In reply to Duke:
One of the above pictures was actually started by a burning wheel set. It was a point source because the train did an emergency stop and that wheel set was on the trestle, but points to you.
In reply to Duke:
One of the above pictures was actually started by a burning wheel set. It was a point source because the train did an emergency stop and that wheel set was on the trestle, but points to you.
Toyman01 wrote: There are almost no pictures on the internet showing a train trestle that is partially on fire. They all show the same thing. Standing and burning from one end to the other. I stand by my opinion.
That's right, contrast it to the picture of this particular trestle.
vs
The first one is typical, everything is in flames. The second, from this particular trestle, is not. Only the rail bed and crucual joint intersections are burning.
Now I can certainly see a railbed fire from something like sparking wheels or brakes. But for that fire to almost magically jump to every joint on every trestle, and the bases of every trestle, without igniting any part of the trestle timbers themselves.... Lets just say I'm suspicious.
In reply to foxtrapper:
Suspicion is a good thing.
I would say that is a camera contrast issue. One is a screen shot, from a video, shot with a cellphone, the other was shot by a news crew using a quality camera and probably massaged in photo shop to look more impressive. Notice the fire fighters reflective stripes. I'm betting it was fairly dark when that was shot.
We are also viewing the fire from the upwind side, so the majority of the active, visible flame will be behind the verticals.
At the 24 second mark in the video there is active flame on the verticals as they fall.
I'm going to have to follow this and see what the inspectors find out. I'm curious as to which of us will be right. 
Oh, and you might be right. This particular trestle was used to carry frack sand so arson is a possibility.
Frack all of ya. 
I don't know enough about creosote and rail fires to make an Internet determination. I do agree with Dan; surprising lack of triangulation in that design. Well, it stood 115 years; I guess the original designer had some idea of what he was doing.
You'll need to log in to post.
