These are notes that I am writing to help me learn our industrial history. They are my best understanding, but that does not mean they are a correct understanding.
Northern KK Bridge, UP/C&NW: (Bridge Hunter; 3D Satellite)
Southern KK Bridge, Lost/UP/C&NW: (Satellite, you can see the slant of the bridge abutments because the track crossed the river on an angle.)
Greg Mross posted
The CNW had 2 bridges over the KK river in Milwaukee, WI. Both were double tracked at one time and saw a lot of trains. Traffic had declined significantly on both bridges when I took this image of the Madison Division bridge in April of 1986. This line was abandoned soon after and the bridge demolished in 1996. The other bridge still exists but hosts only a few trains a week. Rich Peters A friend of mine worked as a bridge tender and all of these bridges. Not enough work on one bridge for just one guy. He handled all of them. Bart Culbertson The bridge house caught on fire in the late 80s when I got the territory from Proviso to Milwaukee and up to Escanaba . I recall that the bridge was removed very shortly after I got that territory as Bridge Supervisor. Traffic was routed over the Milwaukee bridge.
I put a blue rectangle around the existing UP/C&NW bridge and a yellow rectangle around the Lost/C&NW bridge. For completeness, I added a green rectangle around the Trail/UP/C&NW Bridge over the Milwaukee River. I also include the entire C&NW branch that used the southern bridge including the roundhouse at its southern end.
1958 Milwaukee and Glendale Quadrangles @ 1:24,000
Ben Stalvey posted
Seen this neat piece of equipment in Green Bay WI. Couldn't get closer to it for better pictures. Dell Cobb Kershaw yard cleaner. Has a broom under it like a ballast regulator, but it sweeps everything onto a bucket chain that dumps onto a conveyor belt. You normally hook onto a gondola or hopper car and load the railcar, but you can also slew the conveyor to one side and either load dump trucks or just leave it in a windrow to be picked up by a loader. We have one that's a bit older than the one in the picture. Works great for cleaning the tracks at mines, quarries, and power plants.
Hearald-Review Photo Gallery [When it was built in 1919, there must have already been plans made to build the Lake Decatur Dam because the lower part is obviously designed to accommodate being flooded.]
This pump house was built in 1919 to provide water for the A. E. Staley Manufacturing Co. Google Maps shows the plant is now owned by ADM Bioproducts. When built, the first floor was the pump house and the second floor was a "clubhouse." It hosted weddings, dances and parties from the 1920s to the 1980s." [Hearald-Review-tour, photo caption] But Tate & Lyle, who obtained ownership of the pump house when they bought A. E. Staley, has not used the building. They now claim it is rotten enough that they need to tear it down. But they have to pay for the remediation of asbestos and lead paint even if they tear it down. So why not restore an event space to an event space? Bret Robertson has asked the same question. But his efforts to try to save it are being dismissed by the mayor as well as Tate & Lyle.
I wonder were attendees for the clubhouse events in the past parked. I noticed on a satellite image that the building seems to be isolated, and that is one of the arguments given for not saving it.
Once again, I save a satellite image while I can still get one.
Dennis DeBruler posted two images with the comment:
What was the name of the B&OCT yard shown in red on the first map? The reason I ask is that I noticed on a 1960 Whiting Quadrangle @ 1:24,000 that there used to be a roundhouse south of 121st Street along this yard. And because, according to a satellite image, some of the tracks still exist and handle tank cars for the BP refinery. The historic aerials web site does not show the roundhouse in a 1959 image, but it does show it in a 1952 image.
Continental used to lease this elevator as well as the former Glidden Elevator. This one was referred to as House C and the other one was House B. The other one is still operational, but this one has been abandoned since Continental allowed their lease to expire. I've noticed that most Seaway ships are now loaded in Toledo, OH at ADM, Andersons, and Cargill, which is operated by Andersons.
1990s photo provided by Greg White
I saved the satellite image because the Laker is supposed to be towed away for scrapping in 2020.
3D Satellite
[The two marine unloaders are still intact.]
