4 March 1890: The Forth Bridge is opened

The Prince of Wales opened the longest bridge in the world – the Forth Bridge in Scotland, on this day in 1890.

The workers that had begun building the Forth Railway Bridge, nine miles west of Edinburgh, in 1882 were haunted by the tragic events of a few years earlier. On a winter night in 1879, a storm whipped up the waters of the Firth of Tay. Freezing rain lashed down on the new railway bridge that spanned it, while hurricane-force winds buffeted the iron sides that stretched out into the darkness.

Out in the distance, a light was seen. Through the roar of the wind, the determined grunting of a steam engine grew louder, making its way towards the bridge. As it trundled across, its red tail light vanished. A witness in the signalling house couldn't believe his eyes. Then the grim reality dawned on him. The iron supports had crumpled, pitching the locomotive into the water. No one survived.

Sir Thomas Bouch had designed that bridge. He was devastated by the accident (for which he was largely blamed), and died a few months later. The problem was he already had another project on the go – a railway bridge over the Firth of Forth.

Work on Bouch's Forth Bridge was immediately halted. Engineers Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker went back to the drawing board, and came up with a new design for a cantilever bridge that called on the latest in steel manufacture.

Seven years later, in November 1889, the Forth Bridge was finally finished. It was the longest bridge in the world at over a mile and a half when it was officially opened the following March by the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII.

Rumour had it that the bridge was so long that no sooner had you finished painting it you had to begin all over again at the other end, leading to the expression "painting the Forth Bridge" to mean a never-ending task not something I'd like to test.

Recommended

What is Rihanna's net worth?
Entrepreneurs

What is Rihanna's net worth?

Rihanna became the youngest self-made billionaire in 2022. Here’s how she made her money.
2 Jun 2023
Best savings accounts – June 2023
Savings

Best savings accounts – June 2023

Interest rates have been creeping up - we look at the best savings accounts on the market right now.
2 Jun 2023
Share tips of the week – 2 June
Investments

Share tips of the week – 2 June

MoneyWeek’s comprehensive guide to the best of this week’s share tips from the rest of the UK's financial pages.
2 Jun 2023
The best one-year fixed savings accounts - June 2023
Savings

The best one-year fixed savings accounts - June 2023

You can now earn 5% on 1 year fixed savings accounts - the best rate seen in 14 years. We have all the latest rates available now.
2 Jun 2023

Most Popular

June’s NS&I Premium Bond prize draw - are you this month’s millionaire?
Savings

June’s NS&I Premium Bond prize draw - are you this month’s millionaire?

Two fortunate NS&I Premium Bond winners are now millionaires. Find out here if you’re one of them.
1 Jun 2023
The best one-year fixed savings accounts - June 2023
Savings

The best one-year fixed savings accounts - June 2023

You can now earn 5% on 1 year fixed savings accounts - the best rate seen in 14 years. We have all the latest rates available now.
2 Jun 2023
The top healthcare funds to buy
Investments

The top healthcare funds to buy

Increasingly rapid progress in drugs and healthcare technology makes these trusts top tips, says Max King.
1 Jun 2023