3 mile long monster stack train crosses the Sibley Railroad Bridge

12.23.23 Sibley, MO - BNSF Marceline Sub, Sibley Railroad Bridge, Milepost 426
Drone catches a 4x4x0 container train at 15,039 feet with 171 cars and 732 axels crossing the Sibley Railroad Bridge on it's way to Global Gateway in the port of Los Angeles from Logistics Park in Chicago.

[@emctrains]

Awesome catch and video!

[@FreightTrainDrifter]

Absolutely amazing catch Ed! 💯👊🏼🤩

[@edfoulks8047]

Thank you, appreciate that!👊

[@thairatcatcher]

Great video, that old bridge looks like it could use a lick of paint.

[@edfoulks8047]

Thanks Peter, much appreciated👊

[@wsclesky]

Excellent! You are the drone master!

[@edfoulks8047]

Thanks Wayne, you are much too kind! Thanks for watching👊

[@geoffreylee5199]

That train is nearly three miles long, YIKES.

[@timothynewton4453]

Trains should not be allowed to be that long, trouble in so many ways.

[@edfoulks8047]

Truly a land barge! Thanks for watching Geoff👊

[@edfoulks8047]

I think that's something the Federal Railroad Administration is constantly looking at, how big it too big! Thanks for watching👊

[@paulbissitt4754]

Incredible.Awesome.A REAL freight train and some! Thanks for sharing.I can't imagine how many workings it would take to move that here in the UK.

[@edfoulks8047]

Thanks Paul! I think our English speaking brethren with the really crazy accent (the ones down under) do even longer trains...and they are "uncrewed"/remote controlled on trips hundreds of miles long! Appreciate you watching👊

[@ronnieg6358]

Impressive! I can't even imagine how to sort this lot out when it reaches it's destination!

[@edfoulks8047]

Thanks Ronnie! It's beyond me how they keep track of all these containers, sort them, get them loaded onto the right boat or tractor trailer and get whatever is inside to retail or my house! Impressive logistics feat for sure. Thanks for watching👊

[@BNSFFREAK747]

Like a great beast, the lengthy monstrosity made from the result of man's ingenuity emerges from the haze like a predator encroaching upon its prey. Silently she crosses the expanse over the remnants of the river in which once upon a time even I could not see the sandy bottoms sticking out like scars in the running water. Silence becomes thunderous as she completes the crossing displaying the colorful array of containers with bright orange leading the way. The gray is brought to life for a few moments with a combination of colors and shapes snaking across the cold landscape. And just when you think that the train is completing its passing, you hear the words of a once famous pitchman: "BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!" as you soon realize that this train is an absolute beast. Anyone who is discerning coming out to this bridge to railfan needs to watch this video as this should be the standard of what a Sibley showcasing should look like! Bravo my good sir! Amazing shots and angles with this one! Makes me want to come back and visit again!

[@edfoulks8047]

Bruh, you might have missed your calling, you should try your hand at being a writer...maybe adventure stories of how the railroads settled the West😉 Thanks for those kind words, there was just something about knowing this one was going to be huge and then hearing the DD report 700+ axles that made it all that much more fun to fly and edit. And you're not kidding, this one was a BEAST!!! 👊

[@robodrone5662]

Excellent shots 👍

[@edfoulks8047]

Glad you enjoyed it Robo! Lots of catches that day so more to come👊

[@kendall1728]

Great drone footage! As a side note, look at the condition of that bridge! We are letting our infrastructure rot. What a shame.

[@edfoulks8047]

Thanks for watching man, I appreciate that! This ole girl's been around for a while and she's starting to show her age a little. Plan is for a new bridge to go in next to the existing bridge but the old bridge is solid enough they are going to keep it in service👊

[@StormySkyRailProductions]

Wow, fantastic views as we all come to expect from you Ed, Nice! (Dave).

[@edfoulks8047]

Thank you Dave, I appreciate that👊

[@kolejnakolej.1437]

Super train and video. Good work.

[@edfoulks8047]

Thank you for those kind words and thank you for watching!👊

[@pleiku887]

That will be a treat to paint.

[@edfoulks8047]

The hardest part of painting the bridge is all the blue painters tape they have to use to keep the paint off the rails and railroad ties....🤣 Thanks for watching and dropping a comment, much appreciated👊

[@KCTopDawg]

Wow the drone master strikes again!

[@edfoulks8047]

