southwestern suburbs. The bridge was officially opened on 7 November 1878 by the mayor of Salford, Dr. Francis Harrison Walmsley.[8] The construction of Old Trafford Bridge put the Throstle Nest Ferry out of business, which had been the traditional means of crossing the River Irwell.[10]
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| fig.1 click on images to enlarge source |
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| fig.2 Black's Road and Railway Guide to England and Wales. 14th ed. |
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| fig. 3 Looking up Trafford Road toward Salford. The Ordsall area is on the right
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| fig 5. Old Trafford Bridge with Trafford Road Swing Bridge beyond. This wonderful photograph was taken circa 1907-1917, from a rare angle source |
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| fig. 6. Close up of fig 5 showing the truss of Old Trafford Bridge, now spanning the railway |
2. The Trafford Road Bridge Complex
The River Irwell, where it was crossed by Old Trafford Bridge, became part of the Manchester Ship Canal. You can see, on the 1890 plan below, the course of the Irwell (shown in blue) and its absorption into the canal's system (shown in red).
Initially, the Irwell was maintained as a 'passage for small craft' (fig.9), while larger ships were accommodated by the Manchester Ship Canal itself. A small island was created to house the pivot mechanism of a newly constructed swing bridge and a hydraulic engine house, which would power it. The Old Trafford Bridge and the new Trafford Road Swing Bridge articulated on the island. The swing bridge was the vital link between Salford Docks, on one side of the ship canal, and Trafford Park Industrial Estate, on the other. Trafford Park Industrial Estate was developed shortly after the the Manchester Ship Canal opened in 1894, and became the first and largest complex of its kind in the world.
The following artist's rendering (1898) clearly shows the new layout, with Old Trafford Bridge to the left of the pivot island and Trafford Road Swing Bridge to the right. It also shows the wooden footbridge (fig 8 C), running parallel to Old Trafford Bridge, which allowed personnel access from the Salford bank to the boiler room, hydraulic engine station and swing bridge control tower on the island. In the left lower corner of the illustration is a railway swing bridge.
By 1906, as seen in fig. 14, the eastern section of the "passage for small craft" had been filled in to create the 'Ordsall storage ground', while the western part was left to accommodate a 'fire float station' (see section 4 below).
You can see Old Trafford Bridge on the aerial photograph shown below, which was taken in 1929. Though it no longer spans water, it still serves to bridge the railway (see fig.5). The area previously used by the fire float has now been filled and converted to a railway siding. The triangular starling, located to the left of the hydraulic station, is a remnant of the earlier island (compare to fig.14).
Fig. 16 is a closeup view of fig. 15, which shows the bowstring trusses of Old Trafford Bridge.
These were removed in 1931, when the bridge was modernized. Trafford Road was closed during the reconstruction, and a deputation from the Trafford Park Traders' Association met with the Mayor of Salford to complain about the deleterious effects of losing this crucial communications link. The cost of the replacement bridge was £36,000 (£2,235,600 in 2018).[11] We can see in the aerial photograph below, taken in 1934, that the Victorian trusses of Old Trafford Bridge have been removed. As an aside, to underscore the importance of this transport link, it was flagged by the German military as a strategic target in their preparations for the invasion of Britain (see fig 18).
Trafford Road Swing Bridge is one of seven swing-bridges that once spanned the Manchester Ship Canal.[1] It was built by the John Butler Iron Works of Stanningley, near Leeds, in 1892, and is the largest, heaviest and widest of the ship canal's swing bridges. It is 205 feet (62.484 m) long, spans 75 feet (22.86 m) of water, and weighs 1,800 tons.[6] The bridge had brick and ashlar abutments. Its bowstring steel trusses are secured at the top by smaller lattice struts and bracings. The turning mechanism is off-centre, over which there are three X-shaped or double diagonals. The work was carried out under the supervision of Sir Edward Leader Williams, chief designer and engineer of the Manchester Ship Canal project.
On 30 June 1987, Trafford Road Swing Bridge was listed as a Grade II structure (Historic England List Entry 1356520). With the gradual growth in the number of cars, trucks and buses, came an increase in complaints about traffic congestion along Trafford Road, especially when the bridge was open. In 1998, it was refurbished and fixed in place as part of a scheme to create a one-way system aimed at improving traffic flow. Since shipping to Manchester's Pomona Docks ceased in 1982, there was no longer the need for a swing bridge at Trafford Road.
3. Trafford Railway Swing Bridge
There were three railway swing bridges in the Trafford Road Bridge complex.
1. A Temporary railway swing bridge, was constructed during the building phase of the Manchester Ship Canal, and was used to transport material and equipment during construction. Its location is shown on fig. 26. As the map indicates, it carried a rail line that skirted the northern bank of the Irwell / MSC and passed under Old Trafford Bridge. The bridge turned by means of hydraulics. It had a 50 foot span, and was of very light construction (Engineer 25 May 1894:454). You can see some of this bridge in photos 7 and 10 in the Manchester Libraries collection listed below.
2. The position of Trafford Railway Swing Bridge (No.1) is shown on fig. 26 (and fig.17), on the left, and is the replacement for the temporary bridge referred to above. It was of considerable importance in conveying freight between Salford Docks and Trafford Park Industrial Estate. This steel trussed bridge was built in 1895, with only a single railway track (see fig. 27). It weighed 30 tonnes, and is sometimes referred to as the "dock railway swing bridge".
3. Trafford Railway Swing Bridge (No.2) It was felt necessary to replace the single-track bridge during the Second World War as the volume of strategic supplies increased dramatically. A larger, double track, steel bridge was built in 1941[12] by Dorman Long & Co. of Middlesborough, and is classified as a Warren truss bridge with verticals. The main truss members of the bridge are comprised of riveted lattice girders. The bridge is 80 metres long, 9 metres wide, rising 10 metres above its deck, and weighs 560 tonnes. The bridge was taken out of service in 1981. It is now known as Detroit Bridge, and was moved to Salford Quays in 1988 to span the old No. 9 Dock, now the Erie and Huron Basins. The structure, now used as a pedestrian footbridge, had to be reclassified as a vessel at the Port Authority before it was floated to its new location. The bridge was refurbished in 2005 by Bethell Construction Ltd. for just over £500,000.
4. Fire Float Station
Fig. 14 (1906) shows a 'Fire Float Station', positioned to the left of Old Trafford Bridge. This refers to a fire-fighting boat, which could be deployed along the docks area. The acquisition of this vessel was publicized in 1905.
According to Leech, the Firefly was capable of discharging 4,000 gallons of water per minute. It was built at Greenwich in 1904 by Merryweather & Sons, Ltd, a company famous for its fire-fighting appliances.
5. Trams on the bridge.
Thousands of workers commuted from Salford, Manchester and beyond to the world's first industrial estate at Trafford Park. To improve this mass movement of people, the last of the horse-drawn trams were withdrawn and replaced by an electrified system in 1903, which eventually included a route across Trafford Road Swing Bridge.
Interim Phase
Electric Trams
6. Motive Power
Trafford Road Swing Bridge was powered hydraulically, a method refined and applied elsewhere by Sir William Armstrong. The control tower (or central cabin) can be seen in the photographs below (figs. 56-58), immediately to the left of the bridge. From here, the bridge operator could open and close the bridge, and ensuring that everything was working properly. To the left of that can be seen the chimney of the boiler room and the electric and hydraulic pumping station.
According to Leech (see below note 5, v.2:74) the hydraulic equipment for the Manchester Ship Canal was ordered from Williams Armstrong's company in Newcastle.
7. Trafford Road Swing Bridge in Art
Pierre Adolphe Valette (1876-1942) was a French Impressionist painter, who came to Manchester in 1905. He was a tutor of L.S. Lowry. The work above is a pastel rendering of Trafford Road Swing Bridge. Interestingly, it also records the Firefly fire boat (see section 4), which entered service in the year Valette came to Manchester. It can been seen moored in the channel exactly where the fire float station is shown on fig 14. The control tower, chimney and hydraulic pumping station are clustered to the left of the bridge. The outline of the bowstring-trussed Old Trafford Bridge can be seen on the far left. On the Stretford side of the bridge, Valette provides us with one of the few surviving images of the original wooden dock office.
An illustration in The rivers of Great Britain, descriptive, historical, pictorial; rivers of the south and west coasts (1892) depicting the Trafford Road Swing Bridge in the open position. To the right of the vessel can be seen Old Trafford Bridge and the back channel which it spans. To the left of the illustration, above the figures, can be seen the brick abutment, which still exists today.
Trafford Road Swing Bridge featured in the 1961 film, Taste of Honey, based on the book written by Shelagh Delaney
8. Coda
In this gem of a photograph, we see, on the left, Old Trafford Bridge spanning the water-filled channel of what was once the course of the River Irwell. In front of it, we can see the smaller wooden bridge (fig.8 C and 10) leading to the boiler house and hydraulic pumping station. Outside the building stand two steam-driven tractors, We can also see most of the span of the swing bridge, and beneath it the turning mechanism. The bridge is clearly in its pre-tram phase. The brick abutment is as we see it today, and on the far right is one of two photographic images that I am aware of showing the original wooden dock office (see fig. 14), almost at it was seen by Valette himself.
Notes
[1] i) Trafford Road, ii) Barton, (iii) Knutsford Road (Latchford) (iv) A49 London Road (Stockton Heath), (v) Chester Road (Lower Walton), (vi) Moore Lane, and (vii) old Quay Bridge, Runcorn.
In 1894, Trafford Road Swing Bridge was the heaviest in the United Kingdom.
[2] I believe Owen's remark about two 'expensive swing bridges' and that the northern channel was never dredged out is not correct. Quoting Engineering 26 Jan 1894:138: "The passage for
small craft, which passes under a fixed bridge on the Trafford-road, is shown on the plan. This also
forms a flood-water channel."
[3] This type of assemblage is sometimes known as a 'spider frame'. Bridges that turn by this type of mechanism are referred to as 'rim bearing'.
[4] See Darlington Couplers. Overhead Wires (Gaps). Rotary Overlap (section 3.2)
[5] Leech, B. 1907 History of the Manchester Ship Canal v.2:143
[6] Leech (v.2143) gives 265 feet long, 30 feet deep, and 50 feet wide; (v.2:306) 211 feet long. In 1894, it was the heaviest swing bridge in the United Kingdom.
[7] Population: 1801 (29,495); 1901 (220,956) a 649% increase.
[8] The Lancet 25 July 1903:272-73
[10] City news notes and queries. Manchester: City News Office, vol. 1 (3 Aug 1878:199).
[11] The Municipal Journal and Public Works Engineer, Vol. 40 1931:1293
[12] Hansard (1952) gives the date of construction as 1944, at a cost of £108,000. Another source gives 1943.
