Tay Rail Bridge
West of the bridge looking south from Dundee
Carries	Rail traffic
Crosses	Firth of Tay
Locale	Dundee to Wormit
Total length	3264 m
Beginning date of construction	July 22, 1871 (1st) July 6, 1883 (2nd)
Completion date	early 1878 (1st) 1887 (2nd)
Opening date	June 1, 1878 (1st) July 13, 1887 (2nd)
Destruction date	December 28, 1879 (1st)
Coordinates	56.43872° N 2.988486° W

A view of the Tay Bridge from Dundee

Tay Bridge, central section

The Tay Bridge (sometimes unofficially the Tay Rail Bridge) is a railway bridge approximately two and a quarter miles (three and a half kilometres) long^[1] that spans the Firth of Tay in Scotland, between the city of Dundee and the suburb of Wormit in Fife (grid reference NO391277). Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 199 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 645 pixel, file size: 88 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The Firth of Tay is a firth in Scotland between the regions of Fife and City of Dundee into to which Scotlands largest river in terms of flow, the River Tay empties. ... For other uses see Dundee (disambiguation) Dundee is Scotlands fourth largest city, population 154 674 (2001), situated on the North bank of the Firth of Tay. ... Wormit is a small town located on the banks of the Firth of Tay in north east Fife, Scotland. ... is the 203rd day of the year (204th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 496 pixelsFull resolution (1906 × 1182 pixel, file size: 372 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Close view of the Tay Rail Bridge in Dundee. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 496 pixelsFull resolution (1906 × 1182 pixel, file size: 372 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Close view of the Tay Rail Bridge in Dundee. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... volcanic rock. ... “Miles” redirects here. ... ‹ The template below (Unit of length) is being considered for deletion. ... The Firth of Tay is a firth in Scotland between the regions of Fife and City of Dundee into to which Scotlands largest river in terms of flow, the River Tay empties. ... This article is about the country. ... For other uses, see Dundee (disambiguation). ... Wormit is a small town located on the banks of the Firth of Tay in north east Fife, Scotland. ... This article is about the area in Scotland. ... The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ...

As with the Forth Bridge, the Tay Bridge has also been called the Tay Rail Bridge since the construction of a road bridge over the firth, the Tay Road Bridge. The rail bridge replaced an early train ferry. For the nearby road bridge, see Forth Road Bridge. ... The Tay Road Bridge is a road bridge in Scotland over the River Tay from Newport-on-Tay in the north east of Fife, to the City of Dundee. ... A loaded train ferry approaching the dock in Detroit, Michigan, April 1943. ...

The first Tay Bridge

Original Tay Bridge from the north

The original Tay Bridge was constructed in the 19th century by noted railway engineer Thomas Bouch, who received a knighthood following the bridge's completion. It was a lattice-grid design, combining cast and wrought iron. The design was well known, having been used first by Kennard in the Crumlin viaduct in South Wales in 1858, following the innovative use of cast iron in The Crystal Palace. However, this structure was not as heavily loaded as a railway bridge, such as the Dee bridge which collapsed in 1847 due to poor use of cast-iron girders. Later, Gustave Eiffel used a similar design to create several large viaducts in the Massif Central (1867). Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 379 pixelsFull resolution (1546 × 733 pixel, file size: 137 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) own picture scanned into jpeg file This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 379 pixelsFull resolution (1546 × 733 pixel, file size: 137 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) own picture scanned into jpeg file This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Look up engineer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sir Thomas Bouch (25 February 1822 - 30 October 1880) was a railway engineer in Victorian Britain. ... Cast iron usually refers to grey cast iron, but can mean any of a group of iron-based alloys containing more than 2% carbon (alloys with less carbon are carbon steel by definition). ... It has been suggested that Wrought iron furniture be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Crystal Palace. ... The Dee bridge after its collapse The Dee bridge disaster was a rail accident that occurred in 1847. ... Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (December 15, 1832 – December 27, 1923; French pronunciation in IPA, in English usually pronounced ) was a French structural engineer and architect and a specialist of metallic structures. ... France, viewed from the NASA Shuttle Topography Radar Mission. ...

Proposals for constructing a bridge across the River Tay date back to at least 1854. The North British Railway (Tay Bridge) Act received the Royal Assent on July 15, 1870 and the foundation stone was laid on July 22, 1871. The first engine crossed the bridge on September 22, 1877, and upon its completion in early 1878 the Tay Bridge was among the longest in the world. The bridge was opened on June 1, 1878.^[2] is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 203rd day of the year (204th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1871 (MDCCCLXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

While visiting the city, Ulysses S. Grant commented that it was "a big bridge for a small city". Ulysses S. Grant,[2] born Hiram Ulysses Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885), was an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States (1869–1877). ...

