Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF Ottumwa Sub Bridge Fire! UPDATED!

Last night the bridge at Thayer, Iowa caught fire with flames shooting hundreds of feet into the air. The bridge is at MP.376 and is made of cresoted timber and is high up over a valley. Word at this time is that the bridge will be out of service for about four or more days. More info to follow!

Update: Fire crews had a hard time getting to the fire, but were able to put out the fire by 11:00pm last night.
The State Fire Marshall will be returning to the site today as all trains that went over the bridge earlier were inspected to make sure that none of them were the cause of the fire. The inspection has showed that the main pillars are ok and that the ties are the only thing that needs to be replaced which is being done at this time. Both main one and two ties will be repaired.
It is being estimated to be open later tonight.
More info to follow!

Update @ 2:30pm. Main one is suppose to open at 4:00pm today and main two is expected to open Saturday at 10:00am. No trains have been ordered east or west at this time.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/11 12:32 by bnsfengineer.

Is this on the transcon?

No, this is not transcon.

Is there any reroutes?

Posted from Android

bnsf7512 Wrote:
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> Is there any reroutes?
>
> Posted from Android

Amtrak's 5 & 6 supposed to go over the UP.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Since nobody has said so explicitly: This is on the former Burlington main to Denver, in central Iowa. Besides Amtrak Nos. 5 and 6, most of the traffic on this line is coal, plus a little manifest traffic. I'm not sure BNSF regularly runs any intermodal this way; I think at one time there may have been a CHIDEN/DENCHI pair. But if the damage was confined to the ties and reopening is expected in short order, it's unlikely any significant freight-train detouring will occur -- it's more likely the coal, for example, would just be staged en route until the line is back in service.

toledopatch Wrote:
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> Since nobody has said so explicitly: This is on
> the former Burlington main to Denver, in central
> Iowa. Besides Amtrak Nos. 5 and 6, most of the
> traffic on this line is coal, plus a little
> manifest traffic. I'm not sure BNSF regularly runs
> any intermodal this way; I think at one time there
> may have been a CHIDEN/DENCHI pair. But if the
> damage was confined to the ties and reopening is
> expected in short order, it's unlikely any
> significant freight-train detouring will occur --
> it's more likely the coal, for example, would just
> be staged en route until the line is back in
> service.


The Z CHIDEN/Z DENCHI still run this route on a regular basis. Where this occurred, other than all the coal loads/empties, still host the daily H DENGAL9 eastbound and the H GALLIN1 and H GALDEN1 westbound. There have been some reroutes on the transcon out of Galesburg, including the Z CHIDEN9 17A of last night and some empty coal trains.

SabrinaRyan Wrote:
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> The Z CHIDEN/Z DENCHI still run this route on a
> regular basis. Where this occurred [Thayer, IA], other than all
> the coal loads/empties, [the line] still hosts the daily H
> DENGAL9 eastbound and the H GALLIN1 and H GALDEN1
> westbound.

Thanks for the info. A few follow-up questions:

1. Anyone have a reasonable estimate for the number of coal trains each way per day on this route?

2. How many days per week do those three carload trains run?

3. Do the Z CHIDEN and Z DENCHI run 5 days per week or 6 days per week?

4. Any unit ethanol or unit grain trains on the line?

5. No eastbound counterpart to the H GALLIN1?


Many thanks in advance,

Rob L.

Westbound CZ went through here on UP a short while ago.

Anyone know what happened to Amtrak P42 #58 lately? It had a lot of paint missing on the right side ahead of/under the cab, from top to bottom.

Carl Shaver
Lombard, IL

rob_l Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SabrinaRyan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The Z CHIDEN/Z DENCHI still run this route on a
> > regular basis. Where this occurred , other than
> all
> > the coal loads/empties, still hosts the daily
> H
> > DENGAL9 eastbound and the H GALLIN1 and H
> GALDEN1
> > westbound.
>
> Thanks for the info. A few follow-up questions:
>
> 1. Anyone have a reasonable estimate for the
> number of coal trains each way per day on this
> route?
>
> 2. How many days per week do those three carload
> trains run?
>
> 3. Do the Z CHIDEN and Z DENCHI run 5 days per
> week or 6 days per week?
>
> 4. Any unit ethanol or unit grain trains on the
> line?
>
> 5. No eastbound counterpart to the H GALLIN1?
>
>
> Many thanks in advance,
>
> Rob L.


1) 15-20 each way daily.

2) The three manifest train are running daily.

3) Z trains are running 6 days a week. Eastbound generally departs Creston between 2200 and 0100 and Westbound between 0400 and 0600.

4) Sporadic unit grain and ethanol trains, they seem to be on the increase lately to almost daily of various origins and destinations.
Also, lots of unit fertilizer train for the season.

5) No, no eastbound counterpart for the H GALLIN, but they will run extra H/M LINGAL, CRIGAL or OMAGAL's frequently.

I hope that answers your questions.

CShaveRR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Westbound CZ went through here on UP a short while
> ago.
>
> Anyone know what happened to Amtrak P42 #58
> lately? It had a lot of paint missing on the
> right side ahead of/under the cab, from top to
> bottom.


Was todays #5 on the UP larger than normal to accomodate two days worth of people? also to get equipment out west for the missing #6
Steve

The other train type that I saw on BNSF when I visited Ottumwa four years ago was unit DDG (distillers' dried grain) trains. At the time, a shortage of grain cars meant some of the DDG was shipping in open hoppers with modular lids.

Interesting mix of traffic, must be fun day at work trying to dispatch coal trains and Amtrak on the same DT path. Mostly DT, with ABS/CTC mix (as opposed to CTC 2-MT bidirectional running as on the former Santa Fe main across MO or ex-CNW UP route just north a few miles. When I rode it on 5 and 6 last March, we made good time-- watching my GPS indicated a speed of 80-82mph for extended periods. Plus, a LOT of coal trains were met.

The line traverses a lot of mucky land too, high water during heavy rains always an issue.

chico
http://www.heartlandrails.com

toledopatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The other train type that I saw on BNSF when I
> visited Ottumwa four years ago was unit DDG
> (distillers' dried grain) trains. At the time, a
> shortage of grain cars meant some of the DDG was
> shipping in open hoppers with modular lids.


That's actually standard for that train. It runs from Cargill in Eddyville, IA(between Ottumwa and Albia) to Dalhart, TX. It runs loaded eastbound towards Galesburg, then around
the connection at Cameron, then westbound on the transcon. It is treated with priority due to the product being time sensitive. It has been running almost daily, and always in modified coal hoppers with a lid. Also a unit corn syrup train bound for Irving, TX(CocaCola)sporadically comes out of Eddyville with the same routing to the transcon as the DDG train.

I don't think it was any longer than normal. It definitely didn't have any extra power (other than the required UP ATC leader).

Carl Shaver
Lombard, IL

SabrinaRyan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> 1) 15-20 coal each way daily.
>
> 2) The three manifest train are running daily.
>
> 3) Z trains are running 6 days a week. Eastbound
> generally departs Creston between 2200 and 0100
> and Westbound between 0400 and 0600.
>
> 4) Sporadic unit grain and ethanol trains, they
> seem to be on the increase lately to almost daily
> of various origins and destinations.
> Also, lots of unit fertilizer train for the
> season.
>
> 5) No, no eastbound counterpart for the H GALLIN,
> but they will run extra H/M LINGAL, CRIGAL or
> OMAGAL's frequently.
>
> I hope that answers your questions.

Yes, thanks much.

Rob L.

>
> 1) 15-20 each way daily.
>

How do they run 30, 40, or even more trains a day on partially dark territory? (if I read that part right)