Stephenson had large wrought-iron boiler plates available and he also had the courage of his calculations.. The idea found its best-known expression in the Menai railway bridge opened in 1850. Stephenson's beams, which weighed 1, 500 tons each, were built beside the Straits and were floated into position between the towers on rafts across a swirling tide. They were raised rather over a hundred feet up the towers by successive lifts with primitive hydraulic jacks. All this was not done without both apprehension and adventure; they were giants on the earth in those days. J.E. Gordon
About This Quote

After the completion of the London and Birmingham Railway Stephenson tried to build a bridge to span the River Mersey at Rainhill in England. He was able to get a number of piers built in advance but when he tried to get a bridge in place he found that he had underestimated the weight of his beams. This meant that when they were finally raised into position, they would have to be supported by a series of lifts. The idea was simple, but very risky.

In fact, when it came time to try this for real, Stephenson himself was worried that his calculations might be wrong and that the structure might fall. Fortunately for him, the safety system worked perfectly and his idea became a reality.

Source: The New Science Of Strong Materials Or Why You Dont Fall Through The Floor

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