The Tay Bridge Disaster

Fallen Tay Bridge from the north

Tay Bridge after the disaster, from the south

Tay Bridge Disaster (1879)

During a violent storm on the evening of 28 December 1879, the centre section of the bridge, known as the "High Girders", collapsed, taking with it a train that was running on its single track. More than 75 lives were lost, including Sir Thomas' son-in-law. (A common urban myth in Dundee is that Karl Marx would have been a passenger on the train had illness not prevented him from travelling.) Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 547 pixelsFull resolution (2777 × 1900 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 547 pixelsFull resolution (2777 × 1900 pixel, file size: 1. ... Tay Rail Bridge This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Tay Rail Bridge This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Image File history File links Tay1. ... Image File history File links Tay1. ... A case of extremely rapid cyclogenesis A European windstorm is a severe cyclonic storm that tracks across the North Atlantic towards northwestern Europe in the winter months. ... is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Urban Legend is also the name of a 1998 movie. ... Karl Heinrich Marx (May 5, 1818 – March 14, 1883) was a 19th century philosopher, political economist, and revolutionary. ...

Investigators quickly determined that the cylindrical cast iron columns supporting the 13 longest spans of the bridge, each 245 ft (75 m) long, were of poor quality. In particular, the lugs used to attach the wrought iron bracing bars were moulded with the columns, introducing a fatal weakness. It was these lugs that failed first in the accident, and so destabilised the entire centre part of the bridge. The lugs were tested for the Inquiry by David Kirkaldy and proved to break at only 20 tons rather than the expected load of 60 tons. No allowance for wind load had been made by Bouch; such calculations were not common practice until the problem was raised by the disaster. The High Girders section in the middle of the bridge was top heavy, making this part insecure. It was this section that collapsed. Cast iron usually refers to grey cast iron, but can mean any of a group of iron-based alloys containing more than 2% carbon (alloys with less carbon are carbon steel by definition). ... Span is a section between two intermediate supports of a bridge. ... Lug or LUG can refer to: // Lug is a place in Serbia. ... It has been suggested that Wrought iron furniture be merged into this article or section. ... David Kirkaldy was a Scottish engineer who pioneered the testing of materials as a service to engineers during the Victorian period. ...

Official inquiry

The official inquiry was chaired by Henry Cadogan Rothery, Commissioner of Wrecks, supported by Colonel Yolland (Inspector of Railways) and civil engineer William Henry Barlow. They concluded that the bridge was "badly designed, badly built and badly maintained, and that its downfall was due to inherent defects in the structure, which must sooner or later have brought it down".^[3] William Yolland (1810–1885), military surveyor, astronomer and engineer, was Britain’s Chief inspector of Railways from 1877 until his death. ... William Henry Barlow (1812-1902) was an English civil engineer of the 19th century, particularly associated with railway engineering projects. ...

There was clear evidence that the central structure had been deteriorating for many months before the final accident. The maintenance inspector, Henry Noble, had heard the joints of the wrought-iron tie-bars "chattering" a few months after the bridge opened in June 1878, a sound indicating that the joints had loosened. This made many of the tie-bars useless for bracing the cast-iron piers. Noble did not attempt to re-tighten the joints, but hammered shims of iron between them in an attempt to stop the rattling.^[4] In engineering, a shim is a thin and often tapered or wedged, piece of material, used to fill small gaps or spaces between objects. ...

The problem continued up till the collapse of the High Girders. It indicated that the centre section was unstable to lateral movement, movement that had been observed by painters working on the bridge in the summer of 1879. Passengers on north-bound trains complained about the strange motion of the carriages, but they were ignored by the bridge's owners, the North British Railway. Some distinguished passengers, such as the Provost of Dundee, had timed trains moving across the bridge and found they were travelling at about 40 mph, well in excess of the official limit of 25 mph. The North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the grouping in 1923. ...

