Western Railroad Discussion > NS files for trackage rights over KCS

https://www.stb.gov/filings/all.nsf/ba7f93537688b8e5852573210004b318/825d3fb22ba1dfac8525848f0041f08b/$FILE/248577.pdf

Interestingly NS says it doesn’t know when its KC route will re-open with a new bridge over the Grand River.

Posted from iPhone

The Grand River had dropped but.... We've had heavy rain in northern Missouri and the forecast for the Grand River upstream from the NS bridge is to rise about 15 ft or so over the next 24 hrs which means more flooding.  The forecast for the river at NS bridge site is to rise about 5 feet.  Note that the actual gauge at that site (Hwy 24 bridge) has been working intermittently. NS and KCS have a connection in Mexico MO.  They practically are side-by-side from a few miles west of Centralia MO to Mexico.

Bruce

The old Rock Island or MKT would have been fine for detours.

Going to be one busy piece of railroad.

Since NS is going to need more time, I wonder if it will try to build a bridge with a bit more clearance over the river?

A couple of questions:  Has the UP finalized it's trackage rights over NS and how will this affect them?  Lots of rain further north and it got cold too!  Drat!

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

usmc1401 Wrote:
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> The old Rock Island or MKT would have been fine
> for detours.

Keeping otherwise unneeded track around as an insurance policy against isolated incidents like bridge washouts is not economically feasible.

       Clearance over the river didn't seem to be the problem when the bridge went over. It was the huge amount of debris being pushed by the water that generated thousands of tons of force and finally shoved the bridge out of the way. The debris was riding on TOP of the water. This debris will continue to lay there waiting just like the dead, dry forest debris in California just waiting to be set ablaze.Clean out the debris BEFORE it tears up your infrastructure - simple.

dcfbalcoS1 Wrote:
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>        Clearance over the river didn't seem to
> be the problem when the bridge went over. It was
> the huge amount of debris being pushed by the
> water that generated thousands of tons of force
> and finally shoved the bridge out of the way. The
> debris was riding on TOP of the water. 

??? Debris on top of the water. Yes, more clearance WOULD have made a difference.

With the severe spring flooding at that location, I wonder how so much debris accumulated so soon.  Looks like a lot of it would have been washed away in the spring.  Back in the day, when the railroads had some man-power, they used to send men out with 12-14 foot pike poles to push debris away from bridges.  Current safety rules would probably not allow that dangerous work however.  Guess I answered my own question there.