The freighter was used a supplementary storage.
Fred Miller II posted CTC #1, at South Chicago, 1988, while still being used as a storage hull, the former STEELTON, also sailed in 1979 as PIONEER for Cleveland Cliffs. Kyle Herdman: Jacob Northup she was sold for scrap a couple of years ago. Somehow, she’s still there. John Philbin: Probably too ripe to get USCG approval to tow her to a scrapyard.
The grain elevator is owned by the Illinois International Port.
The Laker was built in 1942 as one of 16 war time iron ore freighters. "The ship continued to ferry bulk materials around the Great Lakes until 1980, when it was converted into a cement storage facility, a job it stopped doing in 2009." [WBEZ]
What appears to be a self-unloading boom on C-T-C #1 is rather short. Grain freighters don't need a long boom because they unload into a hopper on the side of a grain elevator. But this boat was never used for grain. Its last function was cement storage and transfer. [Boatnerd]
John Jacob, Oct 2019, cropped Willie Gettit posted Justin Olsen: I don’t think the engine has been removed. Richard Jenkins: Justin Olsen the engine is still in place, but heavily stripped for parts to keep some of her sisters going during the 1980s and early 90s. Bernie Phillip Lomack: 1943. Wow she’s one old gal !!! Kyle Herdman: Back in 2019, the Chicago Tribune wrote that it was supposed to be towed to scrap…never happened, obviously. Here is the article: https://www.chicagotribune.com/.../ct-port-of-chicago... Rob Boal: this was the steelton that knocked down the bridge in thorold
Chicago Woodsman, Oct 2018, cropped
[I question if this is the same ship. 1) I thought the freighter at the grain elevator has been there for years. 2) It doesn't have enough rust. 3) It still has quite a bit of equipment on top of the bridge.]
The freighter is getting some attention because it is supposed to be scrapped in 2020. I thought about driving there to get my own photos. But the circles of barb wire on top of the fence confirms my theory that it is not worth the drive because I won't be able to get very close to it.
Gabriel Stokes posted
This is a borrowed photo, (haven't been up by here in a while, sorry!) But I just recently read the story of the Frank Purnell, aka CTC 1, the old lake ship rusting in Lake Calumet, at the Port of Chicago. I had seen it when I worked on the river, but didn't know the story until recently. Any newer pictures would be appreciated! Pete DePaoli It's to be scrapped next year, estimates say itll bring about 600k for scrap metal. Chris Nighswonger Audio interview says too much asbestos to make money on scrapping. Ronald Joseph James I have a video of it on my YouTube page @SocialWreckUrbEx
Andrew Ricci posted, cropped Some of you may recognize these silos, that laker has been there since 1985, I read somewhere it is inrepairable, and plans to scrap it some day. Dennis DeBruler: That is the first time I've seen the date 1985. Thanks for the info. https://goo.gl/maps/LZUiGovHMfm6zVE28 Andrew Ricci: Dennis DeBruler just found out been mored there since 1982 Rick Drew: From what I read, it was gutted and used as basically as a barge - it was supposed to have been moved and scrapped last year [2021].
While looking at a satellite map for the location of the Canadian Pacific trestle in Parry Sound, ON, I spotted this dam. The concrete in the dam is in such bad shape that I decided to research it further. Also, the gates are just flood boards and a sluice gate. Bracebridge Generation built hydrodams in various communities in Ontario. This powerhouse by Cascade Street was built in 1919 with a capacity of 1.2mw.
In 2017, a new C$17m powerhouse that can generate 3.1mw became operational. [WaterCanada] C$17m is USS$13.8m. "Ontario has about 8,800 MW of installed hydroelectric capacity." 23% of the generating capacity in Ontario is hydroelectric. [HydroReview]
I saved the 2013 Street View below because hopefully the upgrade included repairs to the dam and this image will change. It will be interesting to see when Google updates the street view so that I can check the dam again.
