UP wreck today

I've been watching the VR cameras at Santa Fe Junction since it happened. The removal of the autoracks by those big cranes was amazing! Those folks are real professionals, working 24/7 and available seemingly at a moment's notice. The locomotives and one rack are back on the rails, and apparently will be rolled out.

By the way, my favorites railcams are the two at Fort Madison, Iowa. Lots of rail and barge traffic to watch!

I didn't know about that camera, but I watch several others. Amazing footage, but sad about the condition of the bridge. Glad no one was hurt.

The two locomotives and one rack rolled out on their own wheels, thanks to an NS locomotive. Very cool.

@Trinity River Bottoms Boomer posted:

The sad note: There IS plenty of $$$ to fix all of these existing problems, however, it's continually being wasted on non-essential projects such as heritage scheme paint jobs on locomotives. 

Locomotives need repainted just like anything else does to keep them from rusting.  Who cares what color they get painted?  The cost is an atom in a molecule of a drop of water in a bucket of money.

Been watching since it happened, and scrubbing backwards to key points for things I missed.  Like right now I'm watching where they got the lead autorack back on track and are moving it up to the locos.  I wonder if it picked the points of the crossover on  the bridge and that lead it to derail, but we'll have to wait for the report to know for sure what happened.  But it's been fun to see all the different roads come through there.  UP, CP, BSNF, Amtrak, NS, a local (K&S I think the one locomotive had on it.), and KSC are the power units I remember seeing.

I'm not an expert but it looks more like some type of trackage failure. The bridge remains uncompromised throughout the video. Rust and filth are standard on most bridges as everyone seeks to contain costs. They seem to last as long as painted ones. Inspections are probably done routinely. Grafitti is a sign of the times and sometimes is referred to as "art". I call BS but the manpower involved needed to curtail this is expensive and the law would probably not be allowed to "touch" them. Small fine and it's off to the yards with more paint.

Bird Strike? Oh wait...wrong forum.

is it possible to go back and watch the earlier footage with the cranes lifting the autoracks, etc.?

@Trinity River Bottoms Boomer posted:

I wonder how many railroad employees who have been eliminated from the work force get all excited when they're stopped at a RR crossing when along comes a train from the very company where they used to earn their daily bread and butter to witness a "pretty all painted up" .......... blah, blah, blah

Do you know how much a locomotive paint job costs? How many employees do you think can get back to “work” based on the savings of a locomotive paint job? When basic maintenance on that locomotive sidelines it, those employees are out of work anyway. 🙄

I've decided to delete all my blah, blah, blahs.  This should provide plenty of space for the experts to blah, blah, blah.

Enjoy your day.

It was asked for a video of the cleanup. Virtual Railfan put together this.

Date and time stamps are  on the top so you can see the time it took.

Thanks for posting that, Cal.

Great pictures (video)

Just like chips, you start watching and can't stop.

Cool video - thanks.

Paul