Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF oil train derailment pictures

My wife and I happened to be in Galena for my birthday this weekend and I always love to drive down by the tracks along the Mississippi to see if I can catch a train or two. When we got there both tracks had sitting trains (which I thought was weird.) I took some pics of the tail end DPU and some cool old twin-stack wells and then we headed down the road to see the lead units. We ran across them, in an odd place to be waiting and then, as we rounded the curve we saw the crews working and what was left of the derailment. (Yes, I need to check TO more often! I would have known what was going on.) Anyway, the crews had just gotten the last car back on the tracks and I snapped a couple quick pictures and got the heck out of the way. I wanted to see if I could see the other side, so we drove around the other way, down the very steep, narrow windy paved road that leads to the other grade crossing. The road was beat to death and there were huge washouts and new potholes everywhere. As we came down toward the grade crossing we saw why: flatbed semis were lined up one after the next and trucks were everywhere. It was as if BNSF had built a small city down there. Between the riggers, work crews, cops and state police we decided it best to turn around and stay out of the way. It was unbelievable. I still hadn't checked TO yet to find out what happened, but we had seen a bunch of vehicles at the depot in Galena on our way out, so we made a pass by to see what was up. The feds, that's what. BNSF apparently weren't the only ones with their own little town - the EPA had RV's etc. and night lighting.... just wow.

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A couple more from the crossing.

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Here's the tail end DPU from the crossing at the base of Chestnut mountain.

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Really nice set of photos. I'm surprised that you could get that close without being told to leave. Thanks for sharing your photos for all of us to see.

Interesting pics!! Thanks for sharing.

Thank was interesting. Thank you for taking the trouble to get these pictures.
John

ClubCar Wrote:
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> Really nice set of photos. I'm surprised that you
> could get that close without being told to leave.

There are a couple of public crossings about a mile or
so railroad east of the derailment site. It appears
our photographer did a little walking in to get a couple
of these photos. However, the DPU pictures can be taken
from public roads, and he couldn't be chased out of there.
Besides, the Hulcher(?) crews were probably too busy to
bother with him.

Please add my thanks for posting these.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

> Besides, the Hulcher(?) crews were probably too
> busy to
> bother with him.
>
>
> Nick Tharalson,
> Marion, IA


I don't think the Hulcher crews care too much.It is those NTSB,ICC,FRA
RR,CIA,FBI and Homeland Security that will chase you off.

Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

Good stuff...keep it coming with traffic resuming!

The two Hulcher Side-Boom tractors do it the same way HO cars are retailed on the layout.

--Jim Baker

is that normal operating procedure for the tracks of the hulcher machines to be on the rails like that?

calpoly48 Wrote:
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> is that normal operating procedure for the tracks
> of the hulcher machines to be on the rails like
> that?


Yes,because they do not have treads that damage the track.


Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

Believe it or not, the pics were taken from my truck and all on public roads. The road crosses the tracks from the east to the west for a short distance and then crosses right back over. The northern crossing is where they were re-railing the last cars and the southern crossing is about where BNSF set up camp.
Thanks for the comments! Getting photo of the day was an awesome honor for me. There are too many great photographers on TO.

Posted from iPhone

Good pics. but not all of the side booms have the pads on the tracks. Look at the Cat of the left side of the pics. upkpfan