Franschhoek line - Berg River Bridge

[Marius Avenant]

Rustic, rusty and trusty. A number of years ago the Berg River damaged the road bridge and this bridge was decked up to allow motor vehicles to cross the river here. I always wanted to ask my late father why they placed those extra tracks in the middle, but never did. Maybe somebody can provide me with an answer?

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

Marius - thank you for this.

Records of this sort thing are important - yet few people tend to take the pics etc!

[Steve Appleton]

The centre rails are "guard rails" intended as extra protection to prevent any possibly derailed vehicle that enters or crosses the bridge or viaduct from slewing too far laterally across the track and hitting or damaging the bridge's parapets or vital structures or even completely falling off. Such a derailed vehicle can theoretically only fall into the gap and slew sideways until the back of the derailed wheels between the rails contact the nearby guard rail, thus keeping the vehicle reasonably in-line.
This is in contrast to a "check rail" that is close to a running rail and is designed to contact the back of the inner wheels ensuring that the opposite wheels' flanges do not climb the opposite rail and derail on crossings and sharp curves.

[Marius Avenant]

OK, thanks - makes sense too!!! And here I thought it was just extra weight to make sure the bridge stays where it's supposed to be :)

Looking at it now, I can actually picture what you described. That guard-rail you mention also had me wondering from time to time. I noticed it especially a lot on UK rail web sites that I've been visiting.