Matching manpower to traffic can be a very brutal undertaking. Either move the traffic or face the potential of losing the traffic - to another carrier or to another mode of transportation. Carriers under most contracts have the ability to manipulate the location and size of crew bases and the terminals that the crew base protects. I have no idea of BNSF procedures. On CSX the biggest determinant on how crew bases were handled was how well the crew base protected their traffic. During my employment a number of crew bases worked themselves out of existence by not protecting the traffic that crew base was assigned - The work would be transferred to another adjoining crew base. What was once a Home Terminal became a Away From Home Terminal. In other cases that once Home Terminal became a intermediate point on a Interdivisional Run. Not to sound to 'Management' - the work force holds the continuation of their work with their continuity in working the work they are given.
That also was my biggest concern being a second level defense contractor manager, positioning my managers and employees where their skills could, and would support our customers' requirements. All "managers" in every company have customers who have to be satisfied. Everybody has a customer, even your immediate boss is your customer. Satisfy your "customer" and you satisfy your company's customers.
The thing is, this should be a temporary "move" due to the speeds allowed on the Laurel to GF line, slow. After the bridge gets placed back in service, probably with a concrete ugly thing, then the traffic will go back to the MRL line, which is a faster line, and then the crews will get to relocate back to their home terminal, again. In a perfect world anyway. I guess we will see.
Temporary is a relative term. I am certain it won't be in the 12 day I-95 restoration in Philadelphia. Even removing the damaged bridge and pier(s) is going to be a chore, especially as long as the high waters continue to exist. Temporary could be longer than a year.
Those waters will not be going down for a while. Although less than when warmup began, there is still melting mountain snowpack.
There is talk of using some MRL crews, from the Laurel end of that line. Meanwhile, BNSF folks have their lives even more upended than already.... The time frame for this could be long. I am thinking all bridge piers will need replacement. From photos, it looks like at least two of them are going to be absolute necessities.
Fortunately when a pier sunk due to high water scouring on the old SP bridge on the Brazos River here a few years ago, no trains derailed. https://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/rebuilding-the-brazos-river-bridge.95014/
As I suspected would happen, it is confirmed that BNSF already has people at site. Apparently specialists in bridge construction and repair.
I spoke with a friend working up in Whitefish, and he tells me that they are trying to get 53 trains a day over track that can only do 34 trains a day at best! Flathead tunnel has both speed and smoke evacuation limits that restrict the number of trains. They are also trying to find creative ways to get crews onto the Laurel Great Falls line for the duration. At the moment, engineering is on site and they are saying one month until trains roll across the Yellowstone again. I am thinking it may take longer...
You are quite correct about the limitations of Flathead Tunnel. Purge times would probably depend upon direction of travel for a train. For a westward, they can close the doors right behind it and the process is under way as the train transits. An eastward they might need to wait until the train is out of the tunnel. Those "creative ways" are not making many people happy. Note what I mentioned in my earlier post about forcing crews by cutting jobs on the High Line. Yes. Engineering folks are there. Both MRL, and (as I noted earlier), BNSF bridge people. Perhaps a temporary structure first, to get things moving, then a new bridge alongside.
I featuredBNSF personnel would be on site even if BNSF was not going to take over the territory in 2024. The BNSF bridge people have most of the records pertaining to the bridge from its original design, pre construction, until today. Isn't MRL operating the line 'under lease' from BNSF? From a business stand point I can't see MRL investing in a FULL SCALE bridge department, they would have enough B&B personnel to do the normal inspections and necessary maintenance to their facilities - not enough personnel to tackle a failure such as this without the horsepower of the BNSF B&B resources.
MRL has been keeping the public informed via their news spot on the railroads website, and linking to DEQ and Stillwater county sites. https://www.montanarail.com/2023/07/unified-command-press-release-as-of-1600-july-2/ A couple of pictures from the releases,
Looking a bit more closely at the photos, that pier under those remaining tank cars has me doubting it is original. It looks a little newer than I might believe of 1917 era. So the thought is there has been, at some time, some upgrade work done. I am wondering how they will do the rebuild. Will they, instead of new piers, sink more modern style of pilings, with a concrete cap, protected by fender piles? Just thinking this would be better anchored, than trying to scour out riverbed to bedrock, and pour new footings, etc. It will be interesting to follow. Perhaps worthy of a documentary film.
It is going to be interesting to see what they do come up with. I sure wish I was closer and had the time to spend watching them do their thing. Y'all would have so many videos to watch!!
Sounds like the HAZMAT cars are out of the river and water quality is improving now. https://www.montanarail.com/2023/07/unified-command-press-release-as-of-1230-july-5/ On a side note, is it possible to build a heavy-duty culvert setup to get train traffic moving again until a new bridge is built? I have seen large culvert installations as temporary shoofly arrangements, but only on small watercourses, not mighty, raging rivers with heavy spring melt. Here's one, MP 45.18, on the Moffat Route in 2005, while the original Denver, Northwestern & Pacific bridge is replaced:
Probably gonna' be a lot of Government people getting the final say on what happens daily there, due to the ecosystem in the area.
