River Wear and Queen Alexandra Bridge c1910. The bridge joining Deptford to Southwick was opened in 1909 with a road deck and an upper rail deck. The rail line carried coal from collieries upriver to the main docks but demand fell off rapidly as the collieries closed and the rail line closed in 1921. The rails and most of the rail approaches have been removed but the bridge is a very busy local road link and was fully renovated and repainted in 2006.
Information from Len Charlton.
Bridges and coal drops on the Wear. c1920 ?
In the 1700's coal was being taken to river staiths on horse drawn wagonways to be shipped to London. At the staiths the coal was manhanded on to small keels from which it was loaded to the ship. By the 1800's with the advent of the first steam locomotives the steel rails were extended over the river so that the coal could either be sent down a shoot into the ship or the waggon could be lifted over and the coal dropped in. This photo shows the drop system at the Wear with the lifts clearly visible but some doubt must be expressed about the passing ship which appears to be going downriver at high speed and without the aid of tugs.
Information from Len Charlton.
