A Robin Spencer photograph.
PTG Tours, a British railtour company, arranged a trip to Burma/Myanmar in November 2018. My friend Robin Spencer, from Birmingham England, was a member of the party. Robin has given me permission to upload this photograph for him.
PTG’s charter train is seen here on Gokteik Viaduct when returning from Lashio to Mandalay. The train had run across the viaduct, then stopped to let passengers alight, then reversed onto the viaduct for the photo opportunity.
Gokteik viaduct is the highest bridge in Myanmar and, when it was completed, the largest railway trestle in the world. It measures 2260 feet from end to end and includes 15 towers which span 39 feet, along with a double tower 79 feet long. The 15 towers support 10 deck truss spans of 121 feet, along with six plate girder spans of 59 feet, and an approach span of 39 feet. The true height of the bridge, as measured from the rail deck to the ground on the downstream side of the tallest tower, is 335 feet. It was constructed in 1899 by the Pennsylvania and Maryland Bridge Construction Company, and opened in 1900. The components were made by the Pennsylvania Steel Company and were shipped from the United States. It is located approximately 63 miles northeast of Mandalay. It is considered a masterpiece of world standard. (Data from Wikipedia.)
