A Bad Day at the BNSF Yard in La Crosse

R

Rusty Spike

Member
Dec 5, 2003
154
0
16
56
Mankato, MN
Visit site
I shot this pic in early September in La Crosse, WI. I'm not sure what happened but I bet it took some heavy equipment to clear things out. The main office at the yard was just out of view to the right - tough to have an audience on this day I bet.
 

Attachments

  • bnsf problem.jpg
    bnsf problem.jpg
    32.2 KB · Views: 247
L

LoudMusic

Member
Jul 21, 2006
620
0
16
45
Looks like something derailed the locomotive prior to that road crossing. The trailing truck appears to still be on the rails.

Good thing it wasn't longer, I guess, and that they didn't go 90 degrees over :)
 
K

KCS

Member
Nov 23, 2004
443
0
16
38
Shreveport, LA.
Look's as if te ground did give in but I wouldn't want to be standing anywhere anywhere within 500 yards just incase one of the truck springs got loose and shot off in any direction. High speed and impact would reconstruct the way you look if you live through it. :/
 
M

MadCoW1

Member
Jul 9, 2006
91
0
16
63
LaCrosse Wisconsin
Rusty Spike said:
I shot this pic in early September in La Crosse, WI. I'm not sure what happened but I bet it took some heavy equipment to clear things out. The main office at the yard was just out of view to the right - tough to have an audience on this day I bet.
Click to expand...

Hey RustySpike, I live in La Crosse and fan at Grand Crossing about everyday. The shot you have is of the remote control engine hitting a derail protecting the main. Crew was on the ground operating engine and blocks of cars by remote. This happened about 5:30am towards the end of their shift. Crew member improperly lined a switch. If a person could look directly to the left of your photo, the switching lead(called the bunny trail) deadends to a pile of rock. They have run the engine into this pile at least twice in the last year. The weight of the engine not speed caused the asphalt to give. It is really only a walkway for employees parking across tracks. At least the derail did it's job.

Johnny
 
Hoghead

Hoghead

Member
Jul 10, 2002
177
0
16
57
Eastern US
Visit site
Railroad economics at it's best.

Replace the engineer with a box.

The extra set of eyes in the cab can see an improperly lined switch vs. two crew members on the ground who more often then not are quite a distance away from the head end.

Although they won't admit it, the RCO has cost more to the railroads then money saved from not having an engineer on the job with derailments and decreased productivity.
 
R

Rusty Spike

Member
Dec 5, 2003
154
0
16
56
Mankato, MN
Visit site
Thanks for the inside scoop. Grand crossing looks like a great railfan spot. Can you stand on the car bridge just above the crossing? How many trains a day and what railroads go through? I'll be going back through this coming Thursday and may have to make some more time to eyeball what's going on.

Funny thing about that remote control engine and hitting the points the wrong way - I just did that yesterday on my HO layout and derailed an AC6000. I had an engineer in the cab but I don't give him control over the train.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom