Collector of Iraqi railway stamps Rainer Fuchs e-mails to highlight an article on the Iraq The Lasting Love blog, about the history and legends of the old al Sarrafiya bridge in Baghdad, which was blown up on April 12.

The bridge formerly carried a metre-gauge railway. The book Middle East Railways by Hugh Hughes says the bridge was built by London firm Holloway Bros, and opened to rail traffic in October 1950, replacing a wagon ferry which could just manage about 72 four-wheelers a day.