[13] This image is taken from a postcard. Science Museum Group. 1984-48/1
[14] This photo was taken in September 1893 by photographer, Edward Ward, whose studio was at 249 Oxford Street, Manchester. It is taken from a stereoscopic card, and is part of a series on the Manchester Ship Canal: Works and Surroundings Series.
[15] YA1972.36/MS0231/Neg 695. The image here as been 'developed' in Photoshop.
Photo 1 (Trafford Railway Swing Bridge, 1973: Detroit Bridge)
Photo 2 (Trafford Road Swing Bridge, 1973)
Photo 3 (Trafford Road Swing Bridge, 1894)
Photo 4 (Trafford Road Swing Bridge, 1905: Overhead trolley wires stop at the bridge portal)
Photo 5 (New Trafford Bridge 1930/31)
Photo 6 (Trafford Road Swing Bridge, 1894)
Photo 7 (Trafford Road Swing Bridge, 1894. Possibly part of the temporary railway swing bridge can be seen just below Trafford Road Swing Bridge, see also photo 10)
Photo 8 (Trafford Railway Swing Bridge (no.2) 1959, Trafford Road Swing Bridge in distance)
Photo 9 (Trafford Road Swing Bridge, 1955: N.B. Overhead trolley wires.)
Photo 10 (Trafford Road Swing Bridge lined with spectators watching boat race)
Photo 11 close up of turning mechanism by Peter McDermott
Photo 12 Truss and rivet work by Aidan O'Rourke
Photo 13 Trafford Road Swing Bridge in its modern setting by David Dixon
Photo 14 Trafford Road Swing Bridge, 1905 (Digital Salford)
Photo 15 Trafford Road Swing Bridge truss by Craig Sunter
Photo 16 Trafford Road Swing Bridge being repainted by Phil Hogan
Photo 17 Trafford Road Swing Bridge (Mark Fynn Collection)
Photo 18 Trafford Road Swing Bridge open allowing paddle steamer through (Mark Fynn Collection)
Photo 19 Firefly
The River Irwell, where it was crossed by Old Trafford Bridge, became part of the Manchester Ship Canal. You can see, on the 1890 plan below, the course of the Irwell (shown in blue) and its absorption into the canal's system (shown in red).
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| fig 7. source |
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| fig. 8. source |
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| fig. 9 (1895) source |
The following artist's rendering (1898) clearly shows the new layout, with Old Trafford Bridge to the left of the pivot island and Trafford Road Swing Bridge to the right. It also shows the wooden footbridge (fig 8 C), running parallel to Old Trafford Bridge, which allowed personnel access from the Salford bank to the boiler room, hydraulic engine station and swing bridge control tower on the island. In the left lower corner of the illustration is a railway swing bridge.
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| fig. 10. source |
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| fig. 11 Trafford Road Swing Bridge on the left, Old Trafford Bridge on the right spanning the remnant of the River Irwell [2] Taken 1893 (Source: detail of T1133 The Frank Mullineux Collection of The Transport Archive) |
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| fig. 12. From left to right: Old Trafford Bridge, the electric and hydraulic engine station, the boiler room with chimney stack and the control tower [9], the pivot and Trafford Road Swing Bridge span. |
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| fig. 13. Both Old Trafford and Trafford Road Swing bridges are visible in the upper right hand quadrant of the illustration. Salford Docks 6, 7 and 8 are on the left. Trafford Wharf on the right. source: Scientific American v. 70, no. 10 (10 March 1894) |
By 1906, as seen in fig. 14, the eastern section of the "passage for small craft" had been filled in to create the 'Ordsall storage ground', while the western part was left to accommodate a 'fire float station' (see section 4 below).
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| fig. 14. source |
You can see Old Trafford Bridge on the aerial photograph shown below, which was taken in 1929. Though it no longer spans water, it still serves to bridge the railway (see fig.5). The area previously used by the fire float has now been filled and converted to a railway siding. The triangular starling, located to the left of the hydraulic station, is a remnant of the earlier island (compare to fig.14).
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| fig. 15. Trafford Road Bridge Complex with the Swing Bridge open. 'open' is used to mean 'the position of the bridge that allows ships to pass; 'closed' to allow traffic to cross the bridge. The vessel moored to the right of the bridge is probably the Firefly (see fig 33). |
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| fig.16 |
Fig. 16 is a closeup view of fig. 15, which shows the bowstring trusses of Old Trafford Bridge.
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| fig.17. source (detail) Trafford Railway Swing Bridge (above) and Trafford Road Swing Bridge (below) |
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| fig. 18. Oberkommando der Wehrmacht. Militärgeographische Angaben über England Berlin 1940 |
Trafford Road Swing Bridge is one of seven swing-bridges that once spanned the Manchester Ship Canal.[1] It was built by the John Butler Iron Works of Stanningley, near Leeds, in 1892, and is the largest, heaviest and widest of the ship canal's swing bridges. It is 205 feet (62.484 m) long, spans 75 feet (22.86 m) of water, and weighs 1,800 tons.[6] The bridge had brick and ashlar abutments. Its bowstring steel trusses are secured at the top by smaller lattice struts and bracings. The turning mechanism is off-centre, over which there are three X-shaped or double diagonals. The work was carried out under the supervision of Sir Edward Leader Williams, chief designer and engineer of the Manchester Ship Canal project.
