3-017-143 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The Aberfeldy Branch of the Highland Railway: Strath Tay, [Scottish Highlands], 1865. 'A short branch of the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway has lately been constructed to Aberfeldy, in the upper valley of the Tay...Though its length is less than nine miles, its construction has been a task of some difficulty, and does much credit to the engineers, Messrs. Joseph Mitchell and M. Paterson, and to Messrs. Macdonald and Grieve, the contractors; the earthworks extending to about half a million cubic yards of cutting, and an equal amount of embankment; while the bridges, including the viaduct across the Tummel and the Tay, are no less than forty-five in number...This Aberfeldy branch crosses first the Tummel and then the Tay..., its course lying on the south side of the Tay...The most important engineering works on the line are the viaducts crossing the Rivers Tummel and Tay...The Tay viaduct consists of two openings of 137 ft. span each, and two side girders of 41 ft. 6 in. span, making the clear waterway of the bridge 357 ft. The bridge is supported also on six cylinders, 8 ft. diameter, which are sunk, on the average, 22 ft. 4 in. into the bed of the river, and the centre piers to the top of the ornamental towers are 67 ft. high'. From "Illustrated London News", 1865.