Talk:Castlefield

Expanding
I am penning some addition material for this article- but being held up by problems with commonist- I had hesitated as the material is sizeable and may be better spun of as separate articles. However, I have decided to write it offline, then lump it all together and upload. I will not throw a tantrum if it is later split. Watch this space.--ClemRutter (talk) 14:24, 13 April 2010 (UTC)

The task is started.--ClemRutter (talk) 08:51, 29 April 2010 (UTC)

The four bridges/viaducts
I’m working on the Bridges WikiProject and was excited to find your admirable and clear article on Castlefield with particular reference to the four viaducts. I see that your plans for work on this article may have been interrupted, so here are one or two minor technical points which you may find useful in due course. By the way, I am investigating ‘lattice girder/truss bridges’, hence my interest in the main spans of these viaducts. The metal spans of Cornbrook and GN are essentially the same from an engineering design viewpoint. The only particular point of difference is that the earlier Cornbrook has denser latticework – 7 intersections per diagonal as against only 5 on the later GN (This is assuming that I have got them the right way round – you will know immediately if I haven’t!). The description truss girder is fine. However, these 2 viaducts are superb examples of this form of lattice work which was in vogue from about 1850 to 1900, and at 1894 the GN structure may be one of the last to be built. The description “lattice girder bridges/viaducts” would do full justice to these fantastic examples of Victorian engineering.

You describe the GN bridge as “tubular steel” with a link to Fairbairn. I don’t think this is the best description: the span as mentioned is pretty much similar to Cornbrook, and not the sort of plated iron/steel box such as the Menai Bridge to which the Fairbairn article relates; nor does it use modern tubular steel for the individual structural members. May be you were influenced by the cylindrical columns used as piers?

Hope you find this interesting. I won’t mess the article myself as it’s far too good. Flying Stag (talk) 23:19, 4 February 2011 (UTC)