TRAFFORD ROAD SWING BRIDGE
Main Span 129 ft. 6 in. Rear Span 82 ft. 3 in. Total Length over all 211 ft. 9 in. Height of Girders 30 ft. Width of Roadway 46 ft. ; Cart way 36 ft. Diameter of Roller Path (centres) 9 ft. 6 in. Number of Rollers 64. Weight when swinging 1,800 tons. Constructed by Messrs. John Butler & Co., of Stanningley. The bridge is worked by two hydraulic engines with independent gear, each being of sufficient power to open or close the bridge under ordinary conditions, but so arranged that they can be worked in conjunction if required. They are of Sir W. G. Armstrong, Mitchell & Co.'s ordinary type, with oscillating cylinders fitted with gun-metal plungers, gun-metal working and reversing valves, and oscillating joints. The bridge is turned by a cast steel rack fitted to the annular girder above the upper roller path. A central hydraulic ram 4 ft. 10 in. in diameter is provided, fitted with plunger and fixed to a cast iron bearing plate under the transverse girders of the bridge. During the operation of swinging one half of the weight of the bridge is taken by the central ram, reducing the load upon the rollers to 900 tons. The weight on the rollers is thus brought down to the initial load of 800 lbs. per lineal inch, the standard adopted for the whole of the rollers of the Swing Bridges throughout the Canal. Hydraulic gear for lifting and blocking the ends of the bridge, together with a locking bolt and disengaging gear are also provided. The movements of the bridge are arranged so as to be under the control of one valve man in the central cabin.(Transactions for 1896. Manchester Association of Engineers, Manchester 1897:161)
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| fig. 19 Three X-shaped trusses, positioned over the turning mechanism, add stability and strength to the structure. Since the turning mechanism is off-centre, the arc of the bowstring is asymmetrical, giving it a demi-ovoidal cross-section. Photo credit: J.Wallace Sutherland ( Manchester Locomotive Society) 
fig. 20
Inside a turning mechanism, showing spokes and roller ring.[3] This example is from the swing bridge at Stockton Heath, but the Trafford Road Swing Bridge mechanism would have been of much the same type. (Source: Engineering 26 Jan 1894)
fig. 21
The roller bearing ring of the Trafford Road Swing Bridge being assembled
(Source: T1111 The Frank Mullineux Collection of the Transport Archive)
"It works on a central hydraulic ram and sixty-four cast iron rollers" [5]
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fig. 22. Structural details and rivet work Photographer: unknown |
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| fig. 24. The seam between the bridge and the road, original brickwork |
On 30 June 1987, Trafford Road Swing Bridge was listed as a Grade II structure (Historic England List Entry 1356520). With the gradual growth in the number of cars, trucks and buses, came an increase in complaints about traffic congestion along Trafford Road, especially when the bridge was open. In 1998, it was refurbished and fixed in place as part of a scheme to create a one-way system aimed at improving traffic flow. Since shipping to Manchester's Pomona Docks ceased in 1982, there was no longer the need for a swing bridge at Trafford Road.
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| fig. 25. Trafford Road Bridge (now fixed and being painted in 2015) and her new sister bridge |
3. Trafford Railway Swing Bridge
There were three railway swing bridges in the Trafford Road Bridge complex.
1. A Temporary railway swing bridge, was constructed during the building phase of the Manchester Ship Canal, and was used to transport material and equipment during construction. Its location is shown on fig. 26. As the map indicates, it carried a rail line that skirted the northern bank of the Irwell / MSC and passed under Old Trafford Bridge. The bridge turned by means of hydraulics. It had a 50 foot span, and was of very light construction (Engineer 25 May 1894:454). You can see some of this bridge in photos 7 and 10 in the Manchester Libraries collection listed below.
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| fig. 26. 1893 source The 'passage for small craft' is actually a remnant of the River Irwell which has been incorporated into the Manchester Ship Canal. |
"a temporary swing bridge for railway traffic to and from the docks has been constructed, but will shortly be replaced by a permanent structure for railway communication with the Salford Docks." Engineering 26 Jan 1894:114
"The railway connections of both docks [Salford and Pomona] at present are obtained by a temporary railway swing bridge which crosses the canal immediately beyond Trafford-road swing bridges ... This bridge was originally erected for constructive purposes, and it will be superseded by a permanent steel swing bridge, carrying a single line, shortly to be erected close by." Engineering 26 Jan 1894:138
Messrs. Butler and Co., also contracted for the steelwork of the Trafford-road swing bridge, which is the heaviest in this country. The temporary swing bridge, close by—a remarkable structure, to which reference has already been made —was the work of this firm. The bridge, which is a steel structure, was made and erected in about two months from date of order. They are also the contractors for the permanent railway swing bridge which is to take the place of the temporary one. Engineering 26 Jan 1894:p.142
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| A very rare photo of the 'Temporary' Railway Swing Bridge'. We are looking up the River Irwell to Old Trafford Bridge. Trafford Road Swing Bridge can be seen to the left. [14] |
2. The position of Trafford Railway Swing Bridge (No.1) is shown on fig. 26 (and fig.17), on the left, and is the replacement for the temporary bridge referred to above. It was of considerable importance in conveying freight between Salford Docks and Trafford Park Industrial Estate. This steel trussed bridge was built in 1895, with only a single railway track (see fig. 27). It weighed 30 tonnes, and is sometimes referred to as the "dock railway swing bridge".
