A Source … and another Fire …
A source understands UP lost one bridge and BNSF lost three because of the fire.
Probably related, but another nearby fire started this afternoon in the Phelan area (pronounced FEE-lan and NOT the traditional FAY-len). K.P. envisions the two fires probably meeting each other tonight.
The above photo was shot in Pinon Hills in about the M.P. 442 area on UP’s ex-SP Palmdale Cutoff in Southern California.
In my reply to ChuckCobleigh earlier today, in the top photo, it appears ONLY two vertically slightly slanted I-beams held up the center part of that bridge. Cutting corners about 50 years ago is going to cost the bridge’s owner a nice some of money now.
The whole area remains closed, and may not reopen for a while. The fast moving fire was MORE OF A FIRE than has sunk in to most of us (or the Press) yet …
At this point it is not clear exactly what kinds of bridges that BNSF lost, but my sneaky suspicion is that they were old wooden ones. That sank down UP bridge has TWO spans while the two BNSF bridges in that Alray area had one span each. The explanation for that is Route 66 up till 1969 (when it was replaced by a rerouted I-15) was a four lane highway with a center cleared area with bridge piers. Old BNSF Bridges (AT&SF back then) were half-landfilled in, and just single spans were left. SP’s bridge was of a modern type; hence, leaving a second span was no problem. NOW, however, UP might ("might") just replace that two-span bridge with a single span too. K.P. will be all eyes on that one.
narig01 (8-17)
That is a good question. If McDonald’s didn’t make it maybe the CHP scale offices didn’t either. That should be one thing I will check whenever I can get out that way. But, here is another one! I wonder if the railroad security modules survived; you know, those floodlighted trailer-like buildings below I-15 and by the tracks at Cajon?
Catch you all later,
K.P.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.
