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Northeast Corridor Trains Disrupted
1010 WINS ^ | 5/12/2005 | 1010wins.com

Posted on 05/12/2005 7:43:10 PM PDT by Turk82_1

May 12, 2005 10:01 pm US/Eastern (1010 WINS) (KEARNY, N.J.) A fast-moving fire engulfed a railroad bridge in northern New Jersey Thursday night, disrupting New Jersey Transit and Amtrak service on the Northeast Corridor.

The fire broke out around 7:30 p.m. at the base of Amtrak's Portal drawbridge over the Hackensack River between Secaucus and Kearny. The cause was not immediately known. No injuries were reported, authorities said.

Rail service was suspended between New York's Penn Station and Newark's Penn Station. It was not clear when it would be restored.

The fire apparently started in wood pilings beneath the trestle and flames spread across a pier supporting one end of the structure.

Firefighters on the bridge and a fireboat beneath it were working to contain the blaze.

NJ Transit was cross-honoring rail tickets on its bus lines to assist commuters.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: New Jersey; US: New York; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: amtrak; commute; fire; rail; train; transportation
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This is going to be at least a week (if not more) before this bridge is back in service.

The fire engulfed the center pier of a swing bridge, with flames shooting through the substructure. If you take any NJ Transit train into NYC, you better figure on a LONG commute.

And don't get complacent, PATH riders....everyone's coming over to snuggle up to YOU.

My recommendation: 3-day weekend.

1 posted on 05/12/2005 7:43:10 PM PDT by Turk82_1
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To: Turk82_1

More fun in the neighborhood in the Northeast...


2 posted on 05/12/2005 7:46:17 PM PDT by Pyro7480 ("All my own perception of beauty both in majesty and simplicity is founded upon Our Lady." - Tolkien)
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To: Turk82_1

NYC Parkway and now railway...commuting nightmare.


3 posted on 05/12/2005 7:47:12 PM PDT by NautiNurse ("I'd rather see someone go to work for a Republican campaign than sit on their butt."--Howard Dean)
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To: Turk82_1

4 posted on 05/12/2005 7:47:24 PM PDT by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: Turk82_1; ELS
I thought it was the center pier too but if you see the video on this link, it looks like it's the southern pier.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7836027/

And yes, I'm planning on working from home tomorrow!

5 posted on 05/12/2005 7:48:10 PM PDT by Incorrigible (If I lead, follow me; If I pause, push me; If I retreat, kill me.)
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To: Turk82_1
Did you see the story about the support wall collapsing too?

That is two major commuter arteries shot for tomorrow.
6 posted on 05/12/2005 7:49:29 PM PDT by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: Incorrigible

Adding,

The video link at there, http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1402203/posts?page=5#5

has the coverage about the support wall collapsing too.


7 posted on 05/12/2005 7:51:08 PM PDT by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: Incorrigible

I saw some news video, and the flames were shooting up through the substructure. As a non-practicing civil engineer, fire + steel = reconstruction.

There are not alternate routes for the trains.


8 posted on 05/12/2005 7:52:05 PM PDT by Turk82_1 (They also serve who merely stand and wait.)
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To: Turk82_1
Yep. As an electrical engineer who had to do drafting and sit though statics and dynamics, I believe this bridge is going to be out for a while.

This is going to disrupt the NE Corridor for weeks. There is another NJ Transit bridge spanning the same river about half a mile up river for the trains that used to come through Secaucus (not operational since the transfer station was built) but I'm not sure what it would take to reroute Corridor trains over that bridge.
9 posted on 05/12/2005 7:56:47 PM PDT by Incorrigible (If I lead, follow me; If I pause, push me; If I retreat, kill me.)
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To: Turk82_1

Is arson suspected?


10 posted on 05/12/2005 7:57:49 PM PDT by Alouette (The truth is not hard to kill, but a lie told well is immortal. -- Mark Twain)
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To: Incorrigible

You are correct - it is one of the piers that the bridge structure locks into when it completes its swing. That makes it better than I thought.

