Wilick Viaduct

The **Wilick Viaduct**, commonly known as the **"Wilick Bridge"**, a wrought iron lattice girder railway bridge (formerly, a wooden trestle) that links Nerland with the mainland network. It is connected to Wilmont on the Nerland side and Wick at the mainland end, hence its name.

## History

### Original wooden trestle

The original Wilmont-Wick bridge was built between 1852 and 1854 as a single-track trestle as a "temporary" measure until a more permanent can be constructed in its place. The bridge was opened in 1854 as part of the beginning of Tri-ang Railways' operations and linking Nerland with the national railway system for the first time ever at Wick. During the first year, the trestle was involved in TR's first fatal incident when an unnumbered 4-2-0 plunged off with a loaded passenger train during a Winter storm, resulting in no survivors. The bridge was repaired resumed services following repairs. By the 1880s, shipworm damage was making the bridge unsafe for use and with increasing train loads, the need for a newer, stronger bridge was apparent. With the success of iron lattice bridges on mainland Britain, the decision was made to decommission the original wooden trestle for the much stronger iron bridge.

The wooden trestle, known at this point as the "Wilick Bridge" because of it linking Wilmont to Wick, was retired in 1886 with its iron successor being built on its northern side. The wooden trestle was dismantled between 1887 and bar from the supports on the Wilmont end, nothing much remained of the original Wilick Bridge.

## Basis

The Wilick Viaduct is based on the Parramatta River Railway Bridge located between Rhodes and Meadowbank in Sydney, Australia. Also known as either the John Whitton Railway Bridge (after its engineer) or the Meadowbank Railway Bridge, the Parramatta River Railway Bridge was built in 1886 and carried the Main Northern Line over the Parramatta River from Rhodes (whose station was opened prior in 1885) on the southern end to Meadowbank (station opened a year later) on the northern side, hence its common and other names, to allow expresses to run direct towards Newcastle north of Sydney.

The bridge continued usage as a railway bridge until 1980 when the a more modern "John Whitton Bridge" (a concrete-span bridge) was built as its replacement. On 2nd April 1999, the bridge was added to the NSW Heritage Roster and after 20 years following its decommission, was converted into a cycleway in the build up to the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000.

## Trivia

The second Wilick Viaduct was built the same year as its basis, 1886.

Unlike its basis, the second Wilick Viaduct is still in active service.

Despite being officially known as a "viaduct", the Wilick Viaduct doesn't look like a typical viaduct.

On the Wilmont end of the Wilick Viaduct, the limestone structure at the end has "Chika, go dig a grave" graffitied onto it. This is a reference to the character Chika Fujiwara from the anime "Kaguya-sama: Love is War" and how Shane *really* despises her for being really annoying + rather seeing her own comeuppance, with "go dig a grave" meaning her *own* grave.

* Ironically, a poster for "Kaguya-sama: Love is War" with the four protagonists (including Chika) is visible at Wilmont station.
* Adding to the gag, the graffiti is slowly covered with ashes being dropped from the locomotive's fireboxes and later on, diesel oil. They would make it feel they are "burying" Chika Fujiwara and spitting on her grave, since the graffiti is *underneath* the railway line.