Bridge over Yellowstone River collapses, sending freight train into the waters below

[rangerrebew]

Bridge over Yellowstone River collapses, sending freight train into the waters below
Published: Jun. 24, 2023, 4:42 p.m.
 
Several train cars are immersed in the Yellowstone River after a bridge collapse near Columbus, Mont., on Saturday, June 24, 2023. The bridge collapsed overnight, causing a train that was traveling over it to plunge into the water below. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)AP
 
By The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Mont. (AP) — A bridge that crosses the Yellowstone River in Montana collapsed early Saturday, plunging portions of a freight train carrying hazardous materials into the rushing water below.

The train cars were carrying asphalt and sulfur, said David Stamey, Stillwater County’s chief of emergency services. Officials shut down drinking water intakes downstream while they evaluated the danger. An Associated Press reporter witnessed a yellow substance coming out of some of the tank cars.


However, Stamey said there was no immediate danger for the crews working at the site, and the hazardous material was being diluted by the swollen river. There were eight rail cars in the river or on the part of the bridge that collapsed.

The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported, Montana Rail Link spokesman Andy Garland said in a statement.

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2023/06/bridge-over-yellowstone-river-collapses-sending-freight-train-into-the-waters-below.html

[rangerrebew]

Is this "collapse" like the Canadian wildfires being blamed on global warming?

[libertybele]

The train was carrying hazardous materials and now it's dumped into the Yellowstone river.   

....hmm...who is in charge of making sure that our infrastructure is sound and secure???

[libertybele]

[Smokin Joe]

Looks like the supporting pier collapsed. There should have been one at each end of the truss in the background.

Note the current...(and watch someone blame 'climate change' before it is over).

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

The train was carrying hazardous materials and now it's dumped into the Yellowstone river.   

....hmm...who is in charge of making sure that our infrastructure is sound and secure???

I believe the railroads own the property, so they are. They should be paying for their damage they're causing.

[mystery-ak]

Bridge collapse launches freight carrying contaminants into Yellowstone River
By Deirdre Bardolf   
June 24, 2023 4:13pm



A freight train has caused a fright in Montana after derailing into the Yellowstone River following an overnight bridge collapse.

The bridge crumbled and sent portions of the train, including some cars potentially carrying hazardous material, plunging into the water below.

“I’m monitoring the train derailment in Stillwater County, and the state is standing by to support as Montana Rail Link and county officials assess their needs,” Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said Saturday on Twitter.

“There is no immediate threat to Yellowstone County,” the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office posted to social media, adding, “Precautions are being put in place.”

A total of eight rail cars were involved and, despite initial reports, none contained oil, the Stillwater County News reported.

The cars were shuttling asphalt and another substance that officials are working to identify but described them as “slow moving” and not spreading much, according to Columbus Fire Chief Rich Cowger and county Department of Emergency Services Chief David Stamey.

Residents have nonetheless been told to conserve water and treatment plants have introduced emergency measures, the Daily Mail reported.

The train crew was safe and no injuries were reported after the bridge collapse, according to the Montana Rail Link.

Boat ramps and fishing spots downstream were shut off by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks department.



more
https://nypost.com/2023/06/24/yellowstone-bridge-collapses-sends-freight-train-into-river/

[Smokin Joe]

The bottom photo shows the failure of the support pillar better than the riverbank level image does.

[PeteS in CA]

Any info yet on what caused the support to collapse? Overloaded train? Material failure? Undermined by flooding? ???

[bigheadfred]

Any info yet on what caused the support to collapse? Overloaded train? Material failure? Undermined by flooding? ???

There hasn't been an official explanation, but I suspect erosion around the support due to flooding.

Local residents told ABC News that the river was running high after heavy rainfall over the last month, including a storm the prior evening.

"It's completely muddy, so it's bringing a lot of material down with it," said John Counter, who lives roughly two miles from the collapsed bridge. "It's running full banks right now."

