Derailment and Fire on UP bridge in Tempe, AZ

[reinhardtjh]

I think so. My AC is currently out, the repair men should be here within the hour. It has been a brutal week, and my hobby slush fund was destroyed.  I have a package to send Max and one for Shipsure, but I just about to start converting to dcc...

Thanks, they showed up late, said that it will take 3 hours, it's already 106° at 11:30...I can't wait to drop the temp inside 40°

I hope it's better soon.

Ours wasn't totally out but the last week it's been not right.  We haven't been able to cool the house down past 73 at night and 76 during the day (which is sweltering for us, normally it's 68/70).  My office has been as high as 85 during the day.  A/C guy was here this morning.  The inside coils were frozen over solid, forcing air out the drain pipe and blowing it out the downstairs sink (A/C unit is in the attic half of the upstairs).  He finally traced it down to a microscopic leak in the outside condenser coil.  Which made the Freon low. Which made the coils freeze over.  Said it was in a place that was likely a manufacturing defect, not normally where leaks show when it's an installation welding defect.  So a part is on order, the Freon is charged back up and he says that it shouldn't leak enough to be a problem before the part comes and they can install it (Next week, I assume).

My office is still 81 degrees but there is cold air blowing again and the ceiling fan is making it comfortable again.  It's 96 outside with 42% RH so it's "normal" again.

[Tristan Ashcroft]

So, uh...  Any suggestions for where to try to figure out how the derailment happened?

[x600]

It's a dry heat.

Bryan,
I don't know why, but I got a good laugh when I read this
Up voted because it was a nice 92 here in Rochester today,
 but it made me think of  our mild winters ... " Yeh, but it's a wet cold."

Greg O.

[pjm20]

Not far off, apparently, because ever since, the heat gets to me sooner and leaves me exhausted longer.

If you become a heat casualty or cold casualty, you are more likely to become one again in the future. I haven't done the research to the science behind it, but it is a major event that the military tracks on individuals who become a heat cat or cold cat.

[C855B]

Ah. So I'm not crazy, at least in noticing I couldn't take it like I used to. Thanks!

[GonzoCRFan]

Last August when I had the genius idea of railfanning in the Mojave, I was east of Needles, CA when a gravel road off of I-40 turned to sand and got me stuck. It was not fun digging the damn rental out and scavenging for enough brush to build passable sand-ladders when it was still 112 as sundown approached.

[davefoxx]

Last August when I had the genius idea of railfanning in the Mojave, I was east of Needles, CA when a gravel road off of I-40 turned to sand and got me stuck. It was not fun digging the damn rental out and scavenging for enough brush to build passable sand-ladders when it was still 112 as sundown approached.

Damn, that's how people die.  Glad you made it back, brother.

DFF

[Peavine]

My wife and I took the nephews to te lake today for some tubing and water skiing. We went to Saguaro lake East of Phoenix. On the way home, my truck’s thermometer briefly hit 119, but it never felt like more that 112 on the water . As for the dry heat, once it hits about the middle of June here in Phoenix, we have the monsoons. I have been coming back from the lake in my truck and seen 117° on the thermometer in a driving rain storm. Misery.

[CRL]

True story... My mother was water skiing on Saguaro Lake shortly after the dam was built and the lake filled. She found out the hard way how the lake was named when she dropped the ski rope and sat down on top of a piece of saguaro cactus that was floating just below the surface. Fortunately, the guy who owned the boat was a doctor, and it took him most of the drive back to Phoenix to pull all the spines out of her butt... laughing his a$$ off the entire time. Mom said it took her a while to see the humor in the entire situation.

We went to Saguaro Lake many times when I was a kid, but mom wouldn’t go into the water. Can’t imagine why not.

[garethashenden]

So, uh...  Any suggestions for where to try to figure out how the derailment happened?

I haven't been able to find anything about the cause, but this link has a good gallery of the fire. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/08/02/tempe-town-lake-bridge-partially-detonated-after-train-derailment/5567005002/

It looks like there were a few loaded centerbeams caught in it

[GonzoCRFan]

Damn, that's how people die.  Glad you made it back, brother.

DFF

Appreciate the sentiments. Fortunately, it was about the least amount of dire the situation could have involved. I had shelter, plenty of water, and food. And the interstate wasn't that far away if I needed to hoof it to flag down help. I had also seen some videos on how to extricate a sand-bogged vehicle, so I was ready to put the theory into practice. The desert isn't quite as dangerous when you're adequately prepared.

[Hawghead]

And just two weeks later the first trains rolled over the new bridge section.



It's amazing what the railroad can do when it wants to.
Scott

[C855B]

And just two weeks later the first trains rolled over the new bridge section.



It's amazing what the railroad can do when it wants to.
Scott

Holy cow.

[basementcalling]

Yet they still put the bridge where a derailment can take it out again.

[jpwisc]

Having spent most of my life living in Minnesota (the lowest temperature I’ve felt is -63° with a -125° windchill), and I have now lived in Vegas for the last 6 years (it was 108° at my house yesterday). @basementcalling is right. 2 hot months versus 6 cold is a win. That and you don’t have to shovel heat!