Which 1879 disaster destroyed the first Tay Bridge during a storm?

The Tay Bridge disaster was the 1879 catastrophe in which the first Tay Rail Bridge collapsed during a violent storm. On the evening of 28 December 1879, a North British Railway passenger train was crossing the bridge over the Firth of Tay when its central spans gave way, sending the train into the water.

The bridge, designed by engineer Sir Thomas Bouch, had opened to passenger traffic only in June 1878. Its lightweight lattice structure used cast-iron columns and wrought-iron bracing. The storm struck at roughly right angles to the bridge, and the subsequent inquiry found that the design and construction were not adequate for severe wind loads.

The death toll is often given as 75, although the exact number has been debated because passenger records were incomplete. The locomotive was later recovered and returned to service, earning the nickname “The Diver.” A stronger second Tay Bridge was built alongside the remains and opened in 1887.

The disaster is sometimes confused with other famous railway accidents, such as the 1915 Quintinshill rail disaster, but those did not involve the collapse of the Tay Bridge.