Steam locomotives full of coal and water in Pilsen tested new railway bridges
Today, with two steam locomotives loaded with coal and water, the builders tested the reconstructed bridge in Pilsen over Úslava on the line to Prague. The bridge passed the stress test with a reserve, the construction is safe and reliable, said Tomáš Wangler from Metrostav, which is the supplier of the Rokycany – Plzeň line modernization project.
Today, the reconstructed smaller bridges in Mohylová and Potoční streets underwent the same tests. The exclusion will end on Friday afternoon, when the Railway Authority should allow trial operation on both tracks.
The longest bridge over Úslava with a span of 63 meters was loaded in the middle of steam locomotives Štokr and Šlechtična weighing 185 tons and 174 tons. Their total total was thus about half of the permitted projected load of the bridge. According to Wangler, steam locomotives are long, heavy, have many axles and a uniform load, which is close to the theoretical for which it is most designed. The builders verify the calculations with a load test.
The double-track reinforced concrete bridge over the Úslava is composed of two halves. Its allowable projected deflection is 35 millimeters, today the measured value was about 28 millimeters. “It was written in the construction diary today that, according to the preliminary evaluation, it suits the most. It will probably be similar on the other two bridges, “said Petr Bouška from the Klokner Institute of the Czech Technical University in Prague, who took the load test.
The original did not suit the site the most. The new one is designed for axle forces of 30 tons, while the maximum of 22.5 tons for classic Czech Railways trains. According to Wangler, there is a large reservation for the future. “The standard lifespan is 100, but they usually run longer, but it depends on the maintenance administrator,” he said.
The previous bridge underwent several reconstructions. The first bridge from 1884 was gradually extended to a double track. The structures that replaced the new bridge were from 1924. They were gradually reinforced, so it had several layers. All three bridges were rebuilt for operation on the second track.
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The modernization of the Rokycany – Plzeň line, where there are 15 bridges, will end in the middle of 2018. One of the last sections on III. the Prague – Plzeň – Cheb railway corridor will cost 3.9 billion crowns. It includes the longest railway tunnel in the Czech Republic with a length of 4.15 kilometers.
The first excavation ended in June. “The reconstruction of the original sections of the line is completely finished, the second tube remains to be arrived and the tunnels have to be equipped,” said Wangler. They still run on the original route through Chrást u Plzně. After the completion of the tunnels, the trains will leave the Chrást – Plzeň line. The modernized section will bring passengers faster traffic from Rokycany to Pilsen from 20 to 11 minutes.