Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge

The Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge is a heritage-listed railway bridge that carries the Main Northern railway line across the Hawkesbury River, located just north of the town of Brooklyn on the northern outskirts of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The railway bridge was to be the last link in a railway network that linked Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and was a major engineering feat at the time.Before the bridgeOn 7 April 1887, the single track section of the Main Northern line was opened between Hornsby and the Hawkesbury River. Passengers and goods heading north now unloaded at the River Wharf platform on the eastern end of Long Island, transferring to the double decker, rear paddled-wheeled steamer General Gordon for a three-hour trip out to Broken Bay and up Brisbane Water to Gosford where the train service recommenced. Once the 1.7km Woy Woy Tunnel was opened on 15 August 1887, the trip was considerably shortened as the boat only had to cross the river and negotiate the lower reaches of Mullet Creek to reach Mullet Creek station.