Here's the deal: the ties look like they burned completely through. That means the rail is suspect. And the substructure of the abutmett was suject to fire both above and below, so the entire girder must be considered suspect. I anticipate that the Portal Bridge will be completely out of service until they:

1. Assess the swing bridge superstructure. Pray it is undamaged.
2. Cut out and replace the running rails (simple) and the miter rails (may require custom fabrication)
3. Disassemble the support girders on the abutment.
4. Shore up the pier below.
5. Replace the bearings and bearing plates
6. Fabricate the support girders, hoist into position.
7. Replace the ties and rails.

To do this in one week would take a miracle. I would guess it will take them until Mem Day to get it all back in service.


11 posted on 05/12/2005 8:01:32 PM PDT by Turk82_1 (They also serve who merely stand and wait.)
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To: Turk82_1
Worse than I thought.

If you check out this map:

Google Maps

You'll see the Conrail bridge just up river on the other side of the Turnpike is no way near being able to connect to the Corridor line.

Looks like all the trains will be diverted to Hoboken an people can take the PATH or ferry from there (NY Waterway will be happy to see some paying customers again!)

12 posted on 05/12/2005 8:03:02 PM PDT by Incorrigible (If I lead, follow me; If I pause, push me; If I retreat, kill me.)
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To: Turk82_1

Watching local news (CBS) and Amtrak and NJ Transit down. Ferry, Path and NJ Transit bus are the only ways out. No service coming from Penn Station. They are trying to find out if rails have melted. Stay home on Friday.

Retaining wall crashed onto the Hudson north of the GW.


13 posted on 05/12/2005 8:04:51 PM PDT by Unknown Freeper (Doing my part...)
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To: Velveeta; DAVEY CROCKETT; WestCoastGal; jerseygirl; Donna Lee Nardo; Letitring; AZHua87; ...

Ping


14 posted on 05/12/2005 8:05:04 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny (Airspeed, altitude, or brains. Two are required to successfully complete a flight.)
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To: Victoria Delsoul

Chaotic NYC commute ping.


15 posted on 05/12/2005 8:05:59 PM PDT by Alberta's Child (I ain't got a dime, but what I got is mine. I ain't rich, but lord I'm free.)
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To: Alouette

No word on cause. Want my best guess? That area of the bridge is where the catenary (overhead power lines) have a gap - from the permanent structure on the bridge to the movable on on the ground. Sparks shoot out of the gap all the time. I betcha this time, a spark or chunk of heated metal lasted long enough to hit the pilings and start them afire. That's how most subway fires start - they are electrical in origin.


16 posted on 05/12/2005 8:07:50 PM PDT by Turk82_1 (They also serve who merely stand and wait.)
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To: Turk82_1

I think this structure was built around 1930. You would think the major rail way in the N.E. would have been fortified with modern materials. Somthing like the bridges in Japan. I lived in Kearny for a few years. This bridge can be seen in the Sopranos opening credits.


17 posted on 05/12/2005 8:10:41 PM PDT by JOE6PAK ("Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.")
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To: nw_arizona_granny

Aren't you happy to be in AZ, Ruth? The northeast is falling down around us.


18 posted on 05/12/2005 8:10:53 PM PDT by Donna Lee Nardo
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To: Alberta's Child

Yikes. Were you around there?


19 posted on 05/12/2005 8:14:14 PM PDT by Victoria Delsoul
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To: JOE6PAK

Most of the Northeast infrastucture is like that. Make sure you aren't thinking of the Pulaski Skyway - that's an auto bridge. This one was north of that.

Politicians get elected for new housing developments, or office space, or ball parks. Bridges run until they fall down...then they get replaced.
Just think Williamsburg Bridge or Gowanus Expressway if you need examples. That retaining wall was built in 1908 and has been noticably shifting over the years. My bet is they overloaded the ground behind the wall, and the rains of March and April started the slow creep of soil behind it.


20 posted on 05/12/2005 8:14:56 PM PDT by Turk82_1 (They also serve who merely stand and wait.)
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