This is one of the longest trestle bridges east of the rocky mountains. The rail is about 125' above the river and the concrete piers are 90' high. [CanadianTeacher, p85]
David Brook posted
Parry Sound; home of the arguably most famous bridge in Ontario. Amy Brook Why is it famous? David Brook Tom Thompson painted it in 1914, as it was being built, but with views available from the adjacent fire tower (still open to the public), it's kind of an icon to anyone in Ontario (and further) who likes trains. It's easy to see, but trains kind of leap out of the woods and just hang there. And when you imagine in winter in the days of steam....it's a special place.
I noticed that the other railroad going through this town looped upstream so that they could use a shorter and lower bridge to cross the river. That bridge was a former CP and CN bridge that was abandoned in 1984. It has been converted to a trail.
So why did the above freight train cross the bridge so much faster than the passenger train in the video below? Does the passenger train make a station stop in Parry Sound? Yep, we see it stop at the end of the video at a Via station. It probably enters the bridge slowly to minimize the forces on the bridge that would be generated by slowing down a fast moving train for the station stop. This train is incredibly long by Amtrak standards. The California Zephyr I rode on during the Thanksgiving holiday had just nine cars: crew car, 3 sleepers, dining car, lounge car, and 3 coaches.
A view of the upstream side of the trestle that includes the smaller bridge in the foreground.
(new window) It's interesting that CP mixes manifest freight with intermodal traffic.
I know I said I wasn't going to talk about derailments anymore, but CSX managed to trip my "two reports on the same topic in two days" rule. I had buried what appears to be a stringline derailment on a Harpers Ferry Bridge in the notes on that bridge. But I have moved that information to these notes and added some updates. The photos of the derailments do provide additional views of bridges.
Pete Darmody posted two photos with the comment: "More from Harpers Ferry 12/21/19 and Cranemasters at CSX wreck." From the piers for an old alignment, we can see that it did not have an S-curve in its approach.
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I read a comment that CSX was lucky that this happened around 2:30am and that no one was using the Appalachian Trail. The above photos show that some cars rolled over the trail on their way to the river. There were no injuries. The grain cars were empty. It comes as no surprise that CSX is saying that there will be an investigation.
The trail is now closed indefinitely. This is expected to impact the economy of Harpers Ferry because it will reduce the tourist traffic.
NPS/T. Troxel (I presume this is the National Park Service)
[The river looks rather shallow.]
Posts seen the next day.
Jay Gillitzer posted
Train derailment in Harpers Ferry WV. How’d ya like to run that rig on the bridge??
Not my photo or job. Looks like Cranemasters doing cleanup. Bud Lee That’s cranemasters for sure.
According to his comment on a post, this is Zak Long's photo
Bud Lee commented on Jay's post
[I've never seen a Cranemaster jig like this before. Normally they use telescoping booms on crawler tracks. I wonder what they do when the outriggers are in the air because of a bridge or steep embankment. Can they clamp to the rail?]
safe_image courtesy Erik Eastman, Susan Murphy shared a link
[This article has over a dozen photos.] Al Snyder This happened right after they pulled away from having been stopped at a stop signal. If the engineer started pulling really hard before the brakes were released on the rear, it could cause string lining on the sharp curve that is there. Jeff Moser Funny we just had a train derailment by Harpers Ferry too...in Iowa...4 cars in the water..
Pete Darmody posted
[So the cars have been removed and they are working on the rails? The trail was obviously smashed real good.]
safe_image, Mark Ricker shared a link
Steve Roberts derailments happen everyday somewhere... why is this one getting so much attention?
[This article adds the information that the trains consisted of just seven empty grain cars. It would be hard to stringline a train that didn't have loaded cars behind empty cars. A video indicates that Hulcher arrived first but decided that just sidebooms and excavators couldn't do this job and that Cranemaster was needed.]
But this screenshot from panoramic drone view shows the seven cars is what was left after they removed the cars that did not get derailed. So stringlining while restarting the train after a stop is back on the table as the probably cause. If the entire train was empty grain cars, which it probably was since it consists of a lot of BNSF gain cars, the the fault is on the engineer, not train makeup. The engineer was pulling too hard on a S-curve to restart the train.
