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Forth Rail Bridge facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
For the nearby road bridge, see Forth Road Bridge.
Forthrailbridgefromsouthqueensferry

The Forth Rail Bridge is more correctly called the Forth Bridge, but the title is to distinguish it from the nearby Forth Road Bridge). It is a railway bridge across the Firth of Forth (part of the River Forth) in Scotland.

The bridge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History

Built in 1890, it is a cantilever bridge design, with three major sections, each about 1,710 feet (520 m) long, connecting to each other. The bridge is 8,296 feet (2,529 m) long, and is 150 feet (46 m) above the water. It carries about 190-200 trains every day.

More than 55,000 tons of steel were used, as well as 18,122 m³ of granite and over eight million rivets. The bridge has a speed limit of 50 mph (80 km/h) for passenger trains and 20 mph (32 km/h) for freight trains. The weight limit for any train on the bridge is 1,422 tonnes (1,442,000 kg). Approximately 4,600 workers were employed in construction of the bridge.

Related pages

Images for kids

  • The guts of the Forth Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 1318782

    View of the structure

  • Forth Bridge (1890) Figs. 2 and 3, Page 4

    Bouch's proposed bridge (top) along with other proposals on the same principle

  • Forth Bridge (1890) Fig. 4, Page 5

    The original (above) and final (below) designs of the Forth Bridge

  • Cantilever bridge human model

    Illustration of the cantilever principle

  • Forth bridges 2005-06-17 06

    The southern approach to the Forth Bridge, designed by James Carswell

  • Forth Bridge - General view from back of Newhalls Inn, South Queensferry

    The bridge under construction, viewed from South Queensferry

  • George Washington Wilson

    The bridge under construction

  • Forth Bridge (1890) Fig. 53, Page 30

    A completed caisson on Inchgarvie with the granite pier

  • Forth Bridge (1890) Fig. 46, Page 26

    The tilted caisson

  • Are these "just a few splashes", Mr. Churchill?

    A German photograph allegedly taken during the raid

  • Forth Bridge RJD 129

    A 1913 Railway Clearing House Junction Diagram showing the Forth Bridge Railway (red) and neighbouring lines of the North British Railway (blue)

  • The Forth Bridge seen from Dalmeny Station

    The approach to the bridge from Dalmeny Station

  • ForthRivet

    Original rivet from the Forth Bridge

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