Tay Rail Brig

The Tay Rail Brig cairies the main-line railwey athort the Firth o Tay in Scotland, atween Dundee an Wormit in Fife. Its span is 2.75 mile (3.5 kilometre). The first Tay brig wis opened in 1878 but collapsed in the Tay Brig disaster o 1879. A new brig wis biggit an opened in 1887.

Tay Rail Brig
Tay Bridge at Dundee, Scotland frae the Dundee Law
Coordinates	56°26′14.4″N 2°59′18.4″W
Carries	Rail traffic
Crosses	Firth o Tay
Locale	Dundee tae Wormit, Scotland
Chairacteristics
Tot lenth	3,264 metre (10,709 ft)
History
Construction begin	22 Julie 1871 (1st) 6 Julie 1883 (2nt)
Construction end	early 1878 (1st) 1887 (2nt)
Opened	1 Juin 1878 (1st) 13 Julie 1887 (2nt)
Closed	28 December 1879 (1st)

The Tay Rail Brig disaster

The first Tay rail brig wis opened in 1878, efter seiven years biggin. It wis the langest brig in the hail warld in the time. Nae lang efter trains stairtit yaisin the brig, on the nicht o a affy hoolie, reportit tae hae been ane o the wirst in 30 year wi gales o 80 mile a oor, the grand brig faad doon tae the the watter in a michty stramash, takin aabodie on board, ower 50 fowk, tae thair deiths.

A inquiry wis held no lang efter, an fund a hail lot o problems that aa haed a pairt in the disaster. The airn the brig wis biggit oot o wis reportit tae hae been o pair quality, the inspector wis a brickie til thair tred and no qualified tae check the brig wis soond, the gaffer wisna verra weel, near eneuch seiventy an cudna speak tae the investigators, an anither ingineer haed flittit tae Australia. But the main culprit wis the houlin wind. It wis neer expectit that sic gales wud blaw athort the Tay.

The veesit o US President Ulysses S Grant

The ae-time president o the United States o America, Ulysses S Grant, cam tae hae a keek at the new brig that wis bein biggit as pairt o his warld-tour in 1877. He is ainly kent tae hae remairked that he wis seein a "big brig for a smaa city". Michael Marra, kenspeckle Dundonian sangster, recordit the scene as "the General said 'What a mighty long bridge to such a mighty little old town'" in his sang General Grant's Visit To Dundee.