Dan Gurley shared a link with the headline: "CSX: Tracks affected by train derailment at Harpers Ferry crossing over the Potomac River reopened Sunday." Unfortunately, the link is a paywall for me. (The image is of the wreck, not the recovery so I didn't bother to include it.) Stevie Knox Proving there was no meaningful damage to the bridge.
Pete Darmody posted two photos with the comment: "The CSX Shenandoah branch is back in operation: Rest of the derailment train sent through and Some minor track work remains but great job by Crane masters and Hulcher 12/22/19"
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Railfan Rowan's video was Sunday morning, and it looks like Cranemaster had already loaded up one of its Mantis cranes (telescopic boom on crawler tracks) to leave the scene. The police allowed Rowan to walk to the river and at 6:34 he shows the destroyed walk path. The curve is still a wood trestle. It amazes me how much Class I railroads still use wood viaducts.
(new window, the link broke. Once again, it appears that a railroad is trying to hide the truth.)
Update Feb 24, 2020: Maxwell Fransen shared the following link. Leonard J. Camarata Rough handling and excessive speed. Chris TealLeonard J. Camarata nope. Engineer pulled empty cars without releasing the brakes. His second major. [I believe Chris because other reports indicate the train was stopped before the curve. Since it was a unit train, the usual reason for a stringline derailment, poor train makeup, does not apply.]
safe_image Harpers Ferry, W.Va., footbridge is closed indefinitely after December train derailment[When I read about this derailment, I was afraid that CSX would refuse to replace the train bridge because of "safety issues." And when I this headline, I was afraid that my fear had come true. CSX got the tracks restored within a day, but NPS is still studying the trail repair. CSX will cover thec ost for repairs. 100s of thousands of hikers use the trail each year. The article says "trail advocates fear that hikers may turn to heavily trafficked U.S. Route 340, which has narrow shoulders and no pedestrian facilities." But if you look at the US-340 Bridge, it has a trailway on one side. But zooming out, that is to get the hiker from the southwest to the northeast side of the Shenandoah River. The wrecked trailway is needed to get the hikers across the Potomac River. Looking at the map some more, the risk is that they will stay on US-340 and then use this bridge to get back to the trail. There is a shuttle service, but there is a concern about the willingness of hikers to use it.]
Harris Douglas posted
This derailment just happened on River Road in Cincinnati. It’s on the CSX line into Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Harris Douglas Here is a link to the story: https://www.wcpo.com/.../pd-train-derailment-closes-river...
"Lanes have reopened after a derailed train shut down River Road between Bender and Darby Roads for hours on Sunday morning. Fifty Cincinnati firefighters responded to the crash near the 5400 block of River Road at about 5:25 a.m. Officials said eight cars from a moving train and 10 cars from an idle train had derailed, with most of the cars empty at the time of the crash. No one was injured."
I found a link to a Jasmine Minor video. That one was boring because it was just flashing lights on a fire truck. But if you scroll down there is a more interesting video. It shows that the road was closed as a precautionary measure and a parking lot for first responder's equipment. I wonder how long it took the 50 firefighters to conclude that there was no hazardous materials. Specifically, I wonder how long they blocked regular traffic from using this road.
Cincy Fire & EMS
Our Hazardous Materials Firefighters continue to operate on River Rd. No hazard exists outside of the immediate area.
Now I wonder what kind of hazard existed in the immediate area.
Cincinnati Fire Department via NYdailyNews (source) [No new information, but the photo is of the non-public side.] Devin KernQuentin is that car on the right one we always see in the yard that says “Refuse”!? Quentin JohnsonDevin Kern yep Nick Hesse That Refuse car has also made its rounds through our yards here in Iowa.
