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"A" frame Moveable Bridges [correction]

Michael Sirotta <msirt@...>
 

I misstated the cause of the Paulsboro collapse. It was a derailment that took down the bridge, plus a chemical spill. 

There was some weirdness with the signaling, but the bridge looked “closed", so dispatch ordered crew to ignore a red signal. Somehow 2 engines and 2 cars got across, but then the collapse happened. Does anyone know the exact cause? One report said the crew had inspected things first - rail locks were in place, I guess, but there would be no way of knowing about the deck lock at the North end. Unlocked? Maybe that was cause of the red signal? If the deck was not locked down, I can see it’s traversal by some considerable weigh could knock it out of position, despite the rail locks.

I was always curious about the “automation upgrade” so that crews could operate the whole closing and opening process remotely. What was done? There would have had to be heavy duty servos on the rail locks as well as on the deck fastening screw at the north end of the swing. I suppose automation eliminated the mechanical smashboards at both ends in lieu of just a plain red signal light.

Begin forwarded message:

From: Michael Sirotta <msirt@...>
Subject: "A" frame Moveable Bridges
Date: September 29, 2022 at 12:57:22 PM EDT
Resent-From: msirt@...

Hello members,

Some of you may remember an inquiry I posted last week about the former “A” frame swing bridge over Oldman’s Creek in Pedricktown on the Pennsgrove branch. I learned from a response it was called “Jumbo”. I was interesred because I grew up in Paulsboro, where we had one of those (well, we did, until a boat accident wiped it out).

Well, waddya’ know. Brian Yates’ link to the station photos has a picture of it. The caption (not visible - pic was oversized and I had to crop it) seems to call that operator’s shack a station. I doubt that. The bridge is in the middle of marshland. And there’s a picture of another one outside of wildwood.

“Jumbo”:

Grassy Sound station (Wildwood):

As I said, Paulsboro’s movable swing bridge was destroyed and has been replaced by a vertical lift bridge, but here is a wonderful YouTube showing a complete closing for Conrail traffic and then opening it up again for boat traffic. I love the smashboards:
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