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| Practical Engineer 1 Jan 1904:18 |
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| Railway Swing Bridge (1) taken about 1896-98 Trafford Road Swing Bridge in distance Source |
3. Trafford Railway Swing Bridge (No.2) It was felt necessary to replace the single-track bridge during the Second World War as the volume of strategic supplies increased dramatically. A larger, double track, steel bridge was built in 1941[12] by Dorman Long & Co. of Middlesborough, and is classified as a Warren truss bridge with verticals. The main truss members of the bridge are comprised of riveted lattice girders. The bridge is 80 metres long, 9 metres wide, rising 10 metres above its deck, and weighs 560 tonnes. The bridge was taken out of service in 1981. It is now known as Detroit Bridge, and was moved to Salford Quays in 1988 to span the old No. 9 Dock, now the Erie and Huron Basins. The structure, now used as a pedestrian footbridge, had to be reclassified as a vessel at the Port Authority before it was floated to its new location. The bridge was refurbished in 2005 by Bethell Construction Ltd. for just over £500,000.
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| fig. 27 Train on the Trafford Railway Swing Bridge (1) (taken circa 1910) Source: Manchester Archives The locomotive on the bridge has been identified as 'St. John' |
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| fig. 28 Trafford Railway swing bridge (no.2) in open position, with Trafford Road swing Bridge closed. 
fig. 29
Remnants of the old bridge: the centre pier (a) which held the turning gear;
resting piers or bases for closed position (b) an 'anchor' pier (c) and a 'starling shoe' (d); c and d are
both used when the bridge is open (see fig. 28) 
fig. 30
Trafford Railway Swing bridge being moved 1500 metres to its new location.
The work was undertaken by the Thomas Storey Group using 68 unifloat pontoons.
It took four hours to move the bridge using four Thomas Storey Motorflote propulsion unitsand an ocean-going tug acting as a brake. |
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| fig. 31. The old World War II veteran finds a new home |
RAILWAY SWING BRIDGE
Main Span 120 ft. 3 1/2 in. Rear Span 58 ft. Total Length of swinging portion 178 ft. Depth of Girder in centre 22 ft. 6 in. Weight when swinging 250 tons. Constructed by Messrs. John Butler & Co., of Stanningley. The swinging portion of the bridge is carried upon a central hydraulic press and ram, the latter being 2 ft. 10| 1/2 in. in diameter with 5 in. lift. The bridge is opened and closed by slewing chains working round a drum, which is fixed to the underside of the bridge and worked by two turning cylinders and rams fixed in opposite directions, one for opening and the other for closing the bridge. These rams are 9 1/4 in. in diameter and have a stroke of 5 ft. Two cast iron rollers are fixed under the head of the short arm. The bridge is controlled by one man in charge at the valve cabin. (Transactions for 1896. Manchester Association of Engineers, Manchester 1897:163-164)
4. Fire Float Station
Fig. 14 (1906) shows a 'Fire Float Station', positioned to the left of Old Trafford Bridge. This refers to a fire-fighting boat, which could be deployed along the docks area. The acquisition of this vessel was publicized in 1905.
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| Popular Mechanics, vol 7 (Jan 1905:128) |
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| fig. 32. 'Fire Float', Firefly, demonstration (Barton Bridge in distance) |
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| Marine Engineer Vol. XXVI. No. 308. 1 Nov 1904:299 |
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| Practical Engineer, vol 30, no. 921, 21 Oct 1904:472 |
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| Engineering: an illustrated weekly journal (London), vol 78, 7 Oct 1904:471 |
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| fig 33 Firefly on station next to Trafford Road Swing Bridge. Photo taken not earlier than 1905. There is a tram on the bridge.[13] |
5. Trams on the bridge.
Thousands of workers commuted from Salford, Manchester and beyond to the world's first industrial estate at Trafford Park. To improve this mass movement of people, the last of the horse-drawn trams were withdrawn and replaced by an electrified system in 1903, which eventually included a route across Trafford Road Swing Bridge.
Pre-Electric Trams
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| fig. 34 Trafford Road Swing Bridge before electrified trams Photo taken by Thornton Ltd. of Altrincham before 1894 click on images to enlarge |
fig. 35
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| fig. 36 Looking toward Old Trafford. The building is a bank, most probably a branch of the Manchester & Liverpool District Banking Co |
Interim Phase
Between 1892, when the Trafford Road Swing Bridge was built, and Queen Victoria's Royal Visit in 1894, a latticed arch was installed at both ends of the bridge. It is unclear if this was for structural reasons or merely an embellishment for the royal visit. It was certainly decorated for the occasion as the scene below shows. As we shall see, later on, overhead tramlines were fixed to it.
Until 1905, two companies ran tram services to either side of the canal, and passengers had to change at the bridge. Figs. 40 and 41 represent an early period in the move to electrification. The contact posts are missing from the centre of the road. The overhead trolley wires do not extend onto the bridge, but stop at the bridge portals, and are held by posts installed at either side of the roadway. Fig. 39 shows the trams from Salford terminating at the bridge. From there, it was a short walk across the bridge and down Trafford Road to Chester Road to catch another tram service.
