Nostalgia & History > Anyone Have Pictures

In the early 1970's there was a terrible explosion in the Roseville, CA, yards. Do anyone have pictures they would like to share.  I felt the explosion over 60 miles away.  Heard it also.

I don't have any pictures, however, the Pentrex video "Tough Times on the Southern Pacific" has spectular video of the explosions from both the ground and the air.  Very dramatic.

For those unaware, a trainload of military bombs, about 7200 total, caught fire and exploded in Roseville, CA on April 28, 1973.  The damage was extensive.  When Union Pacific rebuil the yard in the late 1990's, they uncovered a few bombs that were somehow missed in the first cleanup.

Search this site .  I think some pictures were posted a few years ago.

tomstp Wrote:
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> Search this site .  I think some pictures were
> posted a few years ago.

The Sacramento Bee was full of these pictures on April 28,1973
.

BNSF6400 Wrote:
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> I don't have any pictures, however, the Pentrex
> video "Tough Times on the Southern Pacific" has
> spectular video of the explosions from both the
> ground and the air.  Very dramatic.
>
> For those unaware, a trainload of military bombs,
> about 7200 total, caught fire and exploded in
> Roseville, CA on April 28, 1973.  The damage was
> extensive.  When Union Pacific rebuil the yard in
> the late 1990's, they uncovered a few bombs that
> were somehow missed in the first cleanup.

Hot box on one of the bomb carrying boxcars started the fire that started the "cook off" chain reaction explosions.

I think the SP's idea of clean-up was to bull doze everything "over and under".

70ACE Wrote:
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> BNSF6400 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I don't have any pictures, however, the Pentrex
> > video "Tough Times on the Southern Pacific" has
> > spectular video of the explosions from both the
> > ground and the air.  Very dramatic.
> >
> > For those unaware, a trainload of
> military bombs,
> > about 7200 total, caught fire and exploded in
> > Roseville, CA on April 28, 1973.  The damage
> was
> > extensive.  When Union Pacific rebuil the yard
> in
> > the late 1990's, they uncovered a few bombs
> that
> > were somehow missed in the first cleanup.
>
> Hot box on one of the bomb carrying boxcars
> started the fire that started the "cook off" chain
> reaction explosions.
>
> I think the SP's idea of clean-up was to bull doze
> everything "over and under".

Sure can tell by your post you were not ever there at that time.