RR bridge fire in Parker

[BoatCop]

100 cars used to be a pretty big train, probably still is for an outfit like the A&C.

I assume these are cars that interchange with BNSF, seems like they could just take the route through Williams and interchange up there.

They don't connect there, except going to Phoenix and backtracking. The main line for Az-Ca goes from Cadiz in the Mohave Desert to Wickenburg. It's main customer is the Bouse-Rose Acres Egg Plant and Salome-Wenden-Vicksburg hay farms. There would be too much backtracking to make it workable.

The majority of damage is to a couple lengths of tracks and cross ties. According to the Parent Company, the wood trestle supports are just charred, but still structurally sound. The concrete supports are unharmed. They say they should be up and running this weekend.

 

[Taboma]

They don't connect there, except going to Phoenix and backtracking. The main line for Az-Ca goes from Cadiz in the Mohave Desert to Wickenburg. It's main customer is the Bouse-Rose Acres Egg Plant and Salome-Wenden-Vicksburg hay farms. There would be too much backtracking to make it workable.

The majority of damage is to a couple lengths of tracks and cross ties. According to the Parent Company, the wood trestle supports are just charred, but still structurally sound. The concrete supports are unharmed. They say they should be up and running this weekend.


View attachment 799593

Why 2 sets of parallel tracks ? I can assume 2 different gauges, just figured they'd be standardized by now.

 

[grumpy88]

But the internet said we lost a icon . I saw it on Facebook so it had to be true !

 

[yz450mm]

Why 2 sets of parallel tracks ? I can assume 2 different gauges, just figured they'd be standardized by now.

I've wondered the same thing, maybe to keep it on the bridge if it derails from the main track? I think they go pretty slow on bridges...

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[BoatCop]

Why 2 sets of parallel tracks ? I can assume 2 different gauges, just figured they'd be standardized by now.

I've wondered the same thing, maybe to keep it on the bridge if it derails from the main track? I think they go pretty slow on bridges...

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Found this on the interweb:

"The extra rails are inside the rails the flanged wheels roll on. They are to catch a derailed wheel and hold it till the car gets off the bridge. The wheel will be caught between the rails and prevented from going completely off the track. This prevents the derailed car from going off the bridge and landing in or on what ever the bridge is over."

 

[hallett3]

Found this on the interweb:

"The extra rails are inside the rails the flanged wheels roll on. They are to catch a derailed wheel and hold it till the car gets off the bridge. The wheel will be caught between the rails and prevented from going completely off the track. This prevents the derailed car from going off the bridge and landing in or on what ever the bridge is over."

Interesting. Is the double rail on the topock bridge. I always said we would be screwed on a derail being under the bridge . .

 

[Angler]

Hard to believe it is still structually sound.
I took this pic yesterday.

 

[Taboma]

Found this on the interweb:

"The extra rails are inside the rails the flanged wheels roll on. They are to catch a derailed wheel and hold it till the car gets off the bridge. The wheel will be caught between the rails and prevented from going completely off the track. This prevents the derailed car from going off the bridge and landing in or on what ever the bridge is over."

I must admit, not the answer I was expecting. Not having paid any attention to the tracks before or after the bridge, I figured there was an old narrow gauge mine train that had run on them years ago. Like the narrow gauge RR that still runs today for US Gypsum at Plaster City (Ocotillo).
Sure makes sense, thanks.

 

[02HoWaRd26]

100 cars used to be a pretty big train, probably still is for an outfit like the A&C.

I assume these are cars that interchange with BNSF, seems like they could just take the route through Williams and interchange up there.

Yea we got some emails yesterday about it. They will detour the Cadiz local cars up to Williams, run around them and take back down the P-vine, and vice versa.

 

[02HoWaRd26]

Why 2 sets of parallel tracks ? I can assume 2 different gauges, just figured they'd be standardized by now.

They are on most critical areas, bridges, tunnels, hill sides etc, if a wheel was to derail or even a few trucks derail they will catch the inner flange and their intent is to save from the train derailing into a catastrophic situation.

View from my office.

 

[Taboma]

They are on most critical areas, bridges, tunnels, hill sides etc, if a wheel was to derail or even a few trucks derail they will catch the inner flange and their intent is to save from the train derailing into a catastrophic situation.
View attachment 799717
View from my office.

Are you one the guys who makes the "Toot Toot" approaching Hackberry AZ ? Once again, amazed at the shit one can learn on this site
When somebody comments "Damn, how'd you get to be so smart ?" ---- EZ, I'm a student of RDP !!!