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| fig. 37. Queen Victoria's Royal Visit in 1894 |
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| fig. 38 Fixture of lattice arch to the bridge |
Until 1905, two companies ran tram services to either side of the canal, and passengers had to change at the bridge. Figs. 40 and 41 represent an early period in the move to electrification. The contact posts are missing from the centre of the road. The overhead trolley wires do not extend onto the bridge, but stop at the bridge portals, and are held by posts installed at either side of the roadway. Fig. 39 shows the trams from Salford terminating at the bridge. From there, it was a short walk across the bridge and down Trafford Road to Chester Road to catch another tram service.
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| fig. 39 Map 1902 showing the gap in tram services. Salford Trams stopped at the bridge Chester Road was the nearest tram line south of the canal source |
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| fig. 40 A tram can be seen in distance. Taken sometime before 1905 |
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| fig. 41. Trolley wires stop at the bridge portal |
Electric Trams
The introduction of electric trams brought modifications to the bridge. In addition to track being laid on the bridge's deck, the wrought-iron lattice supports were used to carry an "a conductor bar". This articulated with the electrical supply connectors, which were installed on fixed posts located in the centre of the roadway. When the bridge opened, the contacts would disengage, and the electricity supply to the overhead trolley wires would be cut off.
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| fig. 42. wrought-iron lattice supports carry overhead trolley wires |
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| fig. 43 The post, located in the centre of the roadway (not on the bridge), carries electrical connectors. |
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| fig. 44. Taken 1932. The bridge handled two-way tram traffic |
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| fig. 45 Tramlines and tram with trolley attached to overhead wires click on images to enlarge |
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| fig. 46 Three posts secure the trolley wires (not on the bridge). The central post carries the connector. The bowstring truss of Old Trafford Bridge can be seen in the distance, on the left. A tram turns up Ordsall Lane. |
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| fig. 47. Scene showing connector posts and lattice arches at both bridge portals. (see also Manchester Libraries photo 9 below) |
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| fig. 48 Electricity connectors (bridge open) A conductor bar attached to the bridge slides into the brackets [a] as the bridge closes to make an electrical connection. |
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| fig. 49 With the bridge now closed, the conductor bar, attached to the lattice arch, slides into the suspended connectors. Once contact has been established, the trolley wires on the bridge are electrified.[4] |
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| fig. 50 Suspension frame: with bridge closed |
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| fig. 51 Bridge turning. Security gates closed. Conductor bar on the center pole disconnected. click on images to enlarge |
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| fig. 52. This is a notional reconstruction only, based on the photographic record. |
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| fig. 53. Taken 1934: bridge closing with conductor bar sliding into position |
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| fig. 54. Tram on the bridge |
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| fig. 55. Trams on the bridge. Safety lamp installed on connector post |
Trafford Road Swing Bridge was powered hydraulically, a method refined and applied elsewhere by Sir William Armstrong. The control tower (or central cabin) can be seen in the photographs below (figs. 56-58), immediately to the left of the bridge. From here, the bridge operator could open and close the bridge, and ensuring that everything was working properly. To the left of that can be seen the chimney of the boiler room and the electric and hydraulic pumping station.
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| Engineering 26 Jan 1894:138 |
HYDRAULIC INSTALLATION, TRAFFORD ROAD.
The machinery comprises two pumping engines, two boilers, tanks, feed apparatus, accumulator with pipes, valves and accessories, constructed by Sir W. G. Armstrong, Mitchell & Co. The two steam pumping engines are of the horizontal compound jet condensing type, each indicating 130 HP and discharging 180 gallons of water per minute at a pressure of 700 per square inch. The principal dimensions of the engines are 15 in. + 27 in. / 20 in. The high-pressure cylinder is fitted with double slide expansion valves, the normal rate of expansion with a steam pressure of 90 lbs. to the square inch is about nine volumes. The Boilers are Galloway's Patent Type, 6 ft. 6in. in diameter and 26 ft. long, with a working pressure of 100 lbs. per square inch. A Green's Fuel Economiser with 112 pipes is attached. The plunger of the accumulator is 20 in. in diameter and 23 ft. 6 in. stroke. (Transactions for 1896. Manchester Association of Engineers, Manchester 1897:162)
The engines at Mode Wheel and at Trafford Road work into the same hydraulic mains, and the pipes are so arranged that the Locks and Swing Bridges and the Docks may be worked from either place, either separately or together. Momentum valves are placed at intervals in the mains. In addition to the hydraulic mains, which are laid in subways round the whole of the quays and jetties of the Salford docks, a water main 4 in. in diameter has been laid round the Manchester and Salford docks, as well as on Trafford quay. (Ibid., 167) (see also Engineering 21 Aug 1903:266-267)
fig. 56
fig. 57 (see Manchester Libraries photo 10 below). Control tower on left
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| fig. 58 Control Tower (also known as the central cabin) has been allowed to fall into disrepair photographer: unknown |
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| fig. 59 Turning mechanism beneath Trafford Road Swing Bridge photo source: T1021 Frank Mullineux Collection of the Transport Archive |
ELECTRIC LIGHT INSTALLATION, TRAFFORD ROAD.
