Faux Namti Bridge

[nb 1][8] His proposal to the French government, submitted soon after his appointment in 1897, included plans for a railway connecting Hai Phong to Kunming.

[9] Construction of the first two legs of the railway began in Haiphong, Vietnam in 1900 and continued until 1906, when tracks finally reached Lào Cai, on the Chinese border.

Its position over one hundred metres above the Sicha River required the development of novel construction methods, and its remoteness from large population centres, which complicating transportation of materials to and from the site.

[1][2] Initial masonry work began on February 1, 1908, beginning with the excavation of shelves in each cliff face at the requisite height to carry the anchorages below the tunnel mouths on either side of the gorge.

The top members of each of the triangular trusses were riveted up, laid vertically flat against the cliff faces, and secured firmly with lashes.

As the construction of the trusses progressed, niches were cut out from the cliff face above the tunnels to create platforms, upon which powerful winches were installed.

Each of these carried heavy chains measuring 900 ft (270 m) in length, which were transported by coolies up the mountain face, a walking distance of around 13 mi (21 km).

The winches, manually operated by groups of labourers, were used to lower the trusses steadily and evenly towards each other until the two arms met in the middle.

Labourers then crossed into the gap from either side and rapidly drove in the pins and rivets which secured the two trusses firmly in position.