Bridge - 20 foot trackway

A portable bridge, designed for carrying vehicles. The bridge comprises two tracks - one for the left hand side of the vehicle it supported and one for the right hand side. The two components are identical. Each track is 20 feet 11 inches in length. Each track is fabricated from two steel side bearers, which are secured together with transverse steel beams. The upper surface of each track comprises 27 wooden planks bolted to the bearer on each side. Lugs at each end of each side bearer allow the track to be spiked down to the ground, and also allow lengths of trackway to be connected together. Each track is 2 feet 2 inches wide, and weighs 12.5 Cwt (635 kgs).

The tracks are both painted in a disruptive dark green and light grey camouflage. The side bear of each track bears a stamped impression reading “Mk I Aust". The track is painted with a green/yellow house shaped colour patch outlined in grey. This is the patch of the 17th Motor Regiment of the 2nd Motor Brigade. An illustration of the trackway appears in Australian Military Forces, Engineer in Chief's Consolidated Intelligence Summary Nos 1-17, 30 May 1944. A photograph of the trackway also appears on the extreme right hand side of AWM photograph 055316.

This artifact was designed for use during the Second World War as a portable re-usable bridge. It was capable of carrying Class 9 four wheeled vehicles, Class 12 six wheeled vehicles, and Class 24 tracked vehicles.

The trackways were found near Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra, opposite the Duntroon stoore. Their operational use (if any) is not known.

The trackway is illustrated in AMF, 30 May 1944, Engineer in Chief's Consolidated Intelligence Summary Nos. 1-17 Appendix 1.