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| BNSF Railway posted on July 24, 2019 at 10:32am BNSF operates in parts of the West that are prone to wildfires. That's why we have specially equipped firefighting trains that can carry up to 30,000 gallons of water to help combat fires when they do strike. Learn more on #RailTalk: https://bit.ly/2Yh31yb Jason Beardsley Proudly built by Pasco Mechanical, glad to see them helping out. [They seem to have deleted the comment about BNSF trains causing most of the fires.] |
Why not use tank cars instead of plastic tanks on bulk-head flat cars? A single tank car can hold 30,000 gallons.
Some of their fire trains do use tank cars.
It is interesting how many different designs they have come up with.
And UP has at least one.
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| BNSF [The water cannon can shoot water just 30 feet.] |
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| BNSF Railway Friends posted
BNSF specially designed and built fire trains that are at hard at work again this summer on scene at forest and grass fires throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Fire trains are rapidly deployed and can reach roadless areas – transporting both water and crews. High-powered pumps on board can shoot water up to 300 feet. The equipment is also useful after fires have been put out. Not only can it be used to fight fire directly, or to refill equipment, but it can be used to spray down to prevent flare-ups after the fire has been contained.
Several water-filled tank cars are strategically placed on BNSF routes and are equipped with the proper connections so firefighters can refill their equipment or rig hoses directly to the cars.
BNSF BNSF’s large fleet of firefighting rail equipment is deployed throughout the Pacific Northwest and is on call to support local, state and federal government fire suppression teams. The specially designed and built units quickly move tanks holding thousands of gallons of water to wild fires in remote locations. Water cannons mounted on the trains can reach 300 feet up an embankment. Cabooses provide shelter and work space for fire managers. The trains have also been used to transport firefighters to and from fire scenes. Learn more by reading the full article in Wildfire Today! |
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| BNSF Railway Friends posted
When needed, BNSF deploys firefighting rail cars to help fight wildfires near the rail network. The cars, specially designed and built by BNSF employees, hold up to 30,000 gallons of water and have a spray range of up to 300 feet.
#wildfires #firefighter #trains #railroad
Paul Yelk In the past years, BNSF used to have a fire train follow behind their freights looking for fires that may have started along side the rails. Don't know if they still do that or not here in the Spokane area.. |
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| A model of one of the cars |
It is interesting how many different designs they have come up with.
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| FirefigherNation |
And UP has at least one.
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| U.S. Forest Service-Plumas National Forest posted, the first of 10 photos posted **ORIGINAL STORY** Union Pacific has moved a Fire Train into the area to assist with fire suppression along the railroad tracks in the fire areas. This Union Pacific locomotive has a water tank car attached with a pump on top that supplies hoses, nozzles and deck guns to help extinguish fires and hot spots on or along the railroad tracks. This specialty piece of equipment is helpful for protecting the railroad infrastructure as well as reaching remote areas of the fire area. Jeanie Webb Is this actually fighting fire or wetting the area for prevention? U.S. Forest Service-Plumas National Forest Hi Jeanie, they are just pretreating the area, which is often done by fire crews as well. Thoroughly wetting the area down before the fire arrives can help prevent further spread. Jacob Rhea Jeanie Webb doing it to prevent the fire from traveling into the tunnel we’re fighting a tunnel fire is very dangerous! This prevents it to keep people safe Shane Sibley How many gallons does that train carry? U.S. Forest Service-Plumas National Forest 12,500 gallons per tanker, and the fire train has two tankers. |
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| safe_image for a video Seems fire season is making itself felt for the railroads. Union Pacific can't very well lose the use of the Feather River Route to wildfires with its primary route to the Pacific Northwest out of commission for 7 weeks due to a burnt bridge. |
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| safe_image for Fire train helps battle blaze in Yakima River Canyon
BNSF's fire trains have been called into action in Washington state. Two trains were deployed this week to help firefighters contain a wildfire burning near the track on our Fallbridge Subdivision, next to the Columbia River. One of them also assisted with the Evans Canyon Fire near Yakima. The specialized trains based in Wishram and Pasco were designed by BNSF employees and can carry 30,000 gallons of water. "Each train can take firefighters to hard-to-reach hot spots, carries 30,000 gallons of water and uses hoses to shoot water up to 30 feet away." [Surely they mean 300' instead of 30'. My garden hose can do 30'.]
BNSF's web page [This also claims a range of just 30']
[They already lost the wooden approach trestle for their Yakima River Bridge.]
This share of the link as several comments about 30' not being far enough. Another article claiming only 30'. BNSF needs to correct their press release. I would think a FireHouse site would check with BNSF PR before repeating that number. (source) "Nearly 1,000 firefighters have fought the Evans Canyon Fire with an impressive array of machines on the ground and in the air — at least 127 engines, 13 bulldozers, two tank-like skidgines, 21 water tenders, six helicopters and two airplanes." |
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| BNSF Photo via FreightWaves (source) |
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| Screenshot from KEPR video via WildfireToday, the video is here |
Harold Bruegeman posted four photos with the comment: "Fire train in the Columbia River Gourge 06-08-2020."
[They have figured out a cheaper way to build a fire train. Just put a platform on top of a tank car and hang some pumps on the bottom of the tank. Then repaint a caboose as a crew car.]
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| Jeff Lewis posted Damage to the 1,200-foot-long Dry Canyon Bridge near Hotlum, CA is expected to close UP’s main route between California and the Pacific Northwest until at least Sept. 1. Along with the bridge 9 miles of mainline require repairs as a result of the Lava Fire, which has destroyed 26,000 acres to this point. (Union Pacific) Jeff Lewis: Bob Mason I would guess they rerouted via Keddie and the BNSF Inside Gateway because the right of way is far superior to the old Siskiyou Line, now owned by Central Oregon & Pacific. [The article credits their fire train for saving 20 miles of this mainline, but the fire was too dangerous to try to save the bridge.] "At its peak, Union Pacific had about 30 people a day manning five to six water tank trains, working along a 90-mile stretch of track. About 30 miles of the 90-mile track span was actively endangered by three different fires that had broken out in the National Forest....Union Pacific even assisted federal, state and local first responders on the ground, hauling water into remote sections of the National Forest to fill trucks outfitted with water tanks on the ground, saving firefighters valuable time....Union Pacific has a fleet of about 50 water tank cars known as the Fire Car Fleet. These former tank cars were converted into water pump cars and can hold 7,000 to 23,000 gallons of water." |
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