9,628
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Links, IOR Records and extra info added
The '''Jubilee Bridge''' , known originally as the '''Hooghly River Bridge''',is an important rail bridge over Hooghly River between Naihati and [[Hooghly (Bandel)]]. The bridge was constructed by the [[East Indian Railway]](EIR) and connected to the [[East Bengal Railway]](EBR) enabling freight traffic from upper India to run to the Port of Calcutta, with a charge being paid to EBR for the use of their tracks.
<ref> “Symphony of Progress - The Saga of the Eastern Railway 1854-2003”; published by Eastern Railway, 2003; page 30</ref>
The Bridge was designed by [[Alexander Meadows Rendel]], Consultant Engineer to EIR and [[Bradford Leslie]], the EIR Chief Engineer. The Jubilee Bridge is considered to be the climax of both their bridge-building careers allowing trains to cross the Hooghly River to [[Calcutta]]. The construction started in 1882 and was completed in 1887. The Chief Engineer in charge of construction works was Lt Col [[Arthur John Barry]]. The Jubilee Bridge was opened on 16 February 1887 in the fiftieth or jubilee year of the reign of Queen Victoria.
<ref name=name>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jubilee_Bridge_(India) "Wikipedia "Jubilee Bridge India”]; Retrieved 23 Apr 2016</ref>
The Jubilee Bridge is noteworthy in that it is a cantilever truss bridge, constructed entirely by riveting, without any nuts or bolts used in the construction <ref name=name/>.
==Records==
An on-line search of the [[India Office Records]] (IOR) records held at the [[British Library]] relating to this railway <ref>[http://searcharchives.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?vid=IAMS_VU2 “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue” - Search]; Retrieved 23 Apr 2016</ref>
gives the following:-
*L/F/8/12/894; "East Indian Railway Company, Contract re Hooghly Bridge"; 6 Aug 1884
It also gives the following:-
*Z/E/4/25/R754; Rivers, Hooghly, Plans for bridge over at Calcutta, correspondence respecting"; 1854-55
''The implication here is that there where earlier proposals to bridge the Hooghly River - these have not been investigated''
== References ==