The enquiry demolished Bouch's professional reputation: "For these defects both in the design, the construction and the maintenance, Sir Thomas Bouch is, in our opinion, mainly to blame. For the faults of design he is entirely responsible". The Board of Trade, concerned about Bouch's design for the planned Forth Bridge on the same railway line, imposed a specification of 56 pounds force per square foot (2.7 kPa). The contract for the new Forth Bridge was awarded to William Arrol using designs by Benjamin Baker and John Fowler. Bouch died within a year of the disaster. For other uses: see Forth Bridge (disambiguation) Forth Bridge, Edinburgh. ... The pascal (symbol Pa) is the SI unit of pressure. ... William Arrol (1839 - 1913) was a Scottish civil engineer and bridge builder. ... Sir Benjamin Baker (March 31, 1840 - May 19, 1907), English engineer, was born near Bath in 1840, and, after receiving his early training in a South Wales ironworks, became associated with Sir John Fowler in London. ... Sir John Fowler (July 15, 1817–November 10, 1898) was born in Wadsley, South Yorkshire, England. ...

Only the locomotive (NBR 224) survived the disaster, being salvaged from the river and repaired at Cowlairs. It remained in service until 1919. On a curious note, it acquired the nickname of "The Diver", and many more superstitious drivers were reluctant to take it over the newly rebuilt bridge. Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad #87, delivered 1873-10-27 from the Mason Machine Works of Taunton, Massachusetts. ... Cowlairs is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. ...

Works of literature about the disaster

German Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Die Brück' am Tay

The Victorian poet William Topaz McGonagall commemorated this event in his famous (perhaps infamous) poem The Tay Bridge Disaster. Likewise, German poet Theodor Fontane, shocked by the news, wrote his poem Die Brück' am Tay (with obvious allusions to William Shakespeare and Friedrich von Schiller). It was published only ten days after the tragedy happened. Hatter's Castle, the 1931 novel of Scottish author A. J. Cronin, includes a scene involving the Tay Bridge Disaster, and the 1942 filmed version of the book dramatically recreates the bridge's catastrophic collapse as well. The bridge collapse figures prominently in Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell's) 2002 novel "The Blood Doctor". Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... The original Wikisource logo. ... Queen Victoria (shown here on the morning of her accession to the Throne, 20 June 1837) gave her name to the historic era The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ... The poor poet A poet is a person who writes poetry. ... William Topaz McGonagall (1825 – 29 September 1902) was a Scottish weaver, actor, and poet. ... The Tay Bridge Disaster is an internationally-known poem by the Scottish poet William McGonagall and recounts the events of the evening of 28 December 1879, when, during a severe gale, Tay Rail Bridge near Dundee collapsed as a train was passing over it with the loss of all on... The poor poet A poet is a person who writes poetry. ... Theodor Fontane (December 30, 1819 – September 20, 1898) was a 19th-century German novelist and poet. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (November 10, 1759 - May 9, 1805), usually known as Friedrich Schiller, was a German poet, philosopher, historian, and dramatist. ... Hatters Castle (1935) is a novel by the Scottish writer A.J. Cronin. ... This article is about the Scottish as an ethnic group. ... Archibald Joseph Cronin (July 19, 1896–January 6, 1981) was a Scottish novelist, dramatist, and nonfiction writer who was one of the most renowned storytellers of the twentieth century. ... This article is about the 1942 film. ...

A second bridge

A closeup of the central section of the second Tay Bridge

A new double-track bridge was designed by William Henry Barlow and built by William Arrol 60 ft (18 m) upstream of, and parallel to, the original bridge. The bridge proposal was formally incorporated in July 1881 and the foundation stone laid on July 6, 1883. Construction involved 25,000 tons of iron and steel, 70,000 tons of concrete, ten million bricks (weighing 37,500 tons) and three million rivets. Fourteen men lost their lives during its construction, mostly due to drowning. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1276x450, 187 KB) A closeup of the central section of the Tay (Rail) Bridge photographed from the waterfront in Dundee east of Discovery Point and the Tay Road Bridge. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1276x450, 187 KB) A closeup of the central section of the Tay (Rail) Bridge photographed from the waterfront in Dundee east of Discovery Point and the Tay Road Bridge. ... William Henry Barlow (1812-1902) was an English civil engineer of the 19th century, particularly associated with railway engineering projects. ... William Arrol (1839 - 1913) was a Scottish civil engineer and bridge builder. ... is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the construction material. ... For other uses, see Brick (disambiguation). ... A rivetted buffer beam on a steam locomotive A rivet is a mechanical fastener consisting of a smooth cylindrical shaft with heads on either end, the second one formed in position. ...

