The following story comes from a colleague.
Good news / Bad news
Good news: It was a normal day in Sharon Springs, Kansas when a Union Pacific crew boarded a loaded coal train to head on the long trek back to Salina.
Bad news: Just a few miles into the trip a wheel bearing became overheated and melted off letting the truck support drop down and grind on top of the rail creating white hot molten metal droppings to spew downward on the track.
Good news: A very alert crew noticed a small amount of smoke about halfway back in the train and immediately stopped the train in compliance with the rules.
Bad news: The train just happened to stop with the hot wheel on top of a wooden trestle bridge built with creosoted ties, bents, and trusses.
The rest is history!
If anyone recognises these pictures as theirs, please let me know and I will be happy to acknowledge the source.
This sequence published 20th June 2003 © J S Rastall