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RAILWAY TRESTLE BRIDGE OVER MOONEE PONDS CREEK
(rear of) CARAVELLE CRESCENT, STRATHMORE HEIGHTS, MOONEE VALLEY CITY

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Moonee Valley City
Bridge viewed from Boeing Reserve
Bridge viewed from Boeing Reserve
Bridge viewed from Boeing Reserve
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Statement of Significance

What is significant?
 The railway trestle bridge was constructed by the Victorian Railways in 1927-29 to carry a new double track goods line over the Maribyrnong River. The new line enabled trains from all parts of the state, except Gippsland, to have direct access to the Tottenham marshalling and sorting yards. The viaduct is approximately 265 metres long between abutments and comprises two steel girders supported on ten steel framed towers.

Why is it significant?
The railway trestle bridge over Moonee Ponds Creek is of historical and scientific (technological) significance to the City of Moonee Valley

How is it significant?
Scientifically, the railway trestle bridge is significant on account of its large size, and for the adoption of unusual cost effective design features such as the use of two girders per span to carry the double track, the use of K bracing in the towers, and the use of broad flange beams as columns. Although slightly smaller than the comparable and contemporaneous Albion Viaduct in East Keilor, it nevertheless remains as a prominent element in the landscape. (Criteria D, E & F)

Historically, the bridge is significant as part of the infrastructure associated with the development of the Melbourne railway marshalling yards at Tottenham in the late 1920s. These yards were constructed to relieve congestion in the Melbourne Yard, located near the Spencer Street station, caused by the construction of suburban passenger platforms associated with the electrification of the suburban railway network. (Criterion A)

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    • Physical Description 1

      RAILWAY TRESTLE BRIDGE OVER MOONEE PONDS CREEK - Physical Description 1

      The railway bridge over the Moonee Ponds Creek comprises ten trestle supports (each approximately ten metres wide) and eleven spans (each approximately fifteen metres wide), and thus has an overall length of about 265 metres between abutments. The abutments themselves are relatively short, and are of concrete or rendered brick construction, with simple moulded copings. Each trestle comprises a trussed box frame on a square plan, supported on concrete pad footings, which taper inwards on the transverse axis. The railway line proper, supported on a very deep metal beam, has a cross-braced metal railing and a series of ten projecting balconettes in alignment with the trestles below. A gangway, with metal railing, extends along the entire base of the principal beam.

      The bridge appears to be in excellent and is very intact.

      Historical Australian Themes

      RAILWAY TRESTLE BRIDGE OVER MOONEE PONDS CREEK - Historical Australian Themes

      THEMATIC CONTEXT

      3.8 Moving goods and people

      3.8.6 Building and maintaining railways

      Heritage Study and Grading

      Heritage Study and Grading

      Moonee Valley - City of Moonee Valley Gap Heritage Study

      Author: Heritage Alliance
      Year: 2005
      Grading:

Public contributions

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