Tay Bridge disaster 1896, the structural engineer doing so saying later that the bridge would have blown over if it had ever seen windloadings of . The locomotive, NBR no. 224, a 4-4-0 designed by Thomas Wheatley and built at Cowlairs Works in 1871, was salvaged and repaired, remaining in service until 1919, nicknamed "The Diver"; many superstitious drivers were reluctant to take it over the new bridge. The stumps of the original bridge piers are still visible above the surface of the Tay. Memorials have been placed at either end of the bridge in Dundee and Wormit. Various additional pieces of evidence
River Tay froze over as far as the Tay Road Bridge, and ice floes remained for weeks despite a thaw. Several places along the Tay take their names from it, or are believed to have done so: The river is of high biodiversity value and is both a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation. The SAC designation notes the river's importance for salmon ("Salmo salar"), otters ("Lutra lutra"), brook lampreys ("Lampetra planeri"), river lampreys ("Lampetra fluviatilis"), and sea lampreys ("Petromyzon marinus") . Tha Tay also maintains flagship population of Freshwater pearl mussel ("Margaritifea margaritifera"). Freshwater pearl