Over the years I've seen numerous pictures of wooden trestles both model and prototype that had a series of platforms to the side with large barrels on them. I had always guessed that these contained water in case the trestle were to catch fire. Recently a modeler posted a picture of a steel trestle with the same kind of platforms. I wouldn't think fire would be a hazard on a steel trestle which makes me wonder if I have had a false impression all these years. Can anyone shed some light on this. I am getting ready to install an old curved trestle that I saved from a previous layout and it has these platforms and barrels on them. I would like to know for certain what their purpose was.
Steel trestles still have wood ties and walkways.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Your impression of the barrelsfor fire is correct. The steel trestle with barrels is from the steam era as well. For the same reason the barrels are on wooden trestles. Early 60'sthe barrels dissappeared.
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
The barrel platforms were also handy for stupid kids who decided to take a short cut into town across the railroad trestle without making absolutely sure a train wasn't coming.
Or so I heard.
dehusman Steel trestles still have wood ties and walkways.
I thought about that but I figured if those caught fire they could be replaced fairly quickly as opposed to the trestle itself which could close a line for months if that burned down.
Time was, the railroads employed a small army of trackwalkers, who would deal with little problems before they became big problems. Since one of their jobs was watching for fires on bridges, they would respond to the first wisps of smoke. The water barrels usually held enough to douse a 'just getting started' fire.
As railroads sought to reduce costs, the trackwalker every couple of miles was reduced to a speeder patrol ahead of each scheduled train (or less.) By the time anyone noticed a bridge or trestle fire the deck structure would be fully involved and nothing short of the local VFD would be able to contain the damage. For fairly obvious reasons the barrels went from invaluable to unnecessary - to gone.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
jecorbett I thought about that but I figured if those caught fire they could be replaced fairly quickly as opposed to the trestle itself which could close a line for months if that burned down.
Modern diesels don't spit out burning cinders like the good old days of steam, and there aren't brakemen riding in the caboose looking out for hot journal boxes either. Not sure why there'd be water barrels on bridges these days.
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
ROBERT PETRICKModern diesels don't spit out burning cinders like the good old days of steam, and there aren't brakemen riding in the caboose looking out for hot journal boxes either.
http://www.snopes.com/photos/accident/trainfire.asp
Just sayin'
Of course, in this instance, a barrel of water isn't going to help you much...
Regards, Ed
gmpullman ROBERT PETRICK Modern diesels don't spit out burning cinders like the good old days of steam, and there aren't brakemen riding in the caboose looking out for hot journal boxes either. http://www.snopes.com/photos/accident/trainfire.asp Just sayin' Of course, in this instance, a barrel of water isn't going to help you much... Regards, Ed
ROBERT PETRICK Modern diesels don't spit out burning cinders like the good old days of steam, and there aren't brakemen riding in the caboose looking out for hot journal boxes either.
Okay, I stand corrected.
Obviously, accidents and malfunctions occur. The point I was trying to make is that in the old days these sort of things weren't really accidents but rather expected occurrences, and measures were in place to deal with them if (when) they came up.
Thanks for the link. There was a lot of good news bad news in there.
ROBERT PETRICKObviously, accidents and malfunctions occur.
Oh, I completely agree, Robert. There's always going to be that unusual circumstance that throws the average off.
Cleveland, Ohio, has had the "burning river" reputation for years, implying that the Cuyahoga River was so polluted that it could catch fire.
In reality it was a Penn-Central railroad bridge that was on fire in 1969 and some of the embers ignited some flotsam that had gathered under the bridge.
The national media grabbed the story and, as they are wont to do, they blew it WAY out of proportion! When TIME ran the story they used a photo from an earlier— June, 1952 fire.
CentralGulf The barrel platforms were also handy for stupid kids who decided to take a short cut into town across the railroad trestle without making absolutely sure a train wasn't coming. Or so I heard.
The linked picture is of the west end of the new Kate Shelley High Bridge the UP built a few years ago. You can see two platforms, but no water barrels. The bridge is steel and concrete, the ties across the bridge are concrete. So why the platforms? They are safety refuges incase someone gets caught on the bridge with trains approaching. The old KSHB also had them, and the Racoon River bridge about 30 miles to the west has them.
Not all tall/long bridges have them. The high bridge on the Boone & Scenic Valley (exFTDDM&S interurban) doesn't have them. Of all the bridges mentioned, you can still ride over the B&SV bridge.
Jeff
https://www.wunderground.com/wximage/JFletch/123