Western Railroad Discussion > Progress Report on Fire-Destroyed Bridge Replacement

Last Thursday, April 1, a wildfire destroyed a trestle on the BNSF Zap Sub. https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,5227777. Today I got a chance to visit the site. The damaged trestle has been completely removed and contractors are currently driving new, steel pilings. They are working 24/7 as portable lighting and generators are on site. The location is approximately MP 23. BNSF has also moved approximately 100 westbound cars into the Sanger siding. Also I spotted several MOW pieces of equipment moving on the rails at MP 21.

Contrary to previous rumors, there was no work train. The "special" train called the other day was to move those cars from Mandan to Sanger. These photos show how the fire moved, pushed by 40 mph winds.

1. The fire originated behind this shot, jumped the east-west road
2. It then jumped the north-south road, headed for the BNSF ROW
3. Once to the ROW, the winds pushed the flames northward through brush and trees towards the trestle
two more

Bismarck Bill

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4. Pile driver banging away. You can see the gap where the trestle used to be. The Missouri River is in the background.
5. Overview of the site from the Sanger Cemetary. Note the lowness of the Missouri River due to extreme drought conditions

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Thanks for the interesting info on the trestle fire and the replacement work. Dry as a bone in the backyard!

Larry

Its easy to see how a dry old wooden trestle, probably creosoted timbers,would go up in smoke, in the path of a grass fire. As a dumb teen I threw our dry Christmas Tree on the lit burn barrel one evening. Well that didn't go so well. The whole family ran out of the house with shovels and brooms. We contained it to our property but that didn't sit so well with Dad. Dad was one of 8 co-founders of the local fire department!
Thanks for the photo report.
Go

Thanks for the interesting photo coverage and am looking forward to more progressive build photos if you are in the area.
Brian Stevens