CNO tracks over spillway on fire

[offroad437]

CNO route from New Orleans is on fire. Local news says busses to Jackson are being used. See picture below.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Wow, that looks serious! Might be Bustitutions for a long time till this trestle is rebuilt!

 

[offroad437]

It was a wooden bridge. WAS being key. In the photo you can see the tracks bending upward and parts of the wood structure collapsed. I know there were plans to do maintenance on the bridge but now it looks more like it will need to be replaced. Not sure how long it will take since it is in the swamp and not very accessible.

 

[Train2104]

Is there a particular reason why JAN is the terminal and not Hammond? Just to protect the same day turn?

 

[offroad437]

Hammond is a challenge to turn engines since the switches sent close to station. Plus Jackson has a side track to store and clean the train off the main line.

 

[niemi24s]

Thermite welding gone bad? Disgruntled customer who found the food better on the bus than on the train? Lightning? Nah, that's too far-fetched. I'll stick with the middle one.

 

[Agent]

Link to news article. Says the fire was first reported by workers on the bridge.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

It was a wooden bridge. WAS being key. In the photo you can see the tracks bending upward and parts of the wood structure collapsed. I know there were plans to do maintenance on the bridge but now it looks more like it will need to be replaced. Not sure how long it will take since it is in the swamp and not very accessible.

Great photo of really bad news. Thanks for all the info.

Any chance of rebuilding this trestle up to needed specs for the if/when it becomes part of the much needed Baton Rouge-New Orleans route?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Did the cars needed for the special next week get to NOL before this happened?

 

[niemi24s]

Wonder if there's any chance of routing the CONO between Jackson and Hattiesburg to use the Crescent route to NOLA? Nah, bus probably cheaper.

 

[jis]

Did the cars needed for the special next week get to NOL before this happened?

Even if they didn't they can get there by an alternate route.

 

[neroden]

That's very bad news for the CONO.

 

[offroad437]

At last report 500 feet of bridge is gone and more is still on fire. They are using boats and helicopters to spray water on it. Also affecting I-10 as fire trucks are parked to provide hoses to boats in the water to fight the fire.

 

[offroad437]

It was a wooden bridge. WAS being key. In the photo you can see the tracks bending upward and parts of the wood structure collapsed. I know there were plans to do maintenance on the bridge but now it looks more like it will need to be replaced. Not sure how long it will take since it is in the swamp and not very accessible.

Great photo of really bad news. Thanks for all the info.
Any chance of rebuilding this trestle up to needed specs for the if/when it becomes part of the much needed Baton Rouge-New Orleans route?

photo credit to Twitter user unknown. Tried to add that earlier but would not work.

 

[manchacrr]

Another alternative route for the CONO would be to send it west from Hammond to Baton Rouge then south to New Orleans.

 

[Train2104]

Wonder if there's any chance of routing the CONO between Jackson and Hattiesburg to use the Crescent route to NOLA? Nah, bus probably cheaper.

58 has departed NOL heading up the Crescent's route...not sure if with or without passengers...

 

[caravanman]

Sounds as if the repair workers somehow managed to set fire to the bridge?

Ed

 

[acelafan]

Wonder if there's any chance of routing the CONO between Jackson and Hattiesburg to use the Crescent route to NOLA? Nah, bus probably cheaper.

58 has departed NOL heading up the Crescent's route...not sure if with or without passengers...

Pretty neat to see it way off the normal route! Guess we'll find out if it makes a detour back west.

 

[Big Iron]

Track a train is showing 58 hot on the heels of 19

 

[lo2e]

Video or it didn't happen...

 

[offroad437]

After almost 12 hours the fire is out. Fire chief said a few thousand feet is gone. And more is damaged to the point of danger of collapse. CN said they will begin to ***** the damage at first light. From the news coverage it appears that from the spillway levee toward Hammond is a total loss of about 4,000 feet and damage extending another 1,000 feet. I will try to get out there tomorrow for pictures.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Any chance the CONO ends up like the SL East where the damage is repaired quickly but the repercussions last indefinitely as the brass use any excuse to slash routes and services?

 

[offroad437]

Any chance the CONO ends up like the SL East where the damage is repaired quickly but the repercussions last indefinitely as the brass use any excuse to slash routes and services?

I doubt that. But if the bridge is a total loss I could see it taking a few months for them to rebuild it. I remember a few years ago a small section collapsed and it took them a week to fix it. Was about 25 feet of it.

 

[George K]

Any news on the cause?

 

[Medic981]

I read that CN rail crews were on the trestle grinding on the rails when the fire broke out, however, the cause of the fire is yet to be determined.