Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
I just saw that myself. It was like the guy anticipated this was goin to happen.
The train blew off the Huey P Long bridge that goes across the Mississippi River. This bridge was the first railroad to cross the Mississippi in the New Orleans area, it was built high enough so ocean going ships could go under the bridge.
Recent posts state seven empty cars were blown off the bridge with no injuries.I am glad no one was hurt.
I worked in that area for years and often wondered what would happen if a train fell off the bridge.
Along the Columbia River where the Milwaukee Road crossed it at Beverly, WA (near Yakima), they had a special light on the bridge for high wind warnings as the winds often howled down that canyon. When the MLW pulled up the tracks at the end of the 80s, they also removed signs of several cars that had been blown off that bridge over the years.
Interesting - my business partners was down in New Orelans area, very close to that site when it happened.
In John McPhee's book Uncommon Carriers, in one chapter he rides up in the cab with a coal train from Wyoming down to New Orleans or Houston. He talks about how the trains, particularly on the return trip (empty) can get blown off the tracks in the high plains, under certain weather conditions and at certain places. The engineer will stop the train is safer areas if the forecast is bad.
It's very interesting what the wind can do to stuff. The hurricane in the 1930's(not sure if it was 1935) blew some of FEC passenger trains, the whole train(steam engine and all cars), into the ocean between Key Largo and Key West FL.
Also hurricane Andrew turned over some of CSX freight cars near Homestead FL in August 1992. This one I saw on the news.
Lee Fritz
In 1935, the train, running very late in the rescue operation, reached the Islamorada water tower where it stopped. Waves knocked the cars off the tracks, but the engine stayed on the rails.
I am here in New Orleans and can attest to the severe weather. My early morning flight home was one of many cancelled or delayed. Rebooked for tomorrow morning.
Ah, well. Another night in the Big Easy. 
Holy Smoke! 
The wind pressure gradient acting on the surface area of the shipping container or boxcar side facing the wind direction can create significant forces and the elevation of the center of gravity is a key factor, given the right combination of large transverse force and high center of gravity overturning moments occur. This is the same reason that tractor trailers are banned on interstate roads/expressways in very windy conditions or wind gusts are expected.
Nice touch when the power lines flash at the end. Hollywood couldn't have staged it better!
Originally Posted by John Ochab:
The wind pressure gradient acting on the surface area of the shipping container or boxcar side facing the wind direction can create significant forces and the elevation of the center of gravity is a key factor, given the right combination of large transverse force and high center of gravity overturning moments occur. This is the same reason that tractor trailers are banned on interstate roads/expressways in very windy conditions or wind gusts are expected.
In other words: freight cars have the aerodynamics of the broad side of a brick.
Rusty
Is it just me, or was it odd that the fast food place's sign came back on after the power lines were clearly severed? I assume that means they have a generator, and if so, that's the first time I've ever heard of a fast food place having means to keep the lights on.
Originally Posted by Kent Loudon:
Nice touch when the power lines flash at the end. Hollywood couldn't have staged it better!
Yeah, I thought that too, but it was lacking a giant fireball of an explosion, which Hollywood certainly would have added to that.
Originally Posted by p51:
Is it just me, or was it odd that the fast food place's sign came back on after the power lines were clearly severed? I assume that means they have a generator, and if so, that's the first time I've ever heard of a fast food place having means to keep the lights on.
Originally Posted by Kent Loudon:
Nice touch when the power lines flash at the end. Hollywood couldn't have staged it better!
Yeah, I thought that too, but it was lacking a giant fireball of an explosion, which Hollywood certainly would have added to that.
The transformer and power lines may also be downstream and upstream power came back after the downstream line fuse blew.
Rusty
All I can say is "wow"....Greg
one heck of a storm
Originally Posted by Rusty Traque:
Originally Posted by p51:
Is it just me, or was it odd that the fast food place's sign came back on after the power lines were clearly severed? I assume that means they have a generator, and if so, that's the first time I've ever heard of a fast food place having means to keep the lights on.
The transformer and power lines may also be downstream and upstream power came back after the downstream line fuse blew.
Yeah, that makes sense. I hadn't thought of that in regard to the lights being off for more than a split second.
