a violent storm , producing the highest wind pressure recorded to date at Inchgarvie , and the deflection of the cantilevers had been less than 25 mm . Thus the bridge was tested even by nature before its final opening .
The first complete crossing took place on 24 February 1890 , when a train consisting of two carriages carrying the chairmen of the various railway companies involved made several crossings . The bridge was opened on 4 March 1890 by the Prince of Wales , later King Edward VII , who drove home the last rivet , which was gold plated and suitably inscribed .
The key for the official opening was made by Edinburgh silversmith John Finlayson Bain , commemorated in a plaque on the bridge .
Maintenance Approximately 190 – 200 trains per day cross the bridge . The bridge has a speed limit of 80 km / h for high-speed trains , 64 km / h for ordinary passenger trains and 48 km / h for freight trains . Freight trains above a certain size must not pass each other on the bridge . Work started in 2002 to repaint the bridge fully for the first time in its history ( before only most weathered parts were repainted when needed ).
During the repaint up to 4,000 tons of scaffolding was erected on the bridge at any time , and computer
modelling was used to analyze the additional wind load on the structure . All previous layers of paint were removed by blasting using copper slag , exposing the steel and allowing repairs to be made . The scaffold was encapsulated in a climate controlled membrane to give the proper conditions for the application of the paint . Approximately 240,000 litres of specialist glass flake epoxy paint , similar to that used in the offshore oil industry and designed to last 25 years was used . It is , however , expected to last much longer . The top coat can be reapplied indefinitely , minimizing future maintenance work .
The project also involved repair and replacement of walkways including the installation of new walkways and catwalks to allow for access to the works and to assist in the future examination and maintenance of the bridge . Steel repairs involved the replacement of small localised sections of steel where required . The bridge ’ s architectural lighting system was also refurbished .
UNESCO inscribed the bridge as a World Heritage Site on 5 July 2015 , recognizing it as " an extraordinary and impressive milestone in bridge design and construction during the period when railways came to dominate long-distance land travel ."
Forth Bridge Sunrise . Photo Credit : Robert McCulloch
1 / 2017