Caribou Station Railroad Fire
- Thread starter Rhaw757
- Start date
It's impossible to gauge damage by those sorts of pictures. Considering that the body of the engine is nearly entirely non-flammable, the main issue I'd imagine would be warping due to overheating. I don't know exactly how modern steam engines work but I'd imagine there are some parts that got a bit warmer than they were supposed to during the incident.
Still nice to see that it isn't completely covered in soot.
Still nice to see that it isn't completely covered in soot.
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I’d rather it have been Alpen Express, considering Balmoral Castle and Der Hochbeinige were custom made for BGW. Crowne Metal isn’t in business anymore, so they can’t exactly just get them replaced. Alpen is just a run of the mill CMP train, and while it would still be a large loss for something to happen to it, it’s not nearly as big of a loss as Balmoral.
I know Tweetsie Railroad specializes in rebuilding CMP trains, but I don’t know if this would be outside of their’s or BGW’s ability to do.
I know Tweetsie Railroad specializes in rebuilding CMP trains, but I don’t know if this would be outside of their’s or BGW’s ability to do.
I doubt the damage is severe enough given the size of the fire. It was big, but think about it, this is a propane powered heavy duty engine. That fire could've been much much worse.
I personally think this was set off by a spark or something catching the fumes of the train in the bay to ignite, hence the bang noise. This could be anything from an employee lighting a cigarette back there (the person who got minor injuries) or one of the many electrical panels back in that bay having a short, since a lot goes on back there.
I believe all will be well. I see them using DH as the headline train with Alpen as backup for quite possibly the rest of the season if BC needs any repairs. It's entirely possible all that huge metal chassis will need is a paint job, since I doubt a propane fire got hot enough to severely damage it, given that grills sustain that heat on the daily.
I personally think this was set off by a spark or something catching the fumes of the train in the bay to ignite, hence the bang noise. This could be anything from an employee lighting a cigarette back there (the person who got minor injuries) or one of the many electrical panels back in that bay having a short, since a lot goes on back there.
I believe all will be well. I see them using DH as the headline train with Alpen as backup for quite possibly the rest of the season if BC needs any repairs. It's entirely possible all that huge metal chassis will need is a paint job, since I doubt a propane fire got hot enough to severely damage it, given that grills sustain that heat on the daily.
The problem with the heat is not with the structural steel unless it burns for an extended period of time but more the electrical systems and rubber housings (the more delicate things). This damage will likely be extensive and require a complete rebuild. The boiler looks to not be that bad off which is good. As long as the chassis is not bent i think it will survive, but I will be surprised to see it running again this year. If ghe reports are true the tender will likely be a loss.
I can say that there are little to no electronics on the Engine. These things are like a gas grill with a big ol' water tank attached. Steel it quite fine, but many of the fittings and valves are brass etc. Most other less durable materials are there for creature comfort and to keep people getting burned afaik.
So, the park has now burned its least-favorite train to collect the insurance money...presumably to pay for the new Germany train station.
Yes that is correct. Sorry I should have been more clear. Not the engine itself but a think the lights in front and inside the passenger cars are supplied from the engine/tender either by battery or by steam generation. Its safe to say that this will be a loss along with all the hydraulic hoses also. Brass melts at a much lower point than steel and wouldn't take much to damage them. If the fire burned in the engine for an extended period i think it will be a while before it is up and running again. If the fire was confined mainly to the tender (which is likely since that is where the gas is stored)) then its a lot less troublesome other than getting a new tender.
I was going to say something about when do we start considering insurance fraud ? 3 fires one year
It's a good thing Balmoral wasn't under cover when the fire broke out.
Kind of like when a rogue fire in a fire-breathing indoor ride was confined to a small area of the roof.
Perhaps BGW, understanding that bad things can happen, has a policy to have engine and tender away from structures when performing certain operational and maintenance tasks...?
Kind of like when a rogue fire in a fire-breathing indoor ride was confined to a small area of the roof.
Perhaps BGW, understanding that bad things can happen, has a policy to have engine and tender away from structures when performing certain operational and maintenance tasks...?
The train is closed for the day. Red train in the station looks like the green train is behind the station but sticking out. In line at Imvadr with my gopro so I post anything that I catch worth seeing.
Thanks for the report @horsesboy!
As for the video in BGWFans' frontpage article, the original poster pulled it soon after we posted it. We've updated the post with a video provided exclusively to us via an anonymous eyewitness source. This video won't be going anywhere.
As for the video in BGWFans' frontpage article, the original poster pulled it soon after we posted it. We've updated the post with a video provided exclusively to us via an anonymous eyewitness source. This video won't be going anywhere.
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I am surprised they closed the whole thing instead of running the DH as primary.
I planned a trip for Sunday and Monday so lets hope by then they have it running. That would suck to be there all day for two days without DK in the heat AND not train to transport
I'm sure there are active investigations happening at Caribou Station today. Makes sense that it would be closed to me.