The "Monikie Leap"

Monikie Leap, originally uploaded by lusobrandane.

The Dundee, Arbroath, Forfar and Tannadice Steam Turbine Omnibus and Racing Yacht Coy. Ltd. (DAFTSTORY Ltd) built this railway line between Dundee and Arbroath in the middle of the 19th century. Unfortunately, the company ran out of money before they were able to build the platform to carry the track across this road. The only way the company was able to raise funds to complete the bridge deck was to run a daily service with specially adapted trains that were designed to leap across the gap. The line was closed by government safety inspectors after one week and seven train wrecks. A second company reopened the line a year later, running one train to this point, where it stopped and the passengers alighted, crossed the road and swapped trains to continue to their destination. The line was finally closed in 1963 and is now used by the Scottish Commonwealth Games long jump team as a place to train (geddit!). And to think... we once ruled half the world.