A triumph of over-engineering, the Forth Bridge, often called the Forth Rail Bridge since the arrival of the Forth Road Bridge: now one of three great bridges across this part of the Firth of Forth, each built in a different century. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/queensferry/forthrailbridge/index.html
134 years ago today. The Forth Bridge, now often known as the Forth Rail Bridge, was officially opened by Edward, Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII, on 4 March 1890. At the time it was seen as the eighth wonder of the world. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/queensferry/forthrailbridge/index.html
The Forth Bridge, also known as the Forth Rail Bridge, seen from the harbour at Queensferry or South Queensferry. This was the first of three major bridges built across this part of the Firth of Forth in three different centuries. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/queensferry/southqueensferry/index.html
The Forth Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, 9 miles (14 kilometres) west of central Edinburgh. Completed in 1890, it is considered a symbol of Scotland (having been voted Scotland's greatest man-made wonder in 2016), and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was designed by English engineers Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker. It is sometimes referred to as the Forth Rail Bridge (to distinguish it from the adjacent Forth Road Bridge), although this has never been its official name.
Construction of the bridge began in 1882 and it was opened on 4 March 1890 by the Duke of Rothesay, the future Edward VII. The bridge carries the Edinburgh–Aberdeen line across the Forth between the villages of South Queensferry and North Queensferry and has a total length of 8,094 feet (2,467 m). When it opened it had the longest single cantilever bridge span in the world, until 1919 when the Quebec Bridge in Canada was completed. It continues to be the world's second-longest single cantilever span, with a span of 1,709 feet (521 m).
NB: I can't speak for all Scots here (says who?) but I've never called it "The Forth Bridge". To me it has always been the "Forth RAIL Bridge", no doubt a reaction to the "Forth ROAD Bridge" sitting next to it.
The fact that the areas' third and newest bridge isn't called a Forth anything Bridge but instead is the "Queensferry Crossing" makes my thematic heart sad.
Fun Fact: before the application of rust-proof paint the Forth Rail Bridge used to be in a constant state of being painted, the engineers working along from end to end and starting over due to the fact corrosion would be eating through the paint at the starting point by the time they finished at the other. Sisyphus would have said "Sod this, I'm off".
Attribution: The photo I've shamelessly used and abused is by an incredibly talented lady called Marie Gardiner. @mariegardiner.
A triumph of over-engineering, the Forth Bridge, often called the Forth Rail Bridge since the arrival of the Forth Road Bridge: now one of three great bridges across this part of the Firth of Forth, each built in a different century. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/queensferry/forthrailbridge/index.html