The Tay Bridges at Dundee

Tay Bridge
Tay Bridge Tay Bridge from Wormit
The Tay Bridge (never the Tay Railway Bridge) from Wormit - the classic view.  The thirteen High Girders were to allow sailing vessels access up river to Perth. The bridge was originally opposed by the British Admiralty.  The last warship to visit Perth was HMS MONTROSE (M1126) - a coastal minesweeper - which undertook passage from Dundee to Perth in the late 1960s.   PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Tay Bridge Tay Bridge
The Tay Bridge is still the longest rail bridge in Great Britain - it was once the longest in the world.  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Tay Bridge with train Tay Bridge looking east
A Dundee multi-storied flat framed by bridge piers as an Edinburgh bound train rumbles by.  Other piers frame an oil rig in March 2005.  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrowkbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb                                                                                                                                                   
GNER Intercity 125 on Tay Bridge Tay Bridge and ScotRail train
A Great North Eastern Railway High Speed Train from London to Aberdeen feels its way slowly across the Bridge to Dundee, while a ScotRail  Aberdeen to Edinburgh train heads off the Bridge at Wormit.  Ninewells Hospital - the largest in Europe - dominates much of the picture - left to centre.  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Original Tay Bridge Piers Pier of original Tay Bridge
Snow still caps the Sidlaw Hills while a yachtsman heads up-river on a warm March morning in 2005.  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Tay Bridge looking west Tay Bridge Dundee Riverside Drive
Dundee City Council's tribute to the Tay Bridge.  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Tay Bridge ScotRail Turbostar train Turbostar on Tay Bridge descent
ScotRail Turbostar train arriving from Edinburgh.  It is sporting the new livery adopted by First Group which gained the ScotRail franchise in 2004.  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Tay Bridge Ulysses S Grant Dundee Riverside Drive Tay Bridge
The significance of the American Society of Civil Engineers dates from the visit of US President Ulysses S Grant when he came to inspect the bridge. PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Tay Bridge north end Tay Bridge and High Girders
It was General Grant who observed that it was "a mighty fine bridge for such a mighty little town".  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Turbostar Tay Bridge Tay Bridge Aberdeen Edinburgh train
An Edinburgh to Aberdeen Turbostar train still in the previous livery rounds the curve having traversed the thirteen High Girders.  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Tay Bridge commerorative plaque Tay Bridge commerorative plaque
This commemorative plaque was laid by ScotRail to mark the hundredth anniversary of the Railway Bridge.  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Tay Bridge High Girders
The thirteen High Girders viewed from Riverside Drive.  Many of the ordinary girders from the original Bridge which collapsed in a storm on 28 December 1879 were  used in the construction of the new Bridge which opened in 1887.  The Tay Bridge viewed from Blackness Avenue.  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Tay Bridge LNER Green Arrow Tay Bridge steam train
Preserved LNER V2 steam engine Green Arrow heads its special train to the Wormit loops in connexion with the 1987 Centenary Celebrations.  VIDEO ORIGINAL and CAPTURES Malcolm McCrow
Tay Bridge apporaching High Girders Leaving Tay Bridge at Wormit
The special train's arrival from Perth in the morning signalled the start of the celebrations.  That evening it departed for Edinburgh and is seen (right)  coming off the Tay Bridge at Wormit.  VIDEO ORIGINAL and CAPTURES - Malcolm McCrow   Just off the picture to the right was the scene of a major accident when on Saturday 28 May 1955 a special train carrying kids from a Sunday school picnic derailed on leaving the tunnel at Wormit Station;  there were fatalities. 

Tay Road Bridge

  
Tay Road Bridge Tay Road Bridge and Tayport Lighthouse
Always referred to as the Tay Road Bridge to distinguish it from the Tay Bridge which is never referred to as the Tay Railway Bridge!  There is a marked difference in height between the northern (left) and southern (right) landfalls of the Tay Road Bridge.  Tayport Lighthouse is seen through the piers of the bridge.   PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Tay Road Bridge Tay Road Bridge
Tay Road Bridge and Dundee Law with its War Memorial viewed from Fife.  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Tay Road Bridge Tay Road Bridge
The concrete piers of the Tay Road Bridge.  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Tay Road Bridge Dundee Tay Road Bridge Craigowl
Dundee "multies" (left) and more conventional housing (right) form a backdrop to the Road Bridge while Craigowl with its radio masts has still a dusting of  snow in March 2005.  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow

Dundee (Tay Bridge) Railway Station

  
Despite the East and West Stations having disappeared by the mid 1960s, traditions die hard and Dundee Station is still referred to by many as Dundee Tay Bridge.
Dundee Discovery Centre Tayside house Dundee
Dundee railway station is probably the most inaccessible station on the British network and its entrance is on a virtual island surrounded by the Discovery Centre (left) and Tayside House and the approaches to the Tay Road Bridge (right) which, incidently, is now (April 2007) toll free.  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Dundee Tay Bridge station car park Mathers Temperance Hotel Dundee

Formerly Mathers' Temperance Hotel dominates the station approach from the north and still in 2010 a semi derelict building which will, hopefully, be restored  - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow
Dundee Tay Bridge Dundee Tay Bridge Platform 1

Still referred to by many as Dundee Tay Bridge to distinguish it from the long since closed and demolished Dundee West and Dundee East stations, Dundee station is seen showing reflections of its surroundings (left) while a Virgin Trains service prepares to depart for the south from the cavernous Platform 1 (right) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow

Dundee Train Station

Dundee Station
Still showing the British Rail logo, the station (left) is about to experience yet another upheaval as the walkway (right) is about to be demolished and, apparently, replaced by pedestrian traffic lights.  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow

Dundee railway station

Dundee station platforms
A pigeon (below the bench) scurries about the waiting room cum cafeteria for tit-bits (left).  Deserted platforms - from left to right, 4, 3, 2, 1 (right)  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow

Dundee ScotRail train

Dundee Tay Bridge station today
The 1251 has just arrived from Aberdeen for Glasgow.  The unit is a Class 170 Turbostar which will soon be replenished in yet another colour scheme to ensure that "customers" notice the change of the ScotRail franchise.  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow

Dundee ScotRail Turbostar

Tay Bridge approaches
As the Turbostar departs (left) a container train arrives (right) headed by a Canadian built US designed General Motors EMD JT42CWR known in the UK and Europe as a Class 66.  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow

Class 66 Dundee

Direct Rail Services Class 66
The Class 66 (66406 of DRS - Direct Rail Services) takes the avoiding line as it runs through Tay Bridge station and into Dock Street tunnel.  PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow

Dundee Station Access

Dundee Station Access
Sign of things to go - the walkway awaits its fate in 2006 (left).  Shades of the sixties as the City Centre is yet again "re-developed" (right).  By 2020 the walkway has been replaced with a pedestrian crossing over the redeveloped dual carriageway (above) - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow

contact me: malcolm@mccrow.org.uk

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