The second bridge opened on 13 July 1887 and remains in use. In 2003, a £20.85 million strengthening and refurbishment project on the bridge won the British Construction Industry Civil Engineering Award, in consideration of the staggering scale and logistics involved. More than 1,000 tonnes of bird droppings were scraped off the ironwork lattice of the bridge using hand tools, and bagged into 25 kg sacks. Hundreds of thousands of rivets were removed and replaced. All this work was done in very exposed conditions, high over a firth with fast-running tides. is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... The British Construction Industry Awards were launched by the New Civil Engineer magazine and Thomas Telford Ltd _ both owned by the Institution of Civil Engineers - in 1998. ... The Chincha guano islands in Peru. ... Firth is the Scots word used to denote various coastal waters in Scotland. ...

The stumps of the original bridge piers are still visible above the surface of the Tay even at high tide.

   

The full length of the second Tay Bridge.

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (4112x368, 437 KB) The full length of the Tay (Rail) Bridge photographed from the waterfront in Dundee east of Discovery Point and the Tay Road Bridge. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (4112x368, 437 KB) The full length of the Tay (Rail) Bridge photographed from the waterfront in Dundee east of Discovery Point and the Tay Road Bridge. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Trivia

"Tay Bridge" was the codename for the funeral plans for Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in her later years as Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother The Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Windsor L.G., L.T., C.I., G.C.V.O., G.B.E., née Bowes-Lyon) (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was the Queen consort of...

Also see

• Fracture Mechanics
• History of Dundee
• David Kirkaldy

This does not cite its references or sources. ... // History Origin and name Archaeological evidence of burials suggest that the Dundee Law may have been used by human settlers 3500 years ago. ... David Kirkaldy was a Scottish engineer who pioneered the testing of materials as a service to engineers during the Victorian period. ...

Notes

Torontos Bloor Street Viaduct bridges the Don valley; road traffic uses the upper deck, rail traffic uses the lower deck. ... John Thomas ( - 1982) was a Scottish railway author based in Springburn, Glasgow. ... David & Charles (also David and Charles) is a publisher specialising in illustrated non-fiction books. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Lionel Thomas Caswell Rolt (usually abbreviated to Tom Rolt or L.T.C. Rolt) (1910-1974) was a prolific English writer and the biographer of major civil engineering figures including Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Thomas Telford. ...

Bibliography

• Charles Matthew Norrie, Bridging the Years: A Short History of British Civil Engineering, Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd., 1956.
• John Thomas, The Tay Bridge Disaster: New Light on the 1879 Tragedy, David & Charles, 1972, ISBN 0-7153-5198-2.
• John Prebble, The High Girders: The Story of the Tay Bridge Disaster, Penguin Books, 1975, ISBN 0-14-004590-2.
• David Swinfen, The Fall of the Tay Bridge, Mercat Press, 1998, ISBN 1-873644-34-5.
• Peter R. Lewis, Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silvery Tay: Reinvestigating the Tay Bridge Disaster of 1879, Tempus, 2004, ISBN 0-7524-3160-9.
• Charles McKean Battle for the North: The Tay and Forth bridges and the 19th century railway wars Granta, 2006, ISBN 1-86207-852-1
• John Rapley, Thomas Bouch : the builder of the Tay Bridge, Stroud : Tempus, 2006, ISBN 0-7524-3695-3
• PR Lewis, Disaster on the Dee: Robert Stephenson's Nemesis of 1847, Tempus Publishing (2007) ISBN 978 0 7524 4266 2

External links

• Firth of Tay Bridge (1877) in the Structurae database
• Firth of Tay Bridge (1887) in the Structurae database
• Tom Martin's engineering analysis of the bridge disaster
• Tay Bridge page on railscot.co.uk
• BBC website devoted to the Tay bridge disaster
• Paper on the disaster
• Recent review of book on the disaster — go to Failure Magazine; select "Archives" & then search for Tay Bridge.
• Tay Bridge Disaster: Report Of The Court of Inquiry, and Report Of Mr. Rothery, Upon the Circumstances Attending the Fall of a Portion of the Tay Bridge on the 28th December 1879 from The Railways Archive.
• Dundee archive on Tay bridge disaster

Coordinates: 56°26′14.4″N, 2°59′18.4″W Structurae is an on-line database containing works of structural and civil engineering of all kinds such as Bridges, High-rise buildings, towers, dams, etc. ... Structurae is an on-line database containing works of structural and civil engineering of all kinds such as Bridges, High-rise buildings, towers, dams, etc. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...