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| 2002 Darwin Awards https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5831 |
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| Author: | Andy Nold [ Wed May 14, 2003 5:51 pm ] |
| Post subject: | 2002 Darwin Awards |
While perusing the 2002 Darwin award nominations, I saw a story that references the Boone and Scenic Valley Railway. Can anyone confirm this story? (See link below) Darwin Award Nominee tnold@northtexastransport.org |
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| Author: | dave [ Wed May 14, 2003 6:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: 2002 Darwin Awards |
> While perusing the 2002 Darwin award > nominations, I saw a story that references > the Boone and Scenic Valley Railway. Can > anyone confirm this story? (See link below) We occasionally found similar hardware hanging from the rail on the high bridge at Georgetown Loop. Remember the one about the redneck who used a bullet for a fuse in his truck? Fuse block was under the dash. When the bullet got hot it shot his cojones off, thus relieving us of more potentially defective genetic material. Dave irondave@bellsouth.net |
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| Author: | Boyd Owens [ Thu May 15, 2003 9:48 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: 2002 Darwin Awards |
Don't know about the B&SV high bridge, but this did in fact happen at the UP's ex-C&NW Kate Shelly high bridge a while back. Boyd bowens@rypn.org |
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| Author: | Andy Nold [ Thu May 15, 2003 10:51 am ] |
| Post subject: | Boone & Scenic Valley |
Don't we have anyone with the Boone & Scenic Valley who is a regular contributor here? Darwin Award Nominee tnold@northtexastransport.org |
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| Author: | Boyd Owens [ Thu May 15, 2003 3:37 pm ] |
| Post subject: | The facts - as related by an informed source |
I got in touch with a friend who has connections with the B&SV, and this is what he told me: This story has been going around for a while now, and the incident did not take place on the B&SV high bridge. Someone got the B&SV high bridge confused with the ex-C&NW Kate Shelley high bridge located not far from the B&SV. The incident involved two Iowa State University students who died from injuries sustained from the fall when their rappeling ropes which were tied to the rails were severed by a freight train passing over the Kate Shelley bridge. Boyd bowens@rypn.org |
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| Author: | Boyd Owens [ Thu May 15, 2003 4:17 pm ] |
| Post subject: | B&SV's High Bridge |
This has nothing to do with the mentioned incident, just a little about the B&SV high bridge. For anyone who’s never seen it before, it’s quite impressive. I had the privilege of being able to inspect it up close and personal quite a few years ago, before the B&SV bought the line. At the time, the line was still owned by the C&NW, but out of service. The founders of the B&SV took a group of us from the Mid-Continent 1385 “Steam Team” on a tour of the line while we were in town with the 1385 for Boone’s “Pufferbilly Days”. We hi-railed out to the bridge. Due to wash-outs under the track, we all had to get out of the hi-rail to lighten it so that it could safely get on the bridge. Once on the bridge we could look right down into the valley from our perches on the sides of the hi-rail pick-up box, very impressive, no guard rails to block our view. Once the hi-rail reached the other side of the bridge we got off again to lighten the load so it could cross the wash-out on the other end. We took this time to walk out onto the bridge and check it out. As the bridge swayed in the wind, we took note of the bridge structure and the attachment points on it for the trolley wire poles from it’s interurban days. While not the highest railroad bridge around, (although I believe it may be the highest interurban bridge), due to it’s light interurban railway construction, it’s pretty impressive to be on. Boyd bowens@rypn.org |
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| Author: | Mark P. [ Thu May 15, 2003 5:59 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: B&SV's High Bridge |
Boyd, It is even more impressive being on the 8419 doing a blowdown on the bridge and a rainbow encircles the loco! Mark Once on the > bridge we could look right down into the > valley from our perches on the sides of the > hi-rail pick-up box, very impressive, no > guard rails to block our view. bbjimbo@yahoo.com |
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| Author: | John Deck [ Thu May 15, 2003 9:36 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: The facts - as related by an informed source |
Its kinda of hard to hide stupid. johndeck@cox.net |
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| Author: | Dick [ Fri May 16, 2003 9:42 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: B&SV's High Bridge |
While not the highest > railroad bridge around, (although I believe > it may be the highest interurban bridge), > due to itÂ’s light interurban railway > construction, itÂ’s pretty impressive to be > on. I was born and raised in Des Moines, and heard from various sources the claim that the bridge is the "highest single-track railroad bridge in the world." I fondly recall riding the special interurban trains (2 cars) operated by the Fort Dodge, Des Moines, and Southern to transport kids to the YMCA camp north of Boone. They would leave from the east Court Avenue station in Des Moines, and get up to speeds in the open country that amazed me, as a kid, for a "big streetcar." As we neared the bridge, we would fill balloons with water from the drinking-water tanks and then toss them out the windows as we passed over the bridge, leaning out to watch them fall. The interurban would always slow down considerably as it approached the bridge, and would proceed across at a crawl. From there it was only a short distance to the camp, where the train stopped at a grade crossing with no buildings at all. One time a camp counselor took some of us on a hike along the track to the bridge so we could have a closer look at it. I recall our being afraid we'd be electrocuted if we touched the rails, but the counselor assured us that wouldn't happen. (No, he wasn't after a Darwin Award for conducting such a hike - that was long before much railroad safety was being promoted, and we had plenty of room and time and vision down the track to get off the roadbed should a train or interurban come along.) Every day we could hear the whistle at the big FDDM&S generating plant at Frasier, not far from the camp. It powered the system and customers' homes along the route. A friend who lived in one of those homes said the lights in their house would dim whenever an interurban or freight train would start up. Fond memories. Thanks for letting me share and for the indulgence of all who would read through this much! And if anyone else has memories of the FDDM&S electric days, I'd love to read them! Dick |
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| Author: | Js8419 [ Fri May 23, 2003 12:00 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: 2002 Darwin Awards |
> While perusing the 2002 Darwin award > nominations, I saw a story that references > the Boone and Scenic Valley Railway. Can > anyone confirm this story? (See link below) As a steam engineer on the BSV I have heard about this story,but didnt realize it made it to the Darwin Awards... From what I know this happened on the Kate Shelley High bridge on the UP former CNW. Two engineering students had tied thenselves to the side of the bridge and walked across the track and rapelled down the bridge. One had made it about halfway down and the other one was on deck when a train came across and struck the one on bridge and cut rope off the other... This happens a lot...People get our bridge confused with the Kate Shelly Bridge. They are only a couple of miles apart and in same river valley. Both very impressive to go across. I like to bring up people and give them a ride across it in my Fairmont M19 motorcar. Hez4@aol.com |
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