Western Railroad Discussion > MRL Reed Point Derailment

Sounds and looks like the MRL LM derailed the rear of its train at Reed Point at Twin Bridges and the rear 8 cars of the train and two of three of the through truss spans of the bridge are in the river collapsed. This will be an interesting problem to fix as it it won’t be easy obviously. Doesn’t appear to be anyone hurt or any power involved thankfully!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/23 07:34 by NWrailfan.

bridge may hAve been effected by flooding?

https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-regional/train-falls-into-river-when-bridge-collapses-near-columbus/article_a5079524-129c-11ee-bcc1-831932344506.html



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/23 08:27 by dan.

Media just getting on it now.  A few photos but not a lot of info yet.
https://www.kulr8.com/news/train-derailed-into-yellowstone-river-outside-of-big-timber/article_0bc6f310-129b-11ee-bc7a-2f753a2530a9.html
https://www.yourbigsky.com/billings-beat/billings-breaking-train-derails-near-columbus-and-falls-into-river-derailment-near-twin-bridges/

This is HUGE. And what a shock to see a bridge I ran through hundreds of times in 19 years now down in the Yellowstone...

:^(

How viable is the line out of Laurel through Great Falls to Shelby for reroutes these days? I know there isn’t a ton of crews to run trains that way, it’s dark territory with hand throw switches but I’m trying to see how BNSF plans it’s hand in dealing with this to detour trains.

Already some trains showing detouring on the Highline. Problem will be crew avalibility now for BN, well and the fact movement planner won't be able to efficiently handle extra trains.

Yikes, and I was planning to be up there in a few days. Photo of mine from 2005. Won't be recreating this scene now!

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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Hate to see those classic through truss bridges disappear. They are not likely to be replaced with the same style of bridge. In fact, it would be interesting to know when the last through truss bridge was manufactured and installed on a US railroad.

Posted from Android

P Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In fact, it would
> be interesting to know when the last through truss
> bridge was manufactured and installed on a US
> railroad.

2020, at least.

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,5112908,5113519#msg-5113519

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FzZeyfjXwAIHto-?format=jpg&name=large

NWrailfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How viable is the line out of Laurel through Great
> Falls to Shelby for reroutes these days? I know
> there isn’t a ton of crews to run trains that
> way, it’s dark territory with hand throw
> switches but I’m trying to see how BNSF plans
> it’s hand in dealing with this to detour trains.

Biggest issue will be crews.  The Laurel Shelby line is in good shape.  Long passing sidings.  The Montana branch line dispatchers have a good grasp of the line.  The last double stack I saw through here was a good 20 years ago.  Tunnels would be the issue for the stacks.  I suspect all those would be routed onto the high line or through Denver.  And I heard grumbling on the scanner this last week that the Great Falls yard was too full.  They were having to hold trains outside of Great Falls to get a train out of the yard before the next one could come in.  With all the moisture central Montana has had, slow orders are plenty on the Laurel sub too,  The Laurel Great Falls manifests tie down at least one train a week due to expired crews.  And summertime maintenance crews never ignore the line.

As of 12:00 noon Saturday the Laurel Sub is still asleep.  The old NP line will be down for quite some time.  And with that in mind, I expect the Laurel Shelby will remain sleepy too.  But I'll keep batteries charged and the scanner on.  If things get different from what I'm expecting, I will say something, 

 

In the photos I have seen of this wreck what I do not see in the photos is the old high bridge that was no longer used that was right next to the tracks.  In Google maps a photo of this area still shows the highway bridge.  Does anyone know when the old highway bridge was removed?
 

I was just there on May 25, here is an eastbound ML led by MRL 4302 and 4407. While I waited I looked at the bridge and the high fast-moving Yellowstone River pounding at the bridge supports making the bridge slightly vibrate and I remember marveling at the raw strength of railroad bridges, heck it had been there 100 years, it would be there another 100, right? And I thought again wondering about how they account for scour against the bottom of bridge piers when high water continuously wants to erode river bottom material and you cant see to inspect anything. I'm not a bridge inspector so I let it go as the musings of an uninformed bystander, then this happens! The track seemed excellent. So I wonder if it is high-water related, time will tell...  === === = ===  JLH  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/23 13:51 by highgreengraphics.

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Deja Vu all over again as the saying goes. As I recall, November 1986 on an eastbound manifest, heavy sheet steel loaded on a bulkhead flat shifted sideways and climbed the super structure of the west trestle, tearing it off it's east abutment with cars jackknifed vertically inside of it.  Some Missoula BN crews were allowed to mark up at Great Falls to handle the detours. Seems to me took at least 3 weeks for traffic to return via Missoula.  Wide load detectors put in later, not sure if by the BN or MRL after they took the line.

highgreengraphics Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was just there on May 25 ... The
> track seemed excellent. So I wonder if it is
> high-water related, time will tell...  === === =
> ===  JLH  

interesting the supposedly toxic cars were the ones on the bridge when it failed ... high water related?

the center supports look like had been reworked

MP555 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> P Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > In fact, it would
> > be interesting to know when the last through
> truss
> > bridge was manufactured and installed on a US
> > railroad.
>
> 2020, at least.
>
> https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,
> 5112908,5113519#msg-5113519

I also vaguely remember one being replaced somewhere in the great plains a few years ago.

I suppose when clearance above the waterway is needed, this style of bridge can maximize that clearance.
While all bridge construction seems to be a large engineering effort, these truss bridges visually convey that. Good to see them still being used and manufactured.

Posted from Android

P Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hate to see those classic through truss bridges
> disappear. They are not likely to be replaced
> with the same style of bridge. In fact, it would
> be interesting to know when the last through truss
> bridge was manufactured and installed on a US
> railroad.
>
> Posted from Android

BNSF replaced on through truss, with another through truss within the last three years and was building and may have installed the next through truss at Stevenson, WA. They replaced one at Washougal, WA within the last eight years.  Also through truss.  All three locations would be difficult to do shorter spans.  But south of Vader, WA, they built a new concrete and steel bridge over the Cowlitz River, and removed the through truss there.  I guess through truss bridges do wstill have a place in the bridge world.

RR

Here's relatively new through truss bridges on BNSF near Riverside, CA, when they widened the 215 Freeway-  https://goo.gl/maps/SCeTa5n5gHqAEeUF9

mapboy

Will MRL bring out the Big Hook? Or a contractor job?
RB