Western Railroad Discussion > Parker AZ bridge is on fire

Not good news for the Arizona & California....

http://www.parkerliveonline.com/2019/09/15/viewfinder-parkers-railroad-bridge-up-in-flames/

Posted from iPhone

Awful!!!!

BB

Replacing a bridge can be done quickly these day, not to say that is cheap however.
 

dcfbalcoS1 Wrote:
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> Replacing a bridge can be done quickly these day,
> not to say that is cheap however.
>  

Pictures at the link show ties on the bridge burning. Though the bridge itself is steel, there may be structural damage (warping, loss of strength) from the heat.  The RR bridge over the Hudson comes to mind and it was so damaged that the railroad abandoned it. Many years later it eventually was repaired and is now a popular walkway. Another bridge needing extensive steel structual repair is the Cumbres and Toltec bridge over Wolf Creek at Lobato that burned about a decade ago.

Wonder how that got started... It'll obviously cripple the ARZC for some time if the damage is structural.

the bnsf will be negatively impacted if the bridge is closed too................

66

goneon66 Wrote:
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> the bnsf will be negatively impacted if the bridge
> is closed too................
>
> 66

Will need to send traffic the long way round...

exhaustED Wrote:
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> goneon66 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > the bnsf will be negatively impacted if the
> bridge
> > is closed too................
> >
> > 66
>
> Will need to send traffic the long way round...

i guess the traffic would go up the peavine and reverse directions at williams jct.  that would be interesting to watch and possibly cause delays.....

or, would the u.p. get some of the bnsf's traffic between phoenix and so. cal?

66

 

I guess the UP would be more direct/faster than going via the peavine. But would they allow it/take it?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/19 07:38 by exhaustED.

It seems odd that the bridge is burning from end to end.  Either no one noticed the fire shortly after it started or else the fire started at various points on the bridge at the same time.  Hmmm .

Copy19 Wrote:
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> It seems odd that the bridge is burning from end
> to end.  Either no one noticed the fire shortly
> after it started or else the fire started at
> various points on the bridge at the same time.
>  Hmmm .

Disgruntled former employee? Union Pacific 'hitman'? The Russians? NASA? 

the middle wasn't on fire in the pics, i figure it was one end?

dan Wrote:
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> the middle wasn't on fire in the pics, i figure it
> was one end?

'Long sections of the bridge' was the wording in the report.

exhaustED Wrote:
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> I guess the UP would be more direct/faster than
> going via the peavine. But would they allow
> it/take it?

first of all we are talking IF the bridge will be o.o.s.

IF the bridge is o.o.s., the b-phxlac trains (intermodal repos to sbd/ lac) could easily be given to the u.p. in phx, taken w/b around the wye at picacho onto the sunset route, and handed back to the bnsf at colton.

i have no idea what additional traffic on the dark/twc peavine with limited siding lengths would do to existing traffic, especially the z trains.........

66

goneon66 Wrote:
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> first of all we are talking IF the bridge will be o.o.s.

The wood pile approach on the west (?) end appears to be fully involved, plus ties on the steel truss. Even if the truss is OK, the wood pile trestle will have to be replaced.

Wonder how hot it's been there lately?
Could heat have started some ties on fire? or is that impossible.

I once got to hi-rail this railroad while weed spraying, That bridge is quite an impressive structure as you roll thru it. I remember lots of birds or crows up in the high parts of that bridge

Anyway that fire sure looks kind of suspicious? Hmmmm.

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

thanks for the info cpr..........

66

RailRat Wrote:
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> Wonder how hot it's been there lately?
> Could heat have started some ties on fire? or is
> that impossible.
>
> I once got to hi-rail this railroad while weed
> spraying, That bridge is quite an impressive
> structure as you roll thru it. I remember lots of
> birds or crows up in the high parts of that
> bridge
>
> Anyway that fire sure looks kind of suspicious?
> Hmmmm.

compared to 2 yrs ago, this summer was NOT that extremely hot.............

66

Pix.
 

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No reason for the bridge to be on fire, would almost have to be human caused, sad deal, right on state
line, hello FBI.

Out