 

[monkeyswrench]

They are on most critical areas, bridges, tunnels, hill sides etc, if a wheel was to derail or even a few trucks derail they will catch the inner flange and their intent is to save from the train derailing into a catastrophic situation.
View attachment 799717
View from my office.

Is that heading up towards Williams? Looks like the terrain north of me

 

[Kachina26]

Yea we got some emails yesterday about it. They will detour the Cadiz local cars up to Williams, run around them and take back down the P-vine, and vice versa.

I figured, just didn't take time to look into it.

 

[NicPaus]

Who gets the opportunity to haul the first load over it? Will they test it with a empty load?

 

[Kachina26]

Who gets the opportunity to haul the first load over it? Will they test it with a empty load?

I think the track is only good for 10MPH anyway. If it's good for more, the first one will run at 10 and they'll evaluate the track.

 

[Ziggy]

Drove in yesterday early evening and the semi traffic from Vidal to Parker seemed waaaay heavier than normal.
Real or imagined?

 

[BoatCop]

Just for the hell of it (and 'cause I'm retired with nothing else to do) I jumped on Google Earth and followed the line from Cadiz through Parker and on to Wickenburg. That's the route owned by AZ/CA. They pick up the load in Cadiz, drop it off in Wickenburg, Pick up there, and drop off at Cadiz. Plus, of course, their customers along the line, such as the Egg Plant and Hay farms.

I then followed the line from Wickenburg, up to Williams, and back along the I-40 line to Cadiz. I can understand why the Parker route is so important. The other way is a hell of a trip. I also came to appreciate what was done 150 years ago, laying the track and deciding the route(s). It would be a major undertaking to do that today, even with modern equipment, satellite imaging, electronic surveyors, etc. But doing it with relatively rudimentary machinery, hand tools, eye of sight, and a whole lot of Chinese, it is truly remarkable what they accomplished.

 

[RiverDave]

That zigzag in this picture.. did the Heat cause that? How does that happen?

I wouldn’t think it would fire would even get hot enough to do that.

 

[lbhsbz]

That zigzag in this picture.. did the Heat cause that? How does that happen?

I wouldn’t think it would fire would even get hot enough to do that.

View attachment 799787

Google "sun kink"

 

[motormonkey]

I knew a track welder for BNSF southwest If I remember right, he would cut out track in summer as it would grow and reconnect with a crucable? Casting? It makes sense steel rolls out and grows with miles of tracks.

 

[Chili Palmer]

Google "sun kink"

Ho Ree Fuk!

 

[02HoWaRd26]

Are you one the guys who makes the "Toot Toot" approaching Hackberry AZ ? Once again, amazed at the shit one can learn on this site
When somebody comments "Damn, how'd you get to be so smart ?" ---- EZ, I'm a student of RDP !!!

Yea your neighbor was the one hit a year or so ago right?

Is that heading up towards Williams? Looks like the terrain north of me

West facing but east of Flagstaff by 20 miles.

I think the track is only good for 10MPH anyway. If it's good for more, the first one will run at 10 and they'll evaluate the track.

Conductor xxxxxx at mp 313 ready to copy a verbal.

That zigzag in this picture.. did the Heat cause that? How does that happen?

I wouldn’t think it would fire would even get hot enough to do that.

View attachment 799787

It’s the expansion within distance, then the ties let loose in the ballast and boom it goes. I’ve personally seen one section, in Needles in the yard a few months back, my first real experience

 

[Kachina26]

That zigzag in this picture.. did the Heat cause that? How does that happen?

I wouldn’t think it would fire would even get hot enough to do that.

View attachment 799787

The trains used to go "clickity clack" because the rails were jointed with gaps for expansion, a lot like concrete. That was all well and good for slow trains, but to get speeds up, the railroads went to continuous welded rail with no expansion joints. This has to constantly be maintained, removing rail as the weather gets hot and adding rail as the weather cools. It is really hard to keep up. Add fire, and BOOM, shit expands really quickly. I would imagine the metallurgy of these rails was impacted enough to justify replacing several track panels. Not to long ago in Fresno, some homeless people set fire to a pile of ties next to the tracks. After heating the rails quite a bit, the fire department came and cooled them very quickly with thousands of gallons of water. This caused the rails to lift several inches out of the ballast. We had to replace several hundred feet of track. I chose to take the day off and run to Havasu, fuck that shit!

 

[BoatCop]

Hard to believe it is still structually sound.
I took this pic yesterday.

View attachment 799697

It looks bad, but I saw it up close. It looks like only the surface coat of creosote burned. The char doesn't seem to be more than 1/4 inch deep or so, if that.

 

[Outdrive1]

It looks bad, but I saw it up close. It looks like only the surface coat of creosote burned. The char doesn't seem to be more than 1/4 inch deep or so, if that.