James Michael Franklin It seems cyclical. The heads slack off on MOW ,and when it falls apart ,they find the money to come fix it ! Darin LongJames Michael Franklin your are right. Wonder how much money they truly waste by having to pay for wreck clean up and the damages caused vs. just doing normal maintenance. Fernando A GomezJames Michael Franklin it is all about money, the road master don’t want to spend the money, because of the budget, but if it is a derailment it comes from another budget, it is aggravating to deal with it. Just games. Chris AlthouseDarin Long. Derailments are tax right offs.
Matt Overstake Signal department’s fault. Chris LajcinMatt Overstake I know some of the circuit designers and checkers that did a ton of work in and around Queengate. It wouldn't surprise if it was a signal issue. Especially after the same group designed a false proceed at Fostoria.
[I wonder if this is why I saw a photo of a CSX train parked just feet from the diamond that had a NS train on the other track a few years ago.]
Holt Collier Crash. Spill. Xplode Bryan Lee Wonder if this derailment will be posted as much as the Harpers Ferry one?
Lukas Irons shared the same WCPO link that Harris Douglas provided above. James Nobbe Q576 was the train - local indications are a car 15-20 deep picked switch. AOKX sand car sticking up in air is propped up on and resting on top of the St Joe Switcher's power which was tied up in its normal resting spot at Trautman Yard just west of Cincinnati on the Indiana Sub, Indiana Sub occasionally sees Q254, and routinely gets at least one if not all 3 of Q504, Q574, and Q576. 254 is staying on LIRC and running via Indianapolis, while the 3 manifests are running via the LCL until tracks restored. Dennis DeBruler Thanks for some information. Of course the only thing CSX PR is saying is "the accident is under investigation."
The parked train was on one of two CSX sidings by the Cargill grain elevator. In the video, I see that the Central Railroad Of Indiana (CIND) tracks are between the CSX tracks and River Road.
You can see some sidebooms (RJ Corman) on the scene. At 2:24 they lift and move a tank car a little bit. At 8:17 the videographer zooms out just in time to catch the extension of the counterweight for a lift and move. At 9:49 it looks like an excavator is helping three sidebooms get a move started. I like how at least some of the sidebooms are equipped with cutting torch tanks. At 12:12 we see that a coil car cover is ConRail. At 13:21, they are sliding a car on its side on the rails. Two ribbons of steel is not much friction. I used the slider to skip most of the autorack train.
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Georgia Drone Pros, LLC posted nine photos with the comment: "Putting a Norfolk Southern locomotive engine being lifted and put onto a flat bed to be hauled off. That was derailed back on the tracks to a flat car in Perry,Ga." James Hagan Does Pioneer Railroad still operate that line? I'm guessing they do and were leasing that NS Locomotive. Dave Liverett Damn. Brand new locomotive too...
Scott Jordan shared Ken Jamin At one derailment, a side boom operator was trying to recover a boxcar that had slid down an embankment. He had it part way up when it started sliding down the hill again as he frantically tried to keep from losing control of it. The towing wire was as tight as a guitar string when somebody hollered, “Hey!! Lookit that! That ol’ boy’s tryin’ to bait-cast that side boom!! Hold ‘im, boy, hold onto him!!” When the operator finally got it stopped, there was smoke rising from the drum brake on the winch!!! Steven Muir 8 idiots watch 1 huge idiot standing underneath a suspended load....wow...speechless. Ken Jamin As an FRA inspector I’ve been to a more than a few off these “goat ropings” and I never ceased to be impressed by the skill of the side boom operators but I always observed them from a safe distance. Ken Jamin Those side boom operators are artists and can make a pull or a move within @an inch of where you need them.
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[So much gravel on one side, and so little on the other. Will they clean out that drainage ditch by the road before they leave?]
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Ken Jamin commented on Scott's post
Here's a kitted-out sideboom, up close and personal. Note the hand tools, torches on the other side, slings for lifting. I think the "bird cage" around the operator is for moral support because I don't think it would do much if a load or wire slips or breaks under load. The red boom indicates this one is from RJ Corman. Hulcher has yellow booms.
