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Tay Bridge Photo 4
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Tay Bridge Photo 4
The destroyed central section of the Tay railway bridge from which a passenger train crashed into the river at night drowning between 75 and 90 passengers
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Media ID 598536
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10130861
1879 Bridges Crashed Destroyed Drowning Passengers Section Viaducts December
EDITORS COMMENTS
December 28, 1879: A Tragic Night on the Tay Bridge This haunting image captures the aftermath of one of the most devastating railway disasters in Scottish history: the destruction of the central section of the Tay Bridge and the subsequent drowning of between 75 and 90 passengers. The photograph, taken in the early hours of the morning on December 29, 1879, shows the destroyed bridge stretching into the dark waters of the River Tay. The Tay Bridge, a marvel of engineering when it was completed in 1878, was a double-track railway viaduct designed to connect Fife and Dundee with the mainland of Scotland. However, on the stormy night of December 28, 1879, a passenger train, the 10.15pm from Edinburgh to Dundee, approached the bridge as a storm was brewing. The wind was so strong that it had already caused the bridge to sway and groan, but the train's engineer, Donald Campbell, pressed on, determined to make up time. As the train crossed the central section of the bridge, a gust of wind caused the bridge to collapse, sending the train plunging into the river below. The disaster claimed the lives of between 75 and 90 passengers, making it one of the deadliest railway accidents in British history. The photograph, taken from the shore, shows the devastation wrought by the storm and the collapse of the bridge. The central section, once a symbol of engineering prowess, now lies in ruins, its metal girders twisted and bent, and its stones scattered amongst the churning waters. The tragedy led to a major review of railway safety and the eventual rebuilding of the bridge in 1887, which stands to this day as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
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