Train Derails Due To Bridge Collapse

Mmmmm... good fries, too...

Jeff Sc. Bryan, Ga.

Fred Williams cried out

Steve Caple cried out

yeah many of us around here are upset that this has happened. More than eight trains per day come thourgh here, it's a high traffic area they should be checking that bridge out often

High traffic is one of the reasons that makes it difficult to find a work window for a bridge inspection.

You don't have to stop traffic to have the divers in the river inspecting the foundations! Keith Make friends in the hobby. Visit Garratt photos for the big steam lovers.

My thoughts exactly.

Assuming the bridge is accesible, no. But for a complete check of the bridge (superstructure and foundations), yes.

Well 8 trains a day should give plenty of time, we manage to fit our inspections in with a minimum 12 trains an hour except for a 4 hr window at night. Transit operations don't leave much access time. Keith Make friends in the hobby. Visit Garratt photos for the big steam lovers.

Greg Forestieri cried out

Mark Mathu cried out

They do take it out of service for an hour or so at a time about once per month for track inspections they should be inspecting the bridge. The bridge is just tooooo old. The pilings were driven in the 1800's and the bridge itself is about 70 years old. It should have been replaced by now, screw costs and down time, they need to think of lives that could have been lost. Sure the bridge is about a hundred feet from the road but there are live people on the train......

If every railroad bridge were replaced simply on the age criteria you gave, the costs would be staggering and every railroad would soon be bankrupt. There are thousands of railroad bridges of that vintage in the United States, and most are serving the purposes without problems.

It sure looks like spring flood water led to a movement of one of the piers, which resulted in the failure of the superstructure when a train was on it.

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When we'd pass by on the way to fishing - 20 years ago - I thought that bridge looked creaky. Thinking of all the flood waters that have pounded on it over the years it's amazing it's lasted as long as it has. Good thing no chemicals ended up in the Trinity.

Greg

Amen! to that. The sight of the Sacramento River running white, with chemicals and dead fish bellies both, was truly sickening.

That's OK. It should have been two Ts otherwise. Or do you prefer "shat"?

Jay CNS&M North Shore Line - "First and fastest"