Tees Transporter Bridge Nov 2017

[@Martin.]

Cool Transporter bridge. Thanks for sharing. We have a similar in Rendsburg from 1913 with rail over there. Greetings from Germany, Martin

[@Phoenixace76]

That's nice to hear Martin. Unfortunately, this bridge has recently been taken out of service, and there doesn't seem to be any hope for it being fully returned to service either.

[@vaughnwilliams1208]

Once in the 70s, Terry Scott , a famous comedian at the time, followed his map to the Transporter Bridge and drove off the road without realising it was not a normal bridge over a river. He landed in the Metal safety net underneath. Great video, first time I ever see the Transporter like that from a drone.

[@cyberhermit1222]

And Director Ridley Scott cited the views from this bridge as the inspiration for Blade Runner.

[@jackiegeritz5345]

My mum and I have been over the Transporter Bridge many times. The carriage seemed much bigger as a child.

[@davecooper3238]

February 2023 and the bridge is still closed. Someone suggested perhaps pedestrians could cross using the lifts. I know they installed a lift on the south tower. But I am 99% sure they have not installed one on the north tower. It seems rather a shame that the new gondola did not have a little more use.

[@regviewer]

Thanks Matthew. Coming into Middlesbrough on the X93, I could never work out how the the transporting took place....until now. Better late than never....cheers.

[@Phoenixace76]

Lol, no probs

[@dansv1]

I’m 65 years old, and until today, had know idea transporter bridges existed.

[@Phoenixace76]

I'm sure that you will have heard of the TV show from the 80s called Auf-Wedersen Pet, well they did a final season about 15 years or so ago where they were dismantling this bridge to move it to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Theres only a handful of them in the world, 2 in the UK (other one is in Wales) and theres a couple in the US.

[@kevindempsey5486]

@@Phoenixace76 I remember Aid Weidersehen Pet very well and the series where they dismantled the bridge and rebuilt it was exceptionally brilliant. Many, many people actually thought that it HAD been moved to Arizona, such was the camera work.

[@guineagirl5413]

@@kevindempsey5486 I loved that series. Especially the one with the bridge, series 3

[@guineagirl5078]

@@kevindempsey5486 I loved that series

[@achim8239]

@@Phoenixace76 There is one in Rendsburg in Northern Germany. It is supended from the railway bridge that crosses the Kiel Canal. It had been damaged in a collision with a ship, but has recently been reopened (oh, closes for maintenance, as far as I know, but should be running againg in a couple of days).

[@DjClarky78]

Auf Wiedersehen Pet, Season 3 Bought me here...

[@Phoenixace76]

Lol, yep still here and not in Arizona!

[@DjClarky78]

@@Phoenixace76 Plan to visit next time I'm in Blighty. Won't be this year though..👎

[@elizabethmalson3338]

Travelled on it frequently 40s and 50s.

[@WhiteDieselShed]

5 years late but Thank You. Came here from another video where they said it maybe demolished or refurbished, never seen it and wanted to see how it worked. Thanks again. PS. Any video on the lift?

[@Phoenixace76]

Hi thanks for your message. No sorry I don't have any footage from on board but they're are videos on KZbin.

[@jackiegeritz5345]

Apparently Bernie Slaven, the Boro Football legend, walked across the top of that!

[@darrenrock3387]

I thought it got moved to Arizona

[@carlrylander396]

I am named for one of the engineers who helped design it.

[@exb.r.buckeyeman845]

I thought the bridge was sold to the Navaho Indians by Ozz.

[@CDN1975]

Read that the bridge is closed as it may be sinking. Sad when it lasted so long. I watched to figure out how the bridge worked. Was confused looking at it :).

[@Phoenixace76]

Yeah it's been closed for a long time now with the possibility of it never opening again. Basically you drove onto the gondola on one side, and it carried you to the other where you were let off. Journeys every 20 minutes.

[@JoeNathan42420]

Took me all of 45 seconds to go from "what is the point of building a bridge like this?" To "ah, ok. I get it. Money."

[@Phoenixace76]

It's a six mile diversion to go around, the local topography is not suitable for a standard type of bridge. These bridges are built in areas where this is the case. Unfortunately due to lack of sufficient maintenance this bridge has since closed permanently. They are maintaining it for historical purposes but I don't think it will ever carry public traffic again.

[@JoeNathan42420]

@@Phoenixace76 I understand the point of the bridge. But at first I didn't understand why someone would build a bridge this style. Then I thought, well it's gotta be high or raising to get shipments through an that's when it hit me that this bridge is far less expensive than paying an operator 24/7 or building highway far enough out to get that high in order to save 6 miles. You'd need 20 Miles of road to slope up and back down

[@philbenza6380]

When I first saw it, I thought it was a shipyard crane,

[@WalkerShaq]

Piece a cake pal

[@carlyonbay45]

Depressing ugly place

[@Echodolly6]

Its like many other towns. It has it's nicer areas and its ugly areas. The area in the video is all industry, factories, warehouses and docklands. That river is that town's main industrial transport way. Ive been through Middlesborough many times and some of it is much much nicer but yes, it is a heavily industrial part of the country.