Georgia Drone Pros, LLC posted a video of the loading of a wrecked locomotive Norfolk Southern locomotive engine being lifted and put onto a flat car to be hauled off.. ET44AC machine is 75 feet long, 16 feet tall and weighs 426,000 pounds. Dave Lynn What happened to the crew on that? I hope they are ok! William Shoe Dave Lynn it was running a a DPU (Distributed Power Unit) midway back, the crew was at the front on the lead engine so no injuries. Only thing hurt was the pockets of NS if at all. Ernest Kyle No trucks under is so its about 60 tons lighter Brad M Johnson A T4 no less. Couldn't they have wrecked literally anything else?
Mark Gregory commented on a post
We Built them in Erie pa. I have made many parts on them as Tool&Die maker then later worked high crane maintenance in the plant.
Here’s one being put on temp trucks to roll out to paint.
An earlier video shows they needed all of that gravel to get the locomotive back up the embankment to the track.
Jan 31, 2020: 13WMAZ has an update The train was carrying hazardous materials about 3-4 cars back from those that fell off the track. The article has a photo gallery.
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CP needs sidebooms in LeClaire, IA
No injuries. But CP was real lucky that no one was in the parking lot of the Buffalo Bill Museum. And that the cars zigged towards the river rather than zagged towards the businesses along Route 67. And that the leaking chemical wasn't flammable.
Scott County IA Emergency Management Agency posted
UPDATE: At 11:03am, dispatchers at the Scott Emergency Communication Center received the call of a train derailment in LeClaire, Iowa. First responders were dispatched to the scene at 11:04am and LeClaire Police Department, LeClaire Fire Department, Bettendorf Fire/HAZMAT, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, and Scott County Emergency Management Agency responded at the scene. They arrived to a multiple car derailment. Canadian Pacific Railroad (CP Rail) was notified of the incident. Liquid was found to be running from one of the rail tanks. According to HAZMAT responders and environmental specialists with CP Rail, there are no indications that the chemical has or will impact the Mississippi River. There is not a public safety or health risk associated with the spilled chemical.
The situation continues to be monitored. Public safety officials closed US 67/Cody Road and Eagle Ridge Road to prevent traffic entering the area. Initial evacuations of the immediate area were made; however, at this time, business are beginning to reopen. A mobile command center has been established on site. Responders continue to coordinate efforts with CP Rail. CP Rail has mobilized multiple responders to the scene and are already beginning cleanup and remediation efforts.
Officials expect US 67/Cody Road and Eagle Ridge Road to open up by 3:00 p.m. Don Gerdts Heard broken rail. Couldn't get 'er backed down in time. 40MPH Track Speed. Chris Althouse Don Gerdts . Should of gotten a Indication? Eric Slekovac Not if it broke under the train.
WQAD screenshot from a newscast video
@ 1:15 "Hazmat crews determined that an unknown chemical that came from the train wasn't a threat to the public or the river." [If the chemical was unknown, how did they know it was benign? They did clean it up.]
(new window) "On 01/03/20 a little after 11:00 AM Canadian Pacific train 475 from Kansas City to St. Paul, hit broken rail in LeClaire, IA on the Davenport Sub derailing 24-25 cars."
This source also indicates a 2' piece of broken rail. Our winter has been rather mild this year. I wonder why the rail broke. "150 cars, about 10,000' long." The leaky car was caustic, 3082. Only three of the 24 cars had a load.
Someplace I read it took 12 hours to get the mainline open again. The businesses were allowed to open 4 hours later. (The derailment happened at 11:00am, and the evacuation order was lifted aaround 3:00pm.)
BNSF probably needs more than sidebooms in the mountains
The content concerning BNSF derailing into the Kootenai River has been moved to here.
UP had about 35 cars leave the rails and 18 of them piled up near Menomonie, WI
The accident happened near 190th Street crossing about 10 miles northwest of Menomonie, WI. UP continues to luck out with no hazardous spills and no injuries. Given that the accident happened around 4pm on a Sunday afternoon (1-12-2020), what are the odds that no ran into the mess that UP dumped onto the highway?
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