Tay Bridge & Dundee Union Railway, 1864
The first proposals to get as far as Parliamentary plans for a bridge over the Tay.
Blog article in course of preparation
Original proposal (no plans), October 1864:
Tay Bridge & Dundee Union Railway.
At the Dundee end, the bridge was to run to Craig Pier and the line would then turn west.
Final proposal (with plans), end of November 1864:
Tay Bridge & Dundee Union Railway.
At the Dundee end, the line was to turn east and run into the town (shown dotted).
Originally the result of suggestions for a bridge from Tayport across to Hare Craig (at West Ferry), the Tay Bridge & Dundee Union Railway was presented by Thomas Bouch, its engineer, to the Dundee public on 26 October 1864. He proposed a bridge to run from Newport (exact location unknown but from the number of spans, 64, probably Craighead) to Craig Pier (now Discovery Point) where the line would turn west to run to a station. It was envisaged that it would be complemented by a railway on the Fife side from Tayport to Newport, where it would have sufficient height to enable the bridge to cross the river, and another direct line from Newport to Leuchars1. A central station in Dundee was proposed with links to the other railways coming into the town.
There was considerable discussion and argument locally, eventually leading to many changes.
The proposed Bill to go before Parliament was published on 22 November 18642. It was for a railway to run from the station at Ferryport-on-Craig (Tayport) and terminate just west of the Craig Pier.
But the detailed plans3 which had to be submitted to the Sheriff Clerk before the proposals could go to Parliament show the Dundee landfall of the bridge to be just to the east of Magdalen Point (near where the present railway bridge has its landfall). The plans were described in detail in the local press4. They show a line from the station at Tayport running along near the coast to Newport, then round to Woodhaven, from where a bridge, now with 80 spans, would be built directly across the river towards Magdalen Point, but turning eastwards at the north end continuing to a station opposite the foundry of the Scottish Central Railway. These plans were deposited on 30 November - change had been rapid.
Although confusing to many, the plans do not contradict the proposed Parliamentary Bill since the proposed Bill only mentions the end point of the railway (west of Craig Pier) and does not detail its route.
The line was never built - killed off by too many vested interests (Dundee Harbour Trust, Dundee Town Council, Perth Town Council & competing railway companies). Officially postponed in Parliament May 18655. The planned route from Tayport station to Castle Brae in Newport was used for the first planned Newport Railway.
References:
1. Dundee Advertiser, 18 October 1864, p2 & 27 October 1864, p3 (all newspapers available at British Newspaper Archive)
2. Edinburgh Gazette, 22 November 1864, p1559
3. Plans - at National Records of Scotland, ref. RHP24551
4. Dundee Advertiser, 1 December 1864, p2
5. Dundee Advertiser, 11 May 1865, p3
Additional reading:
Battle for the North, Charles McKean, 2007
Return to: Railway Plans
These are the entries in the Books of Reference which accompany the various railway plans, RHP24551, held at the National Records of Scotland, but not online. The full plans are not on this site.
There are 247 records.| Co. | Year | Plan | Ref | Description | Owner or reputed owner | Occupier | [Comments] | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 100 | Stripe of trees or plantations | John Berry | John Berry | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 101 | Turnpike road from Brackmont Mill to Newport | The Turnpike Road Trustees for the District of St Andrews, County of Fife (Stuart Grace, clerk) | The public | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 102 | Arable field with trees | John Berry | Robert Arthur (lessee); John Arthur, Robert Arthur (occupiers) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 103 | Gravel or sand pit and planting | John Berry | John Berry | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 104 | Plantation or clump of trees | John Berry | John Berry | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 105 | Burn with banks | John Berry | John Martin, John Foggie, James Scott (lessees & occupiers) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 106 | Garden | John Berry | John Foggie (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 107 | Footpath | John Berry | John Martin, John Foggie, James Scott (lessees & occupiers) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 108 | Bleaching green & rabbit house | John Berry | John Martin & John Foggie (lessees & occupiers) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 109 | Milk house | John Berry | John Martin (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 110 | Garden ground | John Berry | John Martin (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 111 | Dwelling house | John Berry | John Martin (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 112 | Smithy and byre on end, with coal house & privy | John Berry | John Martin (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 113 | Piggeries & outhouses | John Berry | John Martin (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 114 | Court & accesses | John Berry | John Martin (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 115 | Metal depot | John Berry & The Turnpike Road Trustees for the District of St Andrews, County of Fife (Stuart Grace, clerk) | The Turnpike Road Trustees for the District of St Andrews, County of Fife (Stuart Grace, clerk) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 116 | Arable field with trees | John Berry | James Scott (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 117 | Occupation road called Causewayhead Road | John Berry | Robert Buddo, John Berry, Occupiers of 118 and 123 | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 118 | Occupation road | John Berry, Mrs Eliza Brodie, Misses Helen, Ann & Elizabeth Whittet, William Martin and Mrs Margaret Ann Crichton or Martin, James Brown, Jessie & Elizabeth Gardyne, John Mathewson | John Berry, Mrs Eliza Brodie, Misses Christie, David M O Dalgleish, Misses Whittet, Mrs Blyth, Miss Helen Geddes, William Martin, James Brown, John Stewart, Jessie & Elizabeth Gardyne, John Mathewson, David Stephen Robertson | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 119 | Dwelling house with washing house and outhouses, back court and bleaching green and garden ground | James Brown | David Stephen Robertson (lessee & occupier) | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 120 | Dwelling house with washing house and outhouses, back court and bleaching green and garden ground | John Matthewson | John Matthewson | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 121 | Dwelling house with washing house and outhouses, back court and bleaching green and garden ground | Jessie & Elizabeth Gardyne | Jessie & Elizabeth Gardyne | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 122 | Dwelling house with washing house and outhouses, back court and bleaching green and garden ground | James Brown | John Stewart (lessee & occupier) | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 123 | Occupation road | John Berry, James Brown, John Matthewson, Jessie & Elizabeth Gardyne | John Berry, James Brown, John Matthewson, Jessie & Elizabeth Gardyne, John Stewart, David Stephen Robertson | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 124 | Arable field with trees | John Berry | William Brown (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 125 | Free Church Manse, having toofall attached | Alex. Rhind, John Shepherd, Arthur Latto, Robert Duncan, George Murray, John Baillie, Finlay McGillivray, Robert Kidd, John Litster, Henry Bisset, James Auchterlony and William Watt, surviving & acting trustees of Free Church congregation, Newport | The Rev. Neill McLeod | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 126 | Privy and dung stance | Alex. Rhind, John Shepherd, Arthur Latto, Robert Duncan, George Murray, John Baillie, Finlay McGillivray, Robert Kidd, John Litster, Henry Bisset, James Auchterlony and William Watt, surviving & acting trustees of Free Church congregation, Newport | The Rev. Neill McLeod | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 127 | Garden and ground intersected by walks and roads and with well therein | Alex. Rhind, John Shepherd, Arthur Latto, Robert Duncan, George Murray, John Baillie, Finlay McGillivray, Robert Kidd, John Litster, Henry Bisset, James Auchterlony and William Watt, surviving & acting trustees of Free Church congregation, Newport | The Rev. Neill McLeod | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 128 | Arable field | Charles Miller | John Martin (lessee & occupier) | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 129 | Old quarry, with banks and waste ground | Charles Miller | John Martin (lessee & occupier) | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 130 | Arable field | John Berry | James Scott (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 131 | Occupation road | John Berry & owners of 125, 126, 127, 128, 129 and 132 to 147 inclusive | Owners, occupiers of 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130 and 132 to 149 inclusive | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 132 | Dwelling house, with outhouses & cellars | Finlay McGillivray | Finlay McGillivray | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 133 | Dwelling house, with outhouses & cellars | Finlay McGillivray | Mrs Joanna Cox (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 134 | Washing house | Finlay McGillivray | Finlay McGillivray & Mrs Joanna Cox | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 135 | Piggery and privy | Finlay McGillivray | Finlay McGillivray & Mrs Joanna Cox | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 136 | Bleaching green & garden ground | Finlay McGillivray | Mrs Joanna Cox (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 137 | Garden ground, back ground, and arable land, having 3 wells therein | Finlay McGillivray | Finlay McGillivray | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 138 | Arable field | John Cowans | William Brown (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 139 | Ruins of old house, piggery and dung stance | John Cowans | John Shepherd (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 140 | Well | John Cowans | John Shepherd & William Smith (lessees & occupiers) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 141 | Dwelling house | John Cowans | John Shepherd (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 142 | Dwelling house | John Cowans | William Smith (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 143 | Passage and garden ground, with margin and privy | John Cowans | John Shepherd (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 144 | Passage and garden ground, with margin and privy | John Cowans | William Smith (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 145 | Occupation road | Kenneth Gibson, John Cowans | John Shepherd, William Smith, Kenneth Gibson, William Brown, John Cowans | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 146 | Dwelling house, outhouses and back court | Kenneth Gibson | Kenneth Gibson | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 147 | Garden ground and privy therein | Kenneth Gibson | Kenneth Gibson | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 148 | Garden | John Berry | John Bailie (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 149 | Garden with well therein | John Berry | James Younger (lessee); John Bailie & James Younger (occupiers) |
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