Modeling the "Fargo Area Rapid Transit" in O scale 3 rail.
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
That branch leaves the ex-C&NW mainline at Merriam Jct. and extends through Carver, and on to Chaska where it serves a sugar operation that was once the Crystal Sugar plant. The line is a remnant of the M&StL mainline from Minneapolis to Albert Lea. It crosses the Minnesota River on a big bridge at Carver, but that is not the trestle that collapsed. There are three other short timber trestles between the big one over the river at Carver and Merriam. The one that collapsed is the middle one of those three. It is only about 100 feet or less long. It went down with a passing train, so it either collapsed or the train derailed on it and brought it down. It is right alongside of the river which parallels the track at that point, and some of the cars are in the river. It sure looks like a challenge to pick up the derailed cars from that soft, mucky ground, and no decent area to pull from.
That trestle always struck me as rather picturesque with a considerable curve to it, and with some elevation on the ouside rail. It seemed a bit rustic and primitive looking for a mainline. I had been expecting the big bridge at Carver to collapse since the river has obviously undermined one or more of the big stone piers. It has a very obvious kink and tilt that can be seen when looking down the track. It looks like it could be 1-2 feet out of alignment in the middle.
The old Hastings and Dakota RR swing bridge, about two miles downstream from Carver, exhibited the same kind of undermining of the center pier for ten or more years. The railroad was abandoned and removed, and the roadbed was turned into a state trail. You could see that the bridge was in the process of slowly tipping over by the bent and misaligned box trusses, bracing, etc. Then all of a sudden the DNR got excited and blew it up to protect the public.
http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=1867
blhanel wrote:Found the story on the news wire... http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=1867
How does one open that news story?
I am not a subscriber, but anyway, I sure would like to know what the story said about the U.P. mulling the abandonment. I am guessing that mulling would be necessary because the decision to abandon the line due to the broken trestle might not be easy. Apparently, there is only one customer. It seems like there would be room for more at the Chaska location, but I don't know if that is likely in the future. The trestle is probably about 80-90 feet long max., and 15-18 feet high in the middle. Rebuilding that does not seem like a showstopper, but a looming maintenance issue of the big river bridge at Carver may also be a factor in the abandonment decision.
I would guess that the recovery of the derailed cars will cost more than it would cost to replace the trestle. I understand that some cars are actually in the river, and were submerged when the derailment occurred while the river was at flood stage. As difficult as it will be to recover the cars, I suppose they will do so, and still might opt out of rebuilding the trestle and continuing the operation of the line due to cost issues.
If they abandon the line, I wonder what will be done with the ROW. Merriam is next to the Louisville Swamp federal wildlife preserve with a network of trails. Using this ROW to connect back into Carver and Chaska would be an interesting and feasible use, especially with the Carver river bridge being available to cross the river in a perfect location for such a trail hookup. This line abuts and/or bisects the reserve for a considerable distance. It passes the old townsite of Louisville, which was founded as a river transport town in the 1850s, only to be rendered obsolete by the first railroad through the area a few years later. There is no trace of Louisville today.
According to the Trains article, there are actually two customers, a sugar processing plant and the city of Chaska, which periodically receives a tank car of fuel oil. It also noted that the loco is stuck in Chaska and will likely have to be trucked out (or over to the TC&W tracks?).
Did some e-research and found a couple of articles on the wreck on the Shakopee paper's website-
http://www.shakopeenews.com/node/1831
http://www.shakopeenews.com/node/2149
Since it is 6 days old, is it okay to post it here ?
Here's a photo of the bridge collapse. Seems the sugar was probably a little "damp" upon delivery
Stack
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=180993
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