This film is part of Free
Railway Ride over the Tay Bridge
Stunning train's eye views across the Tay rail bridge from Fife to Dundee
Overview
The Tay Bridge, running between Wormit in Fife and Dundee, became notorious when it tragically collapsed in 1879, killing 75 passengers. At that time it was the longest bridge in the world and its collapse remains one of the worst structural disasters in British history. In 1887 a second bridge was built, and this film, shot 20 years after the disaster, departs from Wormit station and transports the viewer from Fife to Dundee along the bridge on an atmospheric 'phantom ride'.
The bridge is most impressive when its two-and-three-quarter-mile track stretches out in front of the camera. Its precise straightness causes simple cuts to become curious optical tricks, particularly the point when men suddenly appear on what was an empty bridge.
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