time that the load test imposed "a greater weight in all probability than will ever pass along the bridge again". In fact, locomotive weights increased considerably in the succeeding years. The cross-girders supporting the track were cast iron and by 1890 they were considered to require strengthening, which was done with steel box girders. In 1922, the trams were to start crossing the bridge, and the cast iron longitudinal members supporting the roadway were replaced with steel beams and a new deck was provided. In 1937 Newcastle City Council took over responsibility for maintenance of the road surface, but a 9-ton weight limit was imposed; this was increased to 10tons in 1967. Between 1955 and 1959, the timber deck of the rail level was replaced by steel, and ballasted track was substituted for the earlier way beam track structure, adding 150tons of dead load to each span of the bridge. In 1983 a further analysis of the capacity of the bridge led to the reduction of the weight limit to 7.5tons. By this time rail vehicles of 100tonnes gross laden weight were operating, and one of the three railway tracks was removed to reduce extreme loading on the structure. Listed status In 1950, the High Level Bridge was classified as a Grade I listed structure by the Department of the Environment. A second crossing The High Level Bridge was an important node on the railway network, and as branch line passenger services and mineral traffic built up it became a bottleneck. This was exacerbated by the location of the main locomotive depot for Newcastle being located at Gateshead; as many train services changed engines at Newcastle this generated a huge number of light engine movements to and from the depot across the bridge. At the beginning of the twentieth-century proposals were brought forward to build a second, rail-only bridge. This became the King Edward VII Bridge, located a few hundred yards to the west of the High Level Bridge. This started carrying traffic on 1 October 1906, having been formally inaugurated by the King on 10 July 1906. Trains from the southern and south-western districts generally crossed the Tyne on the new bridge, which carried four tracks. Through express passenger trains no longer had to reverse in Newcastle station, and where no engine change was required, a significant time saving was possible. Restoration To carry out work to ensure its