Crewe Works Narrow Gauge Railway Plaque Unveiled

Monday the 4th July saw the official unveiling of the Transport Trust's Red Wheel at Crewe Heritage Centre, this special plaque officially recognises the last remaining section of the 457mm (18 inch) narrow gauge tramway that once transported materials around Crewe Works.

The network was linked to the railway station via the Spider Bridge which was partially demolished in the late 1930s with a short 30 metre long section being retained and later incorporated into the Heritage Centre.

The plaque was officially unveiled by the mayor of Crewe Councillor Nan Walton and can now be seen outside the entrance to the North Junction Signal Box.

Left to right: Crewe Heritage Centre Chairperson Gordon Heddon, Mayor of Crewe Councillor Nan Walton and Chairperson of the Transport Trust Stuart Wilkinson.

History of the Spider Bridge

Crewe Works was once served by a 457 mm (18 inch) gauge tramway system for the internal transportation of goods, with construction beginning in 1857 under the Locomotive Superintendent John Ramsbottom. Over the following years the system was extended from the Old Works to Crewe Railway Station; this involved the construction of the ‘Spider Bridge’ in 1878.

The bridge itself was a foot bridge that ran from the Old Works to the Railway Station with the inclusion of the tramway, this allowed spare parts to be transferred from the works to the Station for onward transport to wherever they were needed on the network.

Unfortunately it could only be accessed from the Station using steps from the platform, making the transfer of goods from the tramway challenging and eventually leading to this method being abandoned. However for many years following, the bridge continued to give pedestrians access to the works until it was demolished in 1939.

The last surviving section of the bridge can be seen outside of the North Junction Signal Box and was restored in 1987 as part of the Crewe Heritage Festival after nearly 60 years of neglect following the construction of the current North Junction Signal Box.