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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
James Moncur

How the new Tay Rail Bridge was built - dramatic pictures show the astonishing feat of engineering in the 1880s

A series of amazing images show how the new Tay Bridge was built in the 1880s.

The construction of the second crossing followed the tragic rail disaster in 1879 when the original bridge collapsed resulting in the deaths of 75 people.

The set of black and white photos are stored in the University of Dundee archive here.

They were produced by John Valentine in the late 19th century and showed the various stages of construction from its start in 1882 to finish in 1887.

The construction of the second crossing followed the tragic rail disaster in 1879 when the original bridge collapsed. (Dundee University Archive)

Some of the more dramatic images are of the huge girders being constructed and then floated out onto the Tay and into position before being raised into place.

At 10,780 feet long, the second bridge spans just over two miles.

Its design is known as a pier-and-lattice girder structure and covers a total of 85 spans.

At 10,780 feet long, the second bridge spans just over two miles. (Dundee University Archive)

The spans are ordinary brick arches, backed by cement concrete and set on top of huge piers each supported by pairs of columns.

The main intention of the design was stability and minimising the weight of the bridge.

The second crossing was constructed following the Tay Bridge Disaster on 28 December 1879.

The tragedy happened when the bridge inexplicably collapsed after its central spans gave way during high winter gales that were blowing down the estuary, at right angles to the structure .

The main intention of the design was stability and minimising the weight of the bridge. (Dundee University Archives)

A train with six carriages carrying seventy-five passengers and crew, that was crossing at the time, plunged into the Tay. Tragically they could not be rescued and all died.

The disaster sent shock waves through the Victorian engineering community.

The ensuing enquiry revealed that the design of the bridge had not accommodated for high winds.

- The University of Dundee Archive has thousands of documents and images showcasign life in Tayside and the surrounding areas through the years. It's well worth a visit and can be accessed here.

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