Product Description

This book presents a look at one of the first major railway disasters in Britain, the fall of the Dee bridge in May 1847, which occurred just outside Chester with the loss of five lives. The main line from Holyhead to Chester had only been opened six months before, and the chief engineer Robert Stephenson was slated nationally (almost being accused of manslaughter) as his cast-iron bridge had failed so catastrophically. Luckily, only a local train was passing and so few lives were lost. Full of detailed technical insight and illustrated with a wealth of contemporary material, this informative book will be of great use for engineering students and historians, as the Dee bridge is an often cited case study of bridge failure along with the Tay and Tacoma Narrows bridges. It will also appeal to interested locals, and railway enthusiasts.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #354167 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

About the Author
This is Dr Peter Lewis's second book for Tempus; his first, Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silvery Tay, was published in 2004. Peter Lewis is an Open University lecturer in Engineering.

Customer Reviews

Insightful and a pleasure to read
This book is a thorough yet comprehensive account of the fall of the Dee bridge. Having read and enjoyed Lewis' first book, Beautiful Railway Bridge of the Silvery Tay, I had been looking forward to his second venture in to the history of British railway tragedies and I am pleased to say this second book lives up to my expectations.
As someone with little knowledge of the technicalities of such engineering accidents, I found the book accessible and informative. I imagine the book would appeal to many- rail enthusiasts and historians alike. Thoroughly recommended!