The Forth Bridge/The Forth Bridge Railway Company

by Wilhelm Westhofen

The Forth Bridge Railway Company.

The agreements between the four companies which guarantee the interest on capital, provide that the directorate of the Forth Bridge Railway Company should consist of the chairman and vice-chairman of each of the four interested companies, and of two directors elected by the general body of shareholders. The chair of the Forth Bridge directorate is held in rotation by the four chairmen of the guaranteeing companies, the term of office being twelve months. The representation at present is as follows:—

Mr. M. W. Thompson, chairman, and Mr. W. Unwin Heygate, Midland Railway Company.

Lord Colville, of Culross, and Lord Hindlip, Great Northern Railway Company.

Mr. John Dent-Dent, deputy chairman, and Sir Matthew White Ridley, Bart., North-Eastern Railway Company.

The Marquis of Tweeddale and the Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, North British Railway Company.

TABLE No. XII.—Progress of the Erection of the Superstructure of the Forth Bridge, 1887 to 1889.

Month.	1887.		1888.		1889.
	Erected and Bolted up.	Rivetted.	Erected and Bolted up.	Rivetted.	Erected and Bolted up.	Rivetted.
	Tons.	Tons.	Tons.	Tons.	Tons.	Tons.
January	793	521	1045	1080	1159	1922
February	652	716	1055	1149	1126	1647
March	922	817	653	742	1098	1499
April	1242	984	1703	1382	1061	1565
May	1122	819	1910	1316	1556	1991
June	1099	500	2351	1760	1047	1595
July	1180	973	1923	1341	593	1080
August	1151	1045	1929	1742	449	891
September	1050	876	2089	2104	897	906
October	1285	938	1638	2397	626	799
November	1561	1235	873	1402	265	515
December	959	1112	1598	1948	111	449
	13,016	10,536	18,767	18,379	9988	14,859

TABLE No. XIII.—Summary of Progress in Erecting Superstructure of the Forth Bridge.

—	Erected and Bolted up.	Rivetted.
	Tons.	Tons.
Up to the January 1, 1886, there had been put together and rivetted	512	512
During the year 1886	8284	6227
During„the year„ 1887	13,016	10,536
During„the year„ 1888	18,767	18,379
During„the year„ 1889	9988	14,859
Total to January 1, 1890	50,567	50,513

There remained, therefore, on January 1, 1800, still to do—391 tons to erect and bolt up, 445 tons to rivet.

Mr. Spencer Brunton and Mr. James Hall Renton, elected by the shareholders.

The secretary of the company is Mr. G. B. Wieland, who is also secretary of the North British Railway Company.

The engineers to the company are Sir John Fowler, K.C.M.G., C.E., and Mr. Benjamin Baker, C.E.

The contractors for the bridge are:—Sir Thomas S. Tancred, Bart.; Mr. W. Arrol; Mr. T. H. Falkiner; and Mr. Joseph Phillips.

The contractors for the south and north approach railways are: Mr. W. Arrol; Mr. T. H. Falkiner; and Mr. Joseph Phillips.

On the staff of Messrs. Sir John Fowler and Baker were the following: Mr. Allen Stewart; Mr. P. W. Meik, resident engineer from 1883 to 1886; Mr. F. E. Cooper, resident engineer from 1886 to 1890; and a number of assistants.

On the contractor's staff were: Mr. Thomas Scott, manager; Mr. W. Westhofen, who was specially engaged on the works at Inchgarvie; Mr. A. S. Biggart, in charge of drawing offices, shops and yards; and a number of others.