The Steam Engines for this Installation are as follows : — (1) Two 100 B. HP Engines, by Mr. B. Goodfellow, of the vertical compound inverted cylinder type, 11 in. + 21 in. / 14 in. running 170 revolutions per minute, with a boiler pressure of 100 lbs. to the square inch. Both cylinders are steam jacketed, and each engine fitted with ejector condensers. Guaranteed consumption, 20 lbs. of steam per B. HP. A fly pulley 8 ft. 10 in. in diameter, grooved for eight ropes 1 in. in diameter, is placed between the cylinders. These engines drive two 60 Kilowatt Alternators and two Exciters (made by the Edison-Swan Company and supplied by Messrs. Baxendale & Co.), as well as the line shafting and the centrifugal pumps for condensing purposes. (2) Two 30 B HP Engines, by Messrs. Browett, Lindley & Co., of the vertical compound inverted cylinder type, 7 in. + 11 in. / 8 in., running 250 revolutions per minute, with a boiler pressure of 100 lbs. to the square inch, and a guaranteed consumption of 25 lbs. of steam per B. HP. Both engines are fitted with ejector condensers, and drive two 18-9 units continuous current dynamos, supplied by Messrs. Boyce & Co. Both sets of engines are arranged for working either condensing or non-condensing, and are capable of exercising their respective powers when non-condensing. One of Galloway's patent boilers, 26 ft. long and 8 ft. in diameter, working at a pressure of 100 lbs. to the square inch, was added to the existing boilers in connection with the hydraulic installation at Trafford Road, for the purpose of supplying the extra steam power required. The area lighted includes the whole of the Dock Quays and Sheds, and the Mode Wheel Locks; the lights are as follows: — 66 Continuous current Arc Lamps all 2,000 C. P. each, 28 Alternating Arc Lamps all 2,000 C. P. each, 360 Incandescent Lamps of 50 C. P. each, 100 Incandescent Lamps of 32 C. P. each, ,, 28 Incandescent Lamps of 16 C. P. each. Only incandescent lamps are used in the Dock Sheds. (Transactions for 1896. Manchester Association of Engineers, Manchester 1897:162-163) B HP (Break Horsepower); CP (Candle Power)
7. Trafford Road Swing Bridge in Art
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| fig. 60. Valette: Trafford Road Swing Bridge |
Pierre Adolphe Valette (1876-1942) was a French Impressionist painter, who came to Manchester in 1905. He was a tutor of L.S. Lowry. The work above is a pastel rendering of Trafford Road Swing Bridge. Interestingly, it also records the Firefly fire boat (see section 4), which entered service in the year Valette came to Manchester. It can been seen moored in the channel exactly where the fire float station is shown on fig 14. The control tower, chimney and hydraulic pumping station are clustered to the left of the bridge. The outline of the bowstring-trussed Old Trafford Bridge can be seen on the far left. On the Stretford side of the bridge, Valette provides us with one of the few surviving images of the original wooden dock office.
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| fig. 61. Steamer passing through Trafford Road Swing Bridge by Henry Edward Tidmarsh (1855-1939) Old Trafford Bridge can be seen on the right. source |
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| fig. 62. A frame captured by Robert Wade from the film |
Trafford Road Swing Bridge featured in the 1961 film, Taste of Honey, based on the book written by Shelagh Delaney
8. Coda
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| fig 63. Trafford Road Swing Bridge in all her glory, taken, one year after its completion, in December 1893 click on images to enlarge |
In this gem of a photograph, we see, on the left, Old Trafford Bridge spanning the water-filled channel of what was once the course of the River Irwell. In front of it, we can see the smaller wooden bridge (fig.8 C and 10) leading to the boiler house and hydraulic pumping station. Outside the building stand two steam-driven tractors, We can also see most of the span of the swing bridge, and beneath it the turning mechanism. The bridge is clearly in its pre-tram phase. The brick abutment is as we see it today, and on the far right is one of two photographic images that I am aware of showing the original wooden dock office (see fig. 14), almost at it was seen by Valette himself.
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| fig 64. The old Dock Office (centre) on the Stretford side of the canal. The tip of Trafford Road Swing Bridge can be seen on the right. This is a rare photograph. Its negative survives in the archive of the Science Museum Group. [15] |
In memory of my late father, who spent the war years, serving on Manchester Ship Canal tugs and guiding ships, laden with essential supplies, safely to port.
Notes
[1] i) Trafford Road, ii) Barton, (iii) Knutsford Road (Latchford) (iv) A49 London Road (Stockton Heath), (v) Chester Road (Lower Walton), (vi) Moore Lane, and (vii) old Quay Bridge, Runcorn.
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| Engineering 26 Jan 1894:118 |
[2] I believe Owen's remark about two 'expensive swing bridges' and that the northern channel was never dredged out is not correct. Quoting Engineering 26 Jan 1894:138: "The passage for
small craft, which passes under a fixed bridge on the Trafford-road, is shown on the plan. This also
forms a flood-water channel."
[3] This type of assemblage is sometimes known as a 'spider frame'. Bridges that turn by this type of mechanism are referred to as 'rim bearing'.
[4] See Darlington Couplers. Overhead Wires (Gaps). Rotary Overlap (section 3.2)
[5] Leech, B. 1907 History of the Manchester Ship Canal v.2:143
[6] Leech (v.2143) gives 265 feet long, 30 feet deep, and 50 feet wide; (v.2:306) 211 feet long. In 1894, it was the heaviest swing bridge in the United Kingdom.
[7] Population: 1801 (29,495); 1901 (220,956) a 649% increase.
