Working rail roads and their tracks.

[BravoXray]

Union Pacific had a GE AC4400CW locomotive go up in flames in Bryan, TX a few days ago. The crew had to have seen that it was on fire, I wonder why they didn't stop sooner. Maybe they called ahead to meet the FD?

 

[Hay Dude]

Boy is that some depressing news.

 

[ArlyA]

Photo of one of the engines at the Quincy Smelter in Ripley, MI back in the 1990's. My understanding is this loco is in Owosso these days. Copper Range #29 tucked in behind it. These are gone today.

 

[topgun05]

If they aren't under steam and being pulled by a diesel electric locomotive, they hold little interest for me and looks as though the UP executive rolling stock is a bit ratty too. What is with the EM B unit with no A unit?

Sorry. Maybe you'll like them more after the restoration. Cars already blasted for paint and locos getting boiler tubes of late.

 

[beckmurph]

UP ore train on the mainline between Las Vegas - Los Angeles got off in the bushes yesterday ...

No injuries. I can't find any intelligent details but in summary the crew jumped without injury. Roadside sensor reported the maximum it can measure, 118 mph, speculation is 150 mph.

Unattributed comments on Reddit and Trains .com say the lead few cars detached from a 180 car train on a miles-long -2.2% grade and the crew jumped an hour before this derailment.

TV news reports - all I could find - are pretty useless. The comments - credibility unknown - after these articles add some missing details.

https://www.reddit.com/r/CatastrophicFailure/comments/1245erz

Runaway UP ore train derails in California desert (updated) - Trains

KELSO, Calif. — Two locomotives and 55 cars of a runaway Union Pacific train carrying iron ore derailed near the Mojave Desert community of Kelso today (Monday, March 27), officials from the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District reported. Union Pacific spokesman Mike Jaixen has...

www.trains.com

Aerial photos show massive train derailment scene near Baker

Officials from the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District released information on a train derailment near Kelbaker and Kelso Cima roads southeast of Baker Monday.

www.ktla.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1640464916699308032

Redit comments are hilarious.

 

[jjeff]

Curious if any of you folks have ever been to the Chattanooga Tennessee railroad museum? If so about how long would it take to semi generously visit all exhibits, and is it kid friendly/interactive? In your opinions, and is it worthwhile if the weather isn't the best? . I'm in Initial planning of a family trip.

 

[ArlyA]

From the Lake Superior RR FB page.
------------------------------------
Took this shot of a KRL depressed flat (car type) with an oversize load at Pokegama Yard in Superior on March 31st 2023. No idea as to its final destination.

 

[gstrom99]

From the Lake Superior RR FB page.
------------------------------------
Took this shot of a KRL depressed flat (car type) with an oversize load at Pokegama Yard in Superior on March 31st 2023. No idea as to its final destination.
View attachment 792505

What is that load? It looks like a giant light/lamp holder...

 

[ArlyA]

What is that load? It looks like a giant light/lamp holder...

The poster didn't know. I don't either.

 

[MossRoad]

Reminded me of the opening sequence of back to the future....

 

[bdhsfz6]

I grew up just a 45 minute drive from the Starrucca Viaduct. I've read and heard folks talk about it but just recently decided to go see it for myself.

When it was completed by the Erie RR in 1848, it was the largest & most expensive stone arch bridge in the world.

Starrucca Viaduct - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The blue stone was quarried locally and the quality of workmanship is still evident today:

To me, the most impressive fact about the viaduct is that it has been in continuous operation for 175 years requiring very little maintenance.

 

[gstrom99]

I grew up just a 45 minute drive from the Starrucca Viaduct. I've read and heard folks talk about it but just recently decided to go see it for myself.

When it was completed by the Erie RR in 1848, it was the largest & most expensive stone arch bridge in the world.

Starrucca Viaduct - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

View attachment 792559 View attachment 792558

The blue stone was quarried locally and the quality of workmanship is still evident today:

View attachment 792561

View attachment 792562

View attachment 792563

View attachment 792560

To me, the most impressive fact about the viaduct is that it has been in continuous operation for 175 years requiring very little maintenance.

Impressive!

 

[ArlyA]

CN train crosses the St. Louis River dividing Wisconsin & Minnesota with a pair of General Electric locos. We've ridden across this bridge via tandem before. This is locally called the Oliver bridge.
Oliver, WI 9/29/2022.

 

[MossRoad]

Nice bridge.

 

[Hay Dude]

I grew up just a 45 minute drive from the Starrucca Viaduct. I've read and heard folks talk about it but just recently decided to go see it for myself.

When it was completed by the Erie RR in 1848, it was the largest & most expensive stone arch bridge in the world.

Starrucca Viaduct - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

View attachment 792559 View attachment 792558

The blue stone was quarried locally and the quality of workmanship is still evident today:

View attachment 792561

View attachment 792562

View attachment 792563

View attachment 792560

To me, the most impressive fact about the viaduct is that it has been in continuous operation for 175 years requiring very little maintenance.

I may visit that on my “PA railroad excursion” that I HOPE to go on this summer if I can get any of my family members to go on. They don’t have the same “interest level” as me. lol

 

[bdhsfz6]

I may visit that on my “PA railroad excursion” that I HOPE to go on this summer if I can get any of my family members to go on

Another must see on your PA railroad excursion should be the Tunkhannock Viaduct. I posted on this one earlier in the thread.

Tunkhannock Viaduct - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

And of course there is the Steamtown National Historic site in Scranton, which is on every railroad enthusiasts list.

Steamtown National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)

find your park national park week parkrx #weareparks

www.nps.gov

There is also the Trolley museum on the same site:

Electric City Trolley Museum - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Both are family friendly with things to see & do for everyone.

 

[kenmbz]

And of course while in PA, the Strasburg railroad museum:

A Railroad Treasure in the Heart of Lancaster County - Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

At the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, it is our mission to preserve and interpret the Commonwealth’s rich railroad history.

www.rrmuseumpa.org

 

[Hay Dude]

And of course while in PA, the Strasburg railroad museum:

A Railroad Treasure in the Heart of Lancaster County - Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

At the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, it is our mission to preserve and interpret the Commonwealth’s rich railroad history.

www.rrmuseumpa.org

Yeah I live about 30-40 minutes from there. been there quite a few times.

 

[ArlyA]

A recent photo taken in the ironrange of MN.
A pair of GEVO's are on the point of a raw ore shuttle as it crawls forward, loading the last cars of the train through the dumper at the Thunderbird Mine in Eveleth, Minnesota. Once loading is complete, the crew will tone up dispatch for a light down the Missabe Sub to the Fairlane Taconite Plant.

 

[caver]

We had a Heyl & Patterson at the plant but ours was enclosed. I hated working on anything in the coal yard. That dust is so fine with the western coal. When the plant switched to western coal around 95' they had to dig a big hole into the former flood plain next to the Mississippi. This was to accommodate the rotary car dumper and the pit that goes far down below it. Previously our coal came in on a barge. Before they started excavation they drilled about 14 shallow wells around the hole to de-water. They were looped around into two 2' or larger pipes where they then went up and over the levee and dumped into the Mississippi over 2000' away. The coal drops into a hopper and then goes onto two feed belts that are short. That drops onto the main belt at the bottom that hauls it up through a tunnel and dumps the coal about a half mile away on the ready piles.