Counter added that the bridge included a portion for car traffic, which was removed recently. Yellowstone Public Radio reported in 2021 that the section of the bridge was removed after erosion made it a risk to the public

.

https://abc7.com/train-bridge-collapse-into-yellowstone-river/13423960/

[Idiot]

There hasn't been an official explanation, but I suspect erosion around the support due to flooding.
.

https://abc7.com/train-bridge-collapse-into-yellowstone-river/13423960/

Yup.  Had to be climate change. /S

[Fishrrman]

This happened on the [former] "Montana Rail Link".

MRL was a regional line created when Burlington Northern didn't want to keep this segment of track (it's actually fairly long -- around 900 miles).

I believe MRL leased the trackage from BN, and operated as an independent regional line for around 25 years or so. See this page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montana_Rail_Link

However, not long ago BN decided it wanted that track back, so MRL was re-incorporated into BN, and the trains are now run by BN again.

But I'm wondering if some maintenance could have fallen behind during the MRL era (since it was running on track it leased, but didn't own)? This is common on railroads, especially during lean times.

Looking at the pics, it looks like one of the bridge abutments had recently been refurbished. But perhaps the others weren't in such condition?

The river could also have undermined the abutment that seems to be at the center of the derailment.

There's a saying on the railroad.
The poster "ironhorsedriver" would know it right away.
Goes like this:
Q.
"When does something get fixed on the railroad?"

Applying "the answer" to the bridge in question:
Now they'll fix it.

[Smokin Joe]

This happened on the [former] "Montana Rail Link".

MRL was a regional line created when Burlington Northern didn't want to keep this segment of track (it's actually fairly long -- around 900 miles).

I believe MRL leased the trackage from BN, and operated as an independent regional line for around 25 years or so. See this page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montana_Rail_Link

However, not long ago BN decided it wanted that track back, so MRL was re-incorporated into BN, and the trains are now run by BN again.

But I'm wondering if some maintenance could have fallen behind during the MRL era (since it was running on track it leased, but didn't own)? Common or railroads, especially during lean times.

Looking at the pics, it looks like one of the bridge abutments had recently been refurbished. But perhaps the others weren't in such condition?

The river could also have undermined the abutment that seems to be at the center of the derailment.

There's a saying on the railroad.
The poster "ironhorsedriver" would know it right away.
Goes like this:
Q.
"When does something get fixed on the railroad?"

Applying "the answer" to the bridge in question:
Now they'll fix it.

The bridge appears to have been three truss sections, supported on the ends. one of those support piers is conspicuously absent where the bridge collapsed. Whether undermined, damaged to the point of failure or some combination, I don't know, and reckon we'll have to wait for more information.

[DB]

Something heavy like a loose barge going down the river could have hit it as well knocking it out.

[DB]

Thinking about it, the missing abutment must have been there to some degree when the first engine/cars went over it or they wouldn't have made it past that point. It looks like most of the train cars made it over the bridge. The arial photo and bank photos are from the opposite sides the bridge.

[GtHawk]

Something heavy like a loose barge going down the river could have hit it as well knocking it out.

I don't believe there is barge traffic on the Yellowstone, it was deemed too expensive to channelize the river for barges, rail was a cheaper option.

[Smokin Joe]

Something heavy like a loose barge going down the river could have hit it as well knocking it out.

It could have, but to my knowledge, there is no barge traffic on the Yellowstone.

[rangerrebew]

The train was carrying hazardous materials and now it's dumped into the Yellowstone river.   

....hmm...who is in charge of making sure that our infrastructure is sound and secure???

How ironic the "collapse" occurred just as the tankers crossed.  I worked on the RR summers when I was going to undergrad school.  I made lots of runs and not once did anything derail.  Now they're about as common as peanuts in Plains, Ga.

[Idiot]

How ironic the "collapse" occurred just as the tankers crossed.  I worked on the RR summers when I was going to undergrad school.  I made lots of runs and not once did anything derail.  Now they're about as common as peanuts in Plains, Ga.

We had a derailment here on Saturday.  4-5 oil tanker cars flew off but none caught on fire.  I chalk it up to poor maintenance on the tracks.

[DB]

A chain of filled tanker cars are probably very heavy.

[Smokin Joe]

A chain of filled tanker cars are probably very heavy.

[Lando Lincoln]

The Duttons are up to something?