How many died in Tay Bridge disaster?

75

What happened in the Tay Bridge disaster?

On 28 December 1879 the High Girders were blown into the Tay while a train was passing through them, drowning 75 people. An analysis of the collapse leads to the conclusion that the combined wind loading on the train and the High Girders was sufficient to make the latticework columns fail in shear.

What year was the Tay Bridge disaster?

December 28, 1879
Tay Bridge disaster/Start dates

What was the cause of the Tay Bridge disaster?

Tay Bridge disaster. During a violent storm on Sunday 28 December 1879, the first Tay Rail Bridge collapsed as a train from Wormit to Dundee passed over it, killing all aboard. The bridge—designed by Sir Thomas Bouch—used lattice girders supported by iron piers, with cast iron columns and wrought iron cross-bracing.

Who was the resident engineer of the Tay Bridge?

Bouch kept his own ‘resident engineer’, William Paterson, who looked after the construction of the bridge, its approaches, the line to Leuchars, and the Newport branch. Paterson was also the engineer of the Perth General Station.

When did the Tay Bridge open for passenger services?

The bridge was opened for passenger services on 1 June 1878. Bouch was knighted in June 1879 soon after Queen Victoria had used the bridge. On the evening of Sunday 28 December 1879, a violent storm (10 to 11 on the Beaufort scale) was blowing virtually at right angles to the bridge.

How many girder spans did the Tay Bridge have?

The basic concept was well known, but for the Tay Bridge, the pier dimensions were constrained by the caisson. For the higher portion of the bridge, there were thirteen girder spans. In order to accommodate thermal expansion, at only three of their fourteen piers was there a fixed connection from the pier to the girders.