http://www.dailygate.com/articles/2007/02/02/news/03.txt
Derailment knocks out rail traffic on Keokuk bridge for at least 90 days
By Steve Dunn/Gate City Managing Editor
Friday, February 2, 2007 2:50 PM CST
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About 2,000 feet of rail ties on the Keokuk Municipal Bridge were damaged as a result of a train derailment Monday.
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About two-thirds of the ties on the 3,800-foot-long Keokuk Municipal Bridge will have to be replaced as a result of a train derailment on Monday, the Keokuk City Council learned Thursday.
“The quickest we could get it (the bridge) operating again is 90 days,” Public Works Director Bill Richards told the council.
The bridge is used by Roquette America, Inc., which is relying on rerouting of freight cars and trucks while the bridge isn’t available. The city is losing revenue while rail traffic cannot use the bridge, too.
Two cars of a Keokuk Junction Railway Co. (KJRY) train derailed on the bridge Monday morning.
“There were no injuries, and the train was able to reach the Illinois side, but there was damage to the tracks on the bridge,” according to a statement released by the railroad shortly after the mishap.
The railroad’s preliminary investigation indicates the derailment was caused by the swing span not correctly matching the rail on the bridge, the statement added.
“KJRY has been working with t
Weren’t they in the process of upgrading the bridge anyway, to accommodate 283,000 lb. railcars?
Is it just the one industry which uses it, and how often?
PZ
This bridge carries KJRY 3 to 4 trains a week out to La Harpe on the former TP&W. Some go on to Bushnell and meeting another local. Some shipments go to Peoria. The industry mentioned is the rock quarry in Hamilton. I am not familiar with their operation. Corp of Engineers want to convert this to a lift span along with 1 or more other bridges.
edit: The KJRY has trackage rights with BNSF to Ft. Madison where they can pick up their trackage at Lomax IL and then on to La Harpe.
Jeez, what’s the speed limit west of Bushnell? The last time I was through there (2004) the diamond in Bushnell and the TP&W track was in pretty bad shape. I don’t see 283K cars rolling through there unless they’ve done some major upgrading.
The diamond at Bushnell was taken out in late 2004 or early 2005 but was put back in about a year ago. It looks a lot better now but the track on the former TPW off each end didn’t get upgraded, making for a short steep climb up and over the BNSF.
Some work has been done on the line with quite a few ties spotted in and brush cut back. However, trains still run at about 10mph.
Normally the trains from Peoria and Keokuk meet and swap cars at Good Hope about 2-3pm on MWF.
Bart Jennings
[quote user=“Lyon_Wonder”]
http://www.dailygate.com/articles/2007/02/02/news/03.txt
Derailment knocks out rail traffic on Keokuk bridge for at least 90 days
By Steve Dunn/Gate City Managing Editor
Friday, February 2, 2007 2:50 PM CST
| |
| - |
| About 2,000 feet of rail ties on the Keokuk Municipal Bridge were damaged as a result of a train derailment Monday.
|
| |
About two-thirds of the ties on the 3,800-foot-long Keokuk Municipal Bridge will have to be replaced as a result of a train derailment on Monday, the Keokuk City Council learned Thursday.
“The quickest we could get it (the bridge) operating again is 90 days,” Public Works Director Bill Richards told the council.
The bridge is used by Roquette America, Inc., which is relying on rerouting of freight cars and trucks while the bridge isn’t available. The city is losing revenue while rail traffic cannot use the bridge, too.
Two cars of a Keokuk Junction Railway Co. (KJRY) train derailed on the bridge Monday morning.
“There were no injuries, and the train was able to reach the Illinois side, but there was damage to the tracks on the bridge,” according to a statement released by the railroad shortly after the mishap.
The railroad’s preliminary investigation indicates the derailment was caused by the swing span not correctly matching the rail on the bridge, the statement added.
&ldqu
I have walked on tracks where there was clear evidence of flange damage during a minor derailment, but I have never seen anything quite like this. A local logging train, about 80 years ago, derailed a couple of its cars, but dragged them for several km. The engineer thought the loco was not performing well, but didn’t feel it was highly significant enough to stop and find out why. They had to replace many lengths of trackage.
Thanks for the clarification Bart. I railfanned to Good Hope twice last summer. I never seen 'em. Here is pic at Good Hope in 2004 just before they started running over to Bushnell. There is a shipper of grain in La Harpe.
I can not find my 2006 pics.
Here’s a photo I took in July 2003 of the Bushnell diamond, looking east. From the condition of the grade crossing at the bottom, the TP&W wasn’t seeing much traffic in those days.
I have a horrible memory for details. But tp&w was trying to abandon from La Harpe to Peoria and almost succeeded but KJRY blocked it and eventually bought the line. The road carried no traffic for a few years. Maybe Bart can provide us with some more details. Thanks for the pic PZ