A Broken Tay Bridge

Designed by civil engineer, Thomas Bouch, the first Tay Bridge took six years to build, using ten million bricks, two million rivets, eighty-seven thousand cubic feet of timber and fifteen thousand casks of cement. Six hundred men were employed throughout the construction, twenty of whom lost their lives. Costing over £300,000, the bridge attracted the attention of many at home and abroad, including General Ulysses Grant, who visited to view the construction in 1877. Although Queen Victoria was unable to open the bridge, she did cross it in the summer of 1879, shortly before she knighted Thomas Bouch.

The bridge was officially opened on 26th September 1877 when a party of directors crossed over in a train pulled by the engine Lochee.

On the fateful night of 28th December 1879, during a violent storm, the bridge collapsed taking with it a train carrying over seventy passengers. The train fell into the murky waters of the River Tay leaving no survivors.

The tragedy of the Tay Bridge Disaster lives on in the memory of Dundonians and, 125 years after the event, it exercises a strange fascination over all who study it. Of the seventy-five supposed victims a tally deduced from the count of tickets at St. Fort Station in Fife not all were found.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Broken
• Tay
• Bridge
• Bouch

[rockchick80s]

Thats a fascinating fact that I didnt know about - The Engine was called Lochee - thats where I was Born and brought up.

[craigowler]

I`m Lochee born myself, we can always look doon oan Dundonians

[nacho1560]

The engine was actually brought up and repaired and was in use for many years afterwards. It was known to rail employees as the "Diver" forevermore.

[BillDFC]

I think Prebble spent a good bit of his life in Nova Scotia which probably aroused his interest in Scottish history.

His books are quite hard going and don't make an easy read.

[craigowler]

....The ZULU DVD is available in ZAVI`s or HMV -(£3) it contains a running commentary with Bob Porter 2nd unit Director on Zulu - amongst the chat he provides a fascinating testimony to Prebble.

[BillDFC]

Never knew that.

[craigowler]

Did you know that he also wrote the novel ZULU, on which Director Cy Enfiled Stanley Baker used to make the film Zulu?

Prebble was out in S.Africa with the production crew during filming.

Both disasters took place in the same year 1879.

[BillDFC]

John Prebble wrote some bra books...The Darien Disaster,Culloden,Highland Clearances and Highland Regiments in Revolt.

Nae bad for an Englishman!

[BillDFC]

The locomotive was recovered from the river bed and put back into service!

Thomas Bouch died a broken man soon after the inquiry into the disaster.

[donnyfan123]

I come from Dundee and ive got relatives who come from England. They always want to know what happened so im the one who needs to tell them. I think on the Dundee city council Website it says something about the bridge.