Laigh Milton Viaduct
Channel: all the knowledge of the universe PRINCIPIA
Date: 2022-01-09

Laigh Milton Viaduct, by Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?curid=10038034 / CC BY SA 3.0

#Bridges_completed_in_1812
#Pedestrian_bridges_in_Scotland
#History_of_East_Ayrshire
#Listed_bridges_in_Scotland
#Category_A_listed_buildings_in_East_Ayrshire
#Category_A_listed_buildings_in_South_Ayrshire
#Railway_bridges_in_Scotland
#Viaducts_in_Scotland
#Former_bridges_in_the_United_Kingdom
Laigh Milton Viaduct is a railway viaduct near Laigh Milton mill to the west of Gatehead in East Ayrshire, Scotland, about five miles （eight kilometres） west of Kilmarnock.
It is probably the world's earliest surviving railway viaduct on a public railway, and the earliest known survivor of a type of multi-span railway structure subsequently adopted universally.
The viaduct was restored in 1995–1996 and is a Category A listed structure since 1982.
It bridges the River Irvine which forms the boundary between East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire.
It was built for the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway, opened in 1812; the line was a horse drawn plateway （although locomotive traction was tried later）.
The first viaduct was closed in 1846 when the railway line was realigned to ease the sharp curve for locomotive operation, and a wooden bridge was built a little to the south to carry the realigned route.
This was in turn replaced by a third structure further south again, which carries trains at the present day.
Laigh Milton Viaduct in 1996 The first viaduct was constructed as part of the Kilmarnock and Troon Railway, which opened on 6 July 1812.
It is located at National Grid Reference NS 3834 3690.
It was built with four segmental arches of 12.
3 m （40 ft） span, and a rise of one-third span; the voussoirs were 610 mm （24 in） thick.
The railway was carried about 8 m （26 ft） above the river surface.
The arches were of local freestone with sandstone ashlar facings and rounded cutwaters: these were later extended to form semi-circular buttresses.
Built in 1811–1812, it is the oldest surviving railway ...