March 4th: The Forth Bridge

The Forth Bridge was opened on 4 March 1890 by the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII). 10 facts about the Forth Bridge:

1. It is 1.6 miles (2.5 km) in length, and was the longest single cantilever bridge in the world until 1917 when the Quebec Bridge was built. It's still the second longest, and the longest bridge in Britain.
2. 73 people died during construction of the bridge. 38 from falling, 9 were crushed, 9 drowned, 8 struck by a falling object, 3 died in a fire, 1 of caisson disease (the bends), and the cause of the other five deaths is unknown. There would have been 8 more deaths from drowning had there not been rowing boats strategically positioned in the river underneath where people were working.
3. At the opening ceremony, the Prince Of Wales hit home the final rivet, which was Gold-plated and inscribed.
4. The bridge was the first major structure in Britain to be constructed of steel.
5. Up to 200 trains cross the bridge every day. Trains crossing the bridge are subject to a speed limit - 50mph for high-speed trains, 40mph for other passenger trains and 30mph for freight trains.
6. The bridge uses 55,000 tonnes (54,000 long tons; 61,000 short tons) of steel and 140,000 cubic yards (110,000 m3) of masonry.
7. The first German air attack on Britain in the Second World War took place over the Forth Bridge, six weeks into the war. The bridge was not the target for the attack, though. It was shipping from the nearby Rosyth naval base in the Forth. The Germans were hoping to find HMS Hood, the largest capital ship in the Royal Navy. The bridge was not damaged.
8. The main railway bridge in the fictional city of San Fierro, the Kincaid Bridge in Grand Theft Auto; San Andreas is the Forth Bridge renamed. There is even a virtual Forth Road Bridge beside it in the game.
9. A scene in Alfred Hitchcock's film The 39 Steps takes place on the Forth Bridge.
10. "Painting the Forth Bridge" is a colloquial expression for a never-ending task. However, the never ending re-painting schedule is an urban myth. While there is a permanent maintenance crew, their task is to maintain the parts of the bridge which suffer most from the weather. The bridge has only been re-painted completely once, in 2002, and is not likely to need re-painting again for at least 20 years.