The Victoria Bridge

A Short History by Keith Cockerill

Written for the Fatfield Monthly, January 2013 edition.

You may find the enlarged images below easier to read.

[ This article appears here by kind permission of photographer & author Keith Cockerill. ]

Enlarged Text, Left

Enlarged Text, Right

Thomas Elliot Harrison

President of the Institution of Civil Engineers, 1874-76.

Supervising Engineer - Construction of Victoria Bridge.
T. E. Harrison supervised the construction of Robert Stephenson's High Level Bridge, 1847-49.

Thomas Elliot Harrison was born in Fulham in 1808.  He moved to Sunderland as a child and was educated at
Houghton-le-Spring Grammar School.  He later became a renowned Railway Engineer.
Harrison died in 1888 at his home in Whitburn.

Blue Plaque on Thomas Elliot Harrison's former home in Whitburn.

Thomas Elliot Harrison's former home on The Bank at Whitburn.
Photograph by Francis Frith c1955.

Presidents of the Institution of Civil Engineers
Thomas Elliot Harrison, 1874-76

Note some very famous names: Thomas Telford, Robert Stephenson, William George Armstrong, Joseph William Bazalgette etc.

Victoria Viaduct

The view downstream from Dog Hole, showing North Biddick Colliery.

The view upstream from the Washington Staithes side.

How It Was Built

An illustration of how each arch was temporarily supported by a wooden framework.

When Did The Trains Stop?

An Inter City 125 Passenger Train heading North towards
Washington Station, Usworth Station and Newcastle Central Station.

[ 1982 Photograph by Joe Borrowdale.   Contributed to Washington History Society. ]

Local Passenger Services stopped on the Leamside Line in 1964 but it continued in use, as a By-Pass Line,
until the 'Newcastle - Chester-le-Street - Durham' Main Line was fully electrified in 1993.

[ Thanks to Washington History Society. ]