Western Railroad Discussion > Particularly Dangerous Trip Ahead

Just after noon on November 29, 2022, NS 7300 (EMD SD70ACU) and NS 4501 (GE AC44C6M) lead Dallas to Atlanta Intermodal Train I-DAAT as the train crosses the Mississippi River Bridge at Vicksburg on the KCS/NS Meridian Speedway.  As I was capturing this image, the Storm Prediction Center issued a PDS (Particularly Dangerous Situation) Tornado Watch for this area, making the dark clouds gathering across the river even more ominous.  This crew will likely have a rough trip through the afternoon and into the nighttime hours.

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Good stuff Danny!  Pretty rare to see an SD70ACU leading off NS territory!

I got involved with a freight claim from a Class 1 that deliberately dispatched a double-stack into predicted 90mph crosswinds, didn't go well at all, blew off a bridge.

Even with lineside wind detectors, stuff happens.   For fun, look up the video on YouTube of the container train blowing off the Huey Long NOPB bridge.
 

Nice image!

You can tell the river level is down,

randgust Wrote:
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>
> Even with lineside wind detectors, stuff
> happens.

I had a train blow off the railroad at Bison MT, between Summit and Glacier Park (BN). I was talking to the conductor as the caboose and the hind three cars were going over the side. There was a wind speed indicator in the telegraph office at Summit and one in the dispatchers office for Browning. As the conductor was saying that they're going over, the operator at summit, knowing I would ask, came on the dispatcher phone with "calm here" as I looked at Browning to see calm there too. Just an isolated gust coming through a valley. Sometimes you just can't tell.

TAW 
 

Nicely done Danny!  Like that you caught the river tow and the way the flag just pops against the brooding skies.  You always seem to find the right place at the right time.
Tom Kline
Houston, TX
 

IOTD material if ever there was such a thing. Exceptional image.
—Mac

Great photo and yes by the time I am writing this the weather there has become wicked.

The barge pilot probably has more to worry about than the crew of the train.

randgust Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I got involved with a freight claim from a Class 1
> that deliberately dispatched a double-stack into
> predicted 90mph crosswinds, didn't go well at all,
> blew off a bridge.
>
> Even with lineside wind detectors, stuff
> happens.   For fun, look up the video on YouTube
> of the container train blowing off the Huey Long
> NOPB bridge.
>  
The actual title of the video shot by WGNO reporter Jabari Thomas inside of an automobile, at the moment that the containers/railcars fell, and posted by Jeremy C. Dunn, is: " Train Blown Off New Orleans Bridge During Storm "

(SP)2472Don
Kahala, O'ahu

Congratulations on Image of the Day!

Jim