[8] The Lancet 25 July 1903:272-73
FRANCIS HARRISON WALMSLEY, M.R.C.S. ENG., L.S.A., J.P. THE ranks of our profession in Manchester and Salford have again suffered grievous loss in the death of Alderman Walmsley of Higher Broughton, who has soon followed his neighbour, Dr. R. Crean. He was only taken ill on July 12th and died on the 16th. He was in his seventy-fifth year, but his neat, alert figure and air of activity told little of the weight of years. His father was a medical man, living in Dale-street, not far from the present infirmary, and there Walmsley was born. He decided to enter the medical profession, became a student at the Pine-street School of Medicine, now merged into the medical depart ment of the Owens College, and at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, and became qualified in 1849, soon obtaining an honorary surgeons to the Salford Royal Hospital, and after many years' service became one of the consulting staff. He took an active interest in public health, was one of the early members of the Manchester and Salford Sanitary Association, and was for a time one of its honorary secretaries. Though having the cares of a large and important practice he set an example of public-spirited activity in municipal work which, if it were more frequently followed by medical men, would be for the great good of the community. So far back as 1864 he was elected a member of the Salford town council, where he soon showed his interest in sanitary and educational matters and discussed them with an ability, which “speedily obtained for him recognition from his colleagues as an authority on sanitation and health.” At his death he had been an alderman of the borough for nearly 30 years. Soon after the passing of the Public Health Act, 1868, he submitted to the council a scheme, which was carried out, for the formation of a health department and the appointment of a medical officer of health. The question of river pollution has always been a serious one for Manchester and, Salford and Mr. Walmsley laboured hard for many years in the cause of purification, being an early member of the Mersey and Irwell Joint Committee and acting for some time as chairman of its chemical section. In 1877 he became chairman of the health committee of the Salford corporation and chairman also of the river Irwell conservancy committee. He was also one of the commissioners for dealing with the upper reaches of the Mersey. In 1876 he became Mayor of Salford and at the request of the council held the office for a second year. During these two years many important undertakings in connexion with Salford were completed. He was an ardent advocate and one of the original promoters of the Ship Canal. For many years he was an active member of the first School Board in Salford and later he was a representative of the magistrates of the borough, one of the governors of the Manchester Grammar School, and also a governor of the Owens College. He was an old member and ex-President of the Manchester Clinical Society, of the Medico-Ethical Society, and of the Certifying Surgeons' Association, and at the time of his death was President of the Medical Guild. From the year 1877 he was one of the magistrates of the borough and took his full share of magisterial work in connexion with asylums, &c. He was a generous supporter of many philanthropic institutions and, as one of the Manchester papers says, “his loss will be felt by the poor as keenly as by those in the very wide circle of his many admiring friends.” At the conclusion of the business of the Salford Police-court on July 17th, Mr. Makinson, the stipendiary magistrate, referred in sympathetic terms to Mr. Walmsley's death, to his kindness, and to his having been for many years “one of the most useful, honourable, and upright members of the Salford corporation.” One of his brother magistrates also bore testimony to his pains taking, judicious, and discriminating action as a magistrate and said that his “self-denying labours in the interest of the borough for a period of 40 years had rarely been equalled by any other citizen.” He was buried at St. John's Church, Higher Broughton, of which he was one of the trustees and an old member of the congregation; his funeral, which was largely attended, gave evidence of a widespread feeling of respect and sorrow.[9] Officially called the "Electrical and Hydraulic Installations of the Manchester Ship Canal at Old Trafford".
[10] City news notes and queries. Manchester: City News Office, vol. 1 (3 Aug 1878:199).
[11] The Municipal Journal and Public Works Engineer, Vol. 40 1931:1293
[12] Hansard (1952) gives the date of construction as 1944, at a cost of £108,000. Another source gives 1943.
[13] This image is taken from a postcard. Science Museum Group. 1984-48/1
[14] This photo was taken in September 1893 by photographer, Edward Ward, whose studio was at 249 Oxford Street, Manchester. It is taken from a stereoscopic card, and is part of a series on the Manchester Ship Canal: Works and Surroundings Series.
[15] YA1972.36/MS0231/Neg 695. The image here as been 'developed' in Photoshop.
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| click on images to enlarge |
Manchester Libraries Photographic Collection
Photo 2 (Trafford Road Swing Bridge, 1973)
Photo 3 (Trafford Road Swing Bridge, 1894)
Photo 4 (Trafford Road Swing Bridge, 1905: Overhead trolley wires stop at the bridge portal)
Photo 5 (New Trafford Bridge 1930/31)
Photo 6 (Trafford Road Swing Bridge, 1894)
Photo 7 (Trafford Road Swing Bridge, 1894. Possibly part of the temporary railway swing bridge can be seen just below Trafford Road Swing Bridge, see also photo 10)
Photo 8 (Trafford Railway Swing Bridge (no.2) 1959, Trafford Road Swing Bridge in distance)
Photo 9 (Trafford Road Swing Bridge, 1955: N.B. Overhead trolley wires.)
Photo 10 (Trafford Road Swing Bridge lined with spectators watching boat race)
Other photos
Photo 11 close up of turning mechanism by Peter McDermott
Photo 12 Truss and rivet work by Aidan O'Rourke
Photo 13 Trafford Road Swing Bridge in its modern setting by David Dixon
Photo 14 Trafford Road Swing Bridge, 1905 (Digital Salford)
Photo 15 Trafford Road Swing Bridge truss by Craig Sunter
Photo 16 Trafford Road Swing Bridge being repainted by Phil Hogan
Photo 17 Trafford Road Swing Bridge (Mark Fynn Collection)
Photo 18 Trafford Road Swing Bridge open allowing paddle steamer through (Mark Fynn Collection)
Photo 19 Firefly
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