That seems sketchy, but Im sure they have had several engineers looking at it before they put a train on it. [emoji15]


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[Lucky Larry]

It’s up & running. Gotta have some balls to be the first one over after a fire.

Just took this on the way to the Firefighters BBQ & auction.

 

[Wheeler]

That seems sketchy, but Im sure they have had several engineers looking at it before they put a train on it. [emoji15]

 

[BoatCop]

Here's a shot going over the burned section. The first train across was massive. Needed 4 middle engines. A lot of double stacked containers. Not bad turn around. From "OMG we've lost a landmark" to "It'll take months to get up and running" to "6 days? Meh."

 

[paradise]

Here's a shot going over the burned section. The first train across was massive. Needed 4 middle engines. A lot of double stacked containers. Not bad turn around. From "OMG we've lost a landmark" to "It'll take months to get up and running" to "6 days? Meh."

View attachment 800547


View attachment 800548

Was the same thing when the trestle burned at Cajon Pass or the 10 freeway bridges got washed out. When there’s money, and a shit load of it, affected shit gets done in a hurry... Amazing what we/they can get done when we don’t have to deal with the normal tards at the city/county/state level and it gets fast tracked.

 

[yz450mm]

Was the same thing when the trestle burned at Cajon Pass or the 10 freeway bridges got washed out. When there’s money, and a shit load of it, affected shit gets done in a hurry... Amazing what we/they can get done when we don’t have to deal with the normal tards at the city/county/state level and it gets fast tracked.

BNSF: We have a bridge that was severely damaged, we are going to rebuild it ASAP to get train traffic moving again.
County/City/State Gvmt: No, you need to get plans drawn and approved, engineering done and approved, and go through the permit process.
BNSF: LOL, fuck off, go eat a bag of dicks.
County/City/State Gvmt: Ok, sorry to bother you. Carry on.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to get a permit to build a small office inside a pre existing warehouse, $3000 in plan check fees and 6 months later I'm still having to jump through hoops to get the permit issued.

 

[Kachina26]

BNSF: We have a bridge that was severely damaged, we are going to rebuild it ASAP to get train traffic moving again.
County/City/State Gvmt: No, you need to get plans drawn and approved, engineering done and approved, and go through the permit process.
BNSF: LOL, fuck off, go eat a bag of dicks.
County/City/State Gvmt: Ok, sorry to bother you. Carry on.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to get a permit to build a small office inside a pre existing warehouse, $3000 in plan check fees and 6 months later I'm still having to jump through hoops to get the permit issued.

Interstate commerce has its benefits.

 

[riverroyal]

Thermal expansion. Steel grows with heat. Its gotta grow somehow so it bends.
I have the toughest time making people understand this when we install pipe and need room from growth.
Click clak is a perfect example

 

[JB in so cal]

Thermal expansion. Steel grows with heat. Its gotta grow somehow so it bends.
I have the toughest time making people understand this when we install pipe and need room from growth.
Click clak is a perfect example

Homo says what?

 

[wzuber]

BNSF: We have a bridge that was severely damaged, we are going to rebuild it ASAP to get train traffic moving again.
County/City/State Gvmt: No, you need to get plans drawn and approved, engineering done and approved, and go through the permit process.
BNSF: LOL, fuck off, go eat a bag of dicks.
County/City/State Gvmt: Ok, sorry to bother you. Carry on.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to get a permit to build a small office inside a pre existing warehouse, $3000 in plan check fees and 6 months later I'm still having to jump through hoops to get the permit issued.

and this is why so many people say fuggit and bootleg shit in and carry on.

 

[Ziggy]

That zigzag in this picture.. did the Heat cause that? How does that happen?

I wouldn’t think it would fire would even get hot enough to do that.

View attachment 799787

Almost like a train slammed on the binders

Thermal expansion. Steel grows with heat. Its gotta grow somehow so it bends.
I have the toughest time making people understand this when we install pipe and need room from growth.
Click clak is a perfect example

That's what I named my 7.3PSD...
Click-Clack

 

[Wheeler]

Almost like a train slammed on the binders

That's what I named my 7.3PSD...
Click-Clack

You named your PSD after the Tappet brothers?

 

[SHOCKtheMONKEY]

Drove out of Parker around 3:30 and there was a crew working up on the tracks. Looks like a new section of RR ties were replaced.

 

[Wheeler]

Thermal expansion. Steel grows with heat. Its gotta grow somehow so it bends.
I have the toughest time making people understand this when we install pipe and need room from growth.
Click clak is a perfect example

When laying pipe I usually lick it and then stick it.