About SideTracked Caches
This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breath taking view. It's a distraction for the weary traveller, but anyone else can go and find it too. More Information can be found at the SideTracked Website
The Burdekin Bridge (known as the Burdekin River Bridge or Silver Link) spans the Burdekin River between the towns of Ayr to the north and Home Hill to the south. It is a road-rail bridge which provides high flood immunity link between north and south Queensland.
Construction began in 1947 and was completed in 1957. At 3,620 feet (1,103 m) in length, it is one of the longest multi-span bridges in Australia, only 46 metres shorter than Sydney's Harbour Bridge. It is the only bridge in Australia to be built on sand.
The Silver Link replaced the Inkerman Bridge which was set just above the river bed. It was regularly covered and washed away by flood waters but it is still possible to see the remains of the old bridge when the river level is low. The Inkerman Bridge was built as part of the North Coast railway line along the Queensland coast that ultimately linked Brisbane to Cairns by rail. Construction commenced in 1912 and the bridge officially opened on Monday 8 September 1913. On 8 March 1945 a goods train was swept off the bridge in a sudden surge of flood water. Two people drowned, while four others survived by freeing the cattle on board and then "rode" down the river holding onto the steers until they were rescued downstream at various locations as far as Rita Island. The bridge went at least 11 feet (3.4 m) under water in that flood. The disaster renewed demands that a higher-level bridge be built.
Wreckage of a goods train washed off the bridge in March 1945 still lies submerged on the river bed in April 1945
Come along and share some stories about your Geocaching trainwrecks and plans for future journeys.
Geocachers who attend this event will be able to apply the Sidetracked Series Event Badge to their Profile Page via this link: https://sidetrackedseries.info/badges/events/GCBF6NJ.php