One of my favorite fiction writers, Clive Cussler has a new book out called "The Wrecker" It is a about the building of the Southern Pacific & takes place in 1907. The "Wrecker" is trying to sabotage the building of the railroad & a private security company is trying to stop him.
I won't go into more detail & give away to much.
This is a well written book & many details dealing with the railroad are correct. Clive & Co. did their research.
It is out in paper back for around $8.00, It is well worth the price.
Dave Huffman

Just finished the book this morning. Got to say the last couple of chapters are"interesting"!

DBH

I enjoyed and recommend it too. I thought the idea of the coal cars swaying on the bridge and catching on fire was odd (wasn't it raining and the coal wet?) but overlooked that.

I just finished "The Chase" and that too has the SP in story. And after that, "The Spy" is worth the price of admission.

Hollywood should use Clive's stories for movies. Instead of the stuff they're churning out nowadays that I can never figure out what is going on. "Raise the Titanic" from years ago was good.

Off to "The Jungle" ; )

I hear Ya' Ron, those books would make great movies. I wondered about the coal car fire myself unless the "Wrecker " set them on fire.

DBH

I thought the idea of the coal cars swaying on the bridge and catching on fire was odd (wasn't it raining and the coal wet?) but overlooked that.


Coal fires on wooden sailing vessels were apparently common. I first read about it recently when I was reading a biography abut Joshua Slocum. Here's a couple of references:

1891 November 21 - March 14
Sailed from Liverpool to San Francisco with coal. Captain John Brander late of Rankin Gilmour's St. Magnus which had been wrecked at Buchapero, Chile, was given the command of the vessel. The coal cargo caught fire in the South Pacific but it was possible to keep the fire under control until San Francisco. The damage done by the fire required major repairs after which the ship was laid up at Sausalito for a while.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... x/abstract

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafety/tp ... u-1865.htm

I've asked a couple of old salt friends, amateur historians of the tall ship era, they confirm that wet coal was a danger. I have no idea if it would apply to a rail car setting, I would guess the authors made an assumption that if it happens in the hold of a ship, it could happen in a freight car.

Mike

Spontanious coal fires in the bunkers of the early steamships was also not uncommon; one theory regarding the demise of the Titanic was that a fire that had been burning in one of the coal bunkers may have weakened the hull.

The usual procedure when there was a fire in a bunker was try to smother it by adding more coal.

Also at many coal mines, the gob pile would smoke & catch fire So I guess if the coal in the the cars on the bridge had set a long time it could self ignite but I doubt it.
From what my great uncle told me many years ago was that when coal got wet, there was a chemical reaction of the impurites like sulfer, iron & other things
This caused the heat that set the coal on fire. Also low oxygen levels usually made for a smoldering fire. The cleaner the coal, the less chance of fire.
DBH