Cargill Viaduct

Location type

Bridge

Name and dates

Cargill Viaduct (1848-1982)

Opened on the Scottish Midland Junction Railway.

Description

This is a disused double track viaduct west of the former Cargill station and east of the former Ballathie station. It crosses the River Tay. It is a substantial five span truss viaduct.

It was a originally a laminated timber viaduct with stone piers designed by engineers Joseph Locke and John Errington working for the Scottish Midland Junction Railway, one of a chain of mainlines between Carlisle and Aberdeen.

The stone piers were re-used when the bridges of the Strathmore Main Line were replaced between the 1880s and 1890s (following the Caledonian Railway's review of its own structures after the Tay Bridge [1st] Disaster). Replacing the aging timber structures allowed speed restrictions to be lifted.

The timber was first replaced with five cast iron segmental arches in the 1880s (pre 1887).

A temporary 'Cargill Viaduct' signal box was setup during works on the bridge in April 1898.

The cast iron structure was replaced between 1918 and 1920 and a temporary 'Ballathie Viaduct' signal box was set up at the west end, north side, during further the works.

Replacement of the viaducts allowed the Strathmore Main Line to become a high speed line. When the three hour Glasgow - Aberdeen expresses ran in the 1960s line speeds of around 80mph (and over) were achieved at Cargill and Ballathie.

The line closed to passengers in 1967 and was singled, the former westbound line from Stanley Junction to Forfar [2nd] remaining in use for goods with a 30mph speed restriction. It closed in 1982 with track lifting the following year.

This structure was, at 540 ft long (50 ft over the river), the largest on the Strathmore route. Access is not possible with heavy fencing blocking access at both ends, house building at the west end and an enclosure at the east end.

The viaduct was also known as Ballathie Viaduct.

Tags

Viaduct

Aliases

Ballathie Viaduct

External links

Canmore site record
NLS Collection OS map of 1892-1914
NLS Collection OS map of 1944-67
NLS Map
NLS Map




Nearby stations
Cargill
Ballathie
Murthly
Burrelton
Stanley Junction
Stanley [SMJR]
Stormont Loch Halt
Rosemount Halt
Bankfoot
Coupar Angus
Strathord
Blairgowrie
Rohallion
Luncarty
Ardler
Isla Viaduct
Gentle^s Siding
Bankfoot Shed
Blairgowrie Shed
Kingswood Crossing
Tourist/other
Ballathie House [1st]
Ballathie House Hotel
Meikleour Beech Hedge
Inchtuthil Legionary Fortress
Murthly Hospital
Stanley Mills
Coupar Angus Level Crossing
Murthly Castle
Dunsinane Hill
Luncarty House
Location names in dark blue are on the same original line.

There have been six railway bridges over the River Tay. Listed going upstream:

Tay Bridge [1st] June 1878 - December 1879 (when the Tay Bridge Disaster occurred)
Tay Bridge 1887 - present (replacement bridge, in use)
Tay Viaduct [Perth] 1849 - present (original timber bridge replaced 1863/64)
Cargill Viaduct 1848 - 1982 (closure) - present (out of use) (original timber bridge replaced 1880s with iron and with steel in 1918)
Dalguise Viaduct 1863 - present (in use)
Logierait Viaduct 1865 - 1965 (closure) - present (in use as minor road)


Books


A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: The North of Scotland v. 15 (Regional railway history series)

An Illustrated History of Tayside's Railways

Bradshaw's Guides Scotlands Railways West Coast - Carlisle to Inverness: 5

Tayside's Last Days of Steam
The Railways of Strathmore (Perth, Forfar and Brechin)