Carries West Highland Line No. of spans 3 Opened 1880 Longest span 7.3 m Body of water Falls of Cruachan Number of spans 3 | Crosses Falls of Cruachan Engineering design by John Strain Longest span 7.32 m Material Concrete Carry West Highland Line | |
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The Falls of Cruachan Railway Viaduct is a railway viaduct that carries the West Highland Line over the Falls of Cruachan, near Loch Awe.
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History
The viaduct was engineered by John Strain, and is dated 1880. It was built for the Callander and Oban Railway.
It was listed as a Category A listed building in 2007. On 6 June 2010, the Falls of Cruachan derailment happened nearby, when a two-car diesel multiple unit derailed and caught fire after hitting a rock.
Design
It has three arches, with a main centre span of 24 feet (7.3 m) and side arches of 19 feet (5.8 m). The piers are made of bull-faced stone, and the arches from mass concrete, a material not previously employed on British railways. There is a parapet with a central crenelation, topped with a recent steel safety rail.
The viaduct spans the small gully created by the Falls of Cruachan, close to the entrance to the pumped-storage Cruachan Power Station, which is located in a chamber within Ben Cruachan. It is close to the Falls of Cruachan railway station, a request stop.