The shock over what happened must have really gotten to Sir Thomas Bouch - he looks like an old man in the pictures but since he died at the age of 58, he can only have been in his fifties when the pictures were taken. And for him to have to rest and then still die, apparently from a cold - gosh, the shock must have been tremendous. Very well presented video. I've been over both the - modern day - Tay Bridge and the Forth Bridge when traveling to Dundee (I'm in England) some years ago. Even now, folks are aware of the Tay Bridge disaster - everyone on the train went quiet while we were on the Tay Bridge, and we were all relieved when we made it to the other side in one piece. These bridges are indeed very long and it's no fun being on there, being aware of how easily the forces of nature can be destructive.
I came to this after reading the report of the Tay Bridge Inquiry commission, and after watching your other outstanding video on that disaster, in hopes of seeing some of Bouch's other work, and in particular the Beelah viaduct in the North of England. It isn't mentioned, but so many of his projects are that I can see how some would get left out. He appears to have been constantly at work planning new projects and overseeing work in progress, so it's not as surprising as it might be that The Tay bridge was poorly done. He may have just bitten off more than he could chew. He trusted his subordinates, some of them with little knowledge or practical experience, to do work that he might well have done were he not busy designing the Forth bridge. Commissioner Rothery mentions the Beelah viaduct (it is now spelled Belah) as a successful, very strong design which might well have provided a model for the Tay bridge superior to the one eventually arrived at. You mention that Bouch was known to bring in projects more cheaply than other engineers - a reputation bound to attract the railway companies - and in fact the Beelah viaduct was considered notably inexpensive. But Rothery was struck by Bouch's answer to the question why the Beelah design wasn't used: it would have cost too much. So penny-pinching on the part of the railway company may have been one more cause of the bridge's failure.
This guy is related to me i can’t remember how but he’s related to my Nan and so ye so frickin weird tho How he’s related to me: great great great great uncle
Thomas Bouch had the misfortune to inherit 35',000 in shares in Hopking, Gilkes and Co of Middlesborough, and 100,000 pounds in loan guarantees, after the death of Edgar Gilkes. The company was in financial difficulty, probably due to a well-deserved reputation for bad workmanship and conr-cutting, and if it failed, Bouch woukd be bankrupt. Desperate to avoid this, he gave them the contract. It's likely that the cost had been underestimated, as expensive work like facing the columns, reaming the bolt holes for fitted bolts, and facing the nuts and bolt heads (all essential for structural integrity) was not done, and majur flaws and blowholes were "remedied" with filler. The design of the columns was bad, with braces loading cast iron lugs in tension.... All of this was Bouch's responsibility, but neither he nor his (inexperienced) appointed subordinates seem to have spent much time supervising the foundry work. A modern parallel might be the collapse of the CTV building, killing 115, in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
A perfectly competent and successful engineer within his limits but he overreached himself with the Tay project, trusting too much in his subordinates and contractors.
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I'm so glad I stumbled upon your channel.
The shock over what happened must have really gotten to Sir Thomas Bouch - he looks like an old man in the pictures but since he died at the age of 58, he can only have been in his fifties when the pictures were taken. And for him to have to rest and then still die, apparently from a cold - gosh, the shock must have been tremendous.
Very well presented video. I've been over both the - modern day - Tay Bridge and the Forth Bridge when traveling to Dundee (I'm in England) some years ago. Even now, folks are aware of the Tay Bridge disaster - everyone on the train went quiet while we were on the Tay Bridge, and we were all relieved when we made it to the other side in one piece. These bridges are indeed very long and it's no fun being on there, being aware of how easily the forces of nature can be destructive.
I came to this after reading the report of the Tay Bridge Inquiry commission, and after watching your other outstanding video on that disaster, in hopes of seeing some of Bouch's other work, and in particular the Beelah viaduct in the North of England. It isn't mentioned, but so many of his projects are that I can see how some would get left out. He appears to have been constantly at work planning new projects and overseeing work in progress, so it's not as surprising as it might be that The Tay bridge was poorly done. He may have just bitten off more than he could chew. He trusted his subordinates, some of them with little knowledge or practical experience, to do work that he might well have done were he not busy designing the Forth bridge.
Commissioner Rothery mentions the Beelah viaduct (it is now spelled Belah) as a successful, very strong design which might well have provided a model for the Tay bridge superior to the one eventually arrived at. You mention that Bouch was known to bring in projects more cheaply than other engineers - a reputation bound to attract the railway companies - and in fact the Beelah viaduct was considered notably inexpensive. But Rothery was struck by Bouch's answer to the question why the Beelah design wasn't used: it would have cost too much. So penny-pinching on the part of the railway company may have been one more cause of the bridge's failure.
Just heard of this on Upstairs, Downstairs. Terribly sad, though I enjoyed watching this & learning about it.
Fantastic as usual Ed! Nicely done. We're heading back to Scotland and Perthshire in Oct! Cheers mate!
Sooooo goooood
This guy is related to me i can’t remember how but he’s related to my Nan and so ye so frickin weird tho
How he’s related to me: great great great great uncle
Thomas Bouch had the misfortune to inherit 35',000 in shares in Hopking, Gilkes and Co of Middlesborough, and 100,000 pounds in loan guarantees, after the death of Edgar Gilkes. The company was in financial difficulty, probably due to a well-deserved reputation for bad workmanship and conr-cutting, and if it failed, Bouch woukd be bankrupt. Desperate to avoid this, he gave them the contract. It's likely that the cost had been underestimated, as expensive work like facing the columns, reaming the bolt holes for fitted bolts, and facing the nuts and bolt heads (all essential for structural integrity) was not done, and majur flaws and blowholes were "remedied" with filler. The design of the columns was bad, with braces loading cast iron lugs in tension.... All of this was Bouch's responsibility, but neither he nor his (inexperienced) appointed subordinates seem to have spent much time supervising the foundry work. A modern parallel might be the collapse of the CTV building, killing 115, in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
Affy business when it a' fell doon!
A perfectly competent and successful engineer within his limits but he overreached himself with the Tay project, trusting too much in his subordinates and contractors.