Eastern Railroad Discussion > Mondays are normally pretty easy days. It's 10' 9" clearance

Monday, July 18, 2016, after visiting with my doctor I looked around the CN Yard here in Battle Creek, Michigan, and didn't see anything moving.  Saw a few locomotives in the yard and figured I'd come back later. Just west of CN Gord, there is a low clearance bridge. There are a whole bunch of signs on both side indicating the overhead clearance to be 10' 9".
And it happens at least once each year, or maybe two or three times. Today was one of those days.

The photographs are how the truck ended up under the bridge.  I didn't hang around to watch them pull it out, and I'm not sure what it was. It looks like a boom truck of some sort.

The video is of the GTW 4916 West, the CN 5346 East. These two are the Battle Creek, Michigan, to South Bend, Indiana, Local Assignment. And the CN 2802 East, Q11691-18.

GTW 4916 West, Monday, July 18, 2016, at about 4:35 PM. At East P Avenue - MP 162.42 CN South Bend Subdivision, Climax, Michigan.
CN 5346 East, Monday, July 18, 2016, at about 5:20 PM. CN Gord - MP 175.5 CN South Bend Subdivision, Battle Creek, Michigan.
CN 2802 East, Monday, July 18, 2016, at about 6:45 PM. At CN Helmer Rd. - MP 173.1 CN South Bend Subdivision, Springfield, Michigan.

Ron

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Here are three more of the truck under the bridge. I didn't stay here very long and didn't talk with anyone other than the Policeman in the car. But maybe in the middle photograph here this might be the driver.


Ron

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When turned on its side, the truck fits just fine.

TAW

Here's a couple photographs from the last one that tried to go under this bridge. At least the last one that I know about!   This was on Thursday, October 23, 2014.  And at this one, the driver DID tell the Police Officer there that he was just following his GPS.

The third photograph is an overhead shot of the bridge and cross streets.

Ron

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There's an overpass in Durham, NC. that is 11'-8".  It gets hit so often that someone has put a camera up to record the hits.  May be city owned, I don't know.  They have a sign the lights up about 30 seconds before a high vehicle reaches the bridge to warn drivers.  That doesn't stop them.  I guess they are just following their GPS.  Anyway, you can find the video at 11foot8.com    There are others on you-tube.   The bridge is good for removing rooftop air conditioners from walk in camping trailers or 5th wheel type trailers.

This sight would seem to get your attention but some Einsteins out there probably do some quick engineering in their head and figure the temperature and how much expansion due to the temperature there is in the cable that holds the sign and how much the sign would sag if it were 96º and they figure if the just bumped it slightly, they should be able to make it under the bridge.

John

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They recently installed stop lights and electric signs at the 11'8" bridge in NC. The expensive system was suppose to stop the frequent bridge strikes. It seems to have slowed down but at least one truck has hit since the new system was put in operation.

Posted from iPhone

What ever happened to get out and look before going under a possible low bridge?

Posted from Android

TAW Wrote:
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> When turned on its side, the truck fits just
> fine.
>
> TAW

Yes, I was wondering if he intended to slide through sideways and right the truck on the other side and simply didnt have enough speed to make it to the other side! 

This sign was in Griffin Ga. This bridge was removed and a new taller bridge installed over the NS Griffin District that will allow double stack traffic. That also changed the hight of the bridge over the road too.
>
> This sight would seem to get your attention but
> some Einsteins out there probably do some quick
> engineering in their head and figure the
> temperature and how much expansion due to the
> temperature there is in the cable that holds the
> sign and how much the sign would sag if it were
> 96º and they figure if the just bumped it
> slightly, they should be able to make it under the
> bridge.
>
> John

Posted from Android

wa4umr Wrote:
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> There's an overpass in Durham, NC. that is 11'-8".  It gets hit so often that someone has put a
> camera up to record the hits.  May be city owned . . .

The camera was put up by a local business on that corner.  They are the same ones who provide the 11foot8.com site.