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 | 197 | Arable field partially enclosed | John Berry | James Scott (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 198 | Boiler house | John Berry | James Scott (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 199 | Garden ground and pigstye on north-east corner | John Berry | James Scott (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 200 | Occupation road | John Berry | James Scott (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 201 | Stack yard | John Berry | James Scott (lessee & occupier) | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 202 | Farm steading consisting of byres, potato house, bothy, and dwelling house, hen house, cart sheds, turnip sheds, cattle sheds, stable, corn and hay loft, barn, threshing mill, guano house | John Berry | James Scott (lessee); James Scott & John Walker (oddupiers) | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 203 | Mill shed and wheel | John Berry | James Scott (lessee & occupier) | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 204 | Cattle court with wooden shed on north-east corner | John Berry | James Scott (lessee & occupier) | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 205 | Court and road round steading, with water cock on wall south side of steading | John Berry | James Scott (lessee & occupier) | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 206 | Occupation road | John Berry | James Scott (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 207 | Arable field | John Berry | James Scott (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 208 | Well or watering place | John Berry | James Scott (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 209 | Occupation road | Eastern Bank of Scotland (D Sidey, manager), Clydesdale Banking Co (George Reidman, manager), Alexander Turnbull, John Turnbull, Miss Eliza T Mudie, George Whitton | Eastern Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale Banking Co, Alexander Turnbull, John Turnbull, Miss Mudie, George Whitton, Thomas ewing, William Brown | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 210 | Vacant or feuing ground | Eastern Bank of Scotland (D Sidey, manager), Clydesdale Banking Co (George Reidman, manager) | Owners | Location Location 2 | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 211 | Dwelling house with washing house, coal house, and water tank at south end | George Whitton | Thomas Ewing (lessee & occupier) | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 212 | Privy and ash pit | George Whitton | Thomas Ewing (lessee & occupier) | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 213 | Enclosed garden ground, bleaching green and lawn surrounding 211 | George Whitton | Thomas Ewing (lessee & occupier) | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 214 | Dwelling house | Miss Eliza Tod Mudie | Miss Mudie | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 215 | Enclosed garden surrounding 214, with bleaching green and lawn in front, and enclosed court | Miss Eliza Tod Mudie | Miss Mudie | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 216 | Pigstye, coal house and poultry yard | Miss Eliza Tod Mudie | Miss Mudie | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 217 | Dwelling house, enclosed garden in front, and garden at back, with pigstye at south-west corner and wooden coal house on west side of dwelling house | Alexander Turnbull | Alexander Turnbull | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 218 | Dwelling house, enclosed garden in front, and garden at back, with pigstye on south-east corner and wooden coal house on east side of dwelling house | John Turnbull | John Turnbull | Location | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 219 | Well | Alexander & John Turnbull | Alexander & John Turnbull | Location Location 2 | |
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 220 | Waste ground covered with rubbish | Eastern Bank of Scotland (D Sidey, manager), Clydesdale Banking Co (George Reidman, manager) | Owners | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 221 | Small plantation | Eastern Bank of Scotland (D Sidey, manager), Clydesdale Banking Co (George Reidman, manager) | Owners | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 222 | Quarry | Eastern Bank of Scotland (D Sidey, manager), Clydesdale Banking Co (George Reidman, manager) | Owners | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 223 | Road to quarry | Eastern Bank of Scotland (D Sidey, manager), Clydesdale Banking Co (George Reidman, manager) | Owners | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 224/1 | Arable field | Eastern Bank of Scotland (D Sidey, manager), Clydesdale Banking Co (George Reidman, manager) | William Brown (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 224/2 | Arable field | Eastern Bank of Scotland (D Sidey, manager), Clydesdale Banking Co (George Reidman, manager) | William Brown (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 224/3 | Arable field | Eastern Bank of Scotland (D Sidey, manager), Clydesdale Banking Co (George Reidman, manager) | William Brown (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 225 | Clump of trees | Eastern Bank of Scotland (D Sidey, manager), Clydesdale Banking Co (George Reidman, manager) | Owners, William Brown | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 226/1 | Clump of trees | Eastern Bank of Scotland (D Sidey, manager), Clydesdale Banking Co (George Reidman, manager) | Owners, William Brown | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 226/2 | Burn or stream of water | Eastern Bank of Scotland (D Sidey, manager), Clydesdale Banking Co (George Reidman, manager) | Owners, William Brown | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 227 | March dyke | Eastern Bank of Scotland (D Sidey, manager), Clydesdale Banking Co (George Reidman, manager), John Berry | Owners, William Brown | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 228 | Arable field | Archibald Paul | William Brown (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 229 | Bank and trees | Archibald Paul | William Brown, Archibald Paul | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 230 | Public footpath | John Berry | Owner and the Public | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 231 | Bank and trees | Archibald Paul, John Berry | John Berry, William Brown, Archibald Paul | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 232 | Bank and trees | John Berry | William Brown, John Berry | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 233 | Arable field | John Berry | William Brown (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 234 | Bank and trees | John Berry | William Brown, John Berry | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 235 | Turnpike road leading from Ferry-Port-on-Craig to Newport | The Turnpike Road Trustees for the District of St Andrews, County of Fife (Stuart Grace, clerk) | The Public | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 236 | Bank and trees | John Berry | John Berry | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 237 | Arable field with patches of rock and pasture ground | John Berry | William Brown (lessee); William Brown & John Berry (occupiers) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 238 | Arable field | John Berry | William Brown (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 239 | Arable field | John Berry | William Brown (lessee & occupier) | ||
| TB & DU | 1864 | RHP24551 | 240 | Occupation road | John Berry | William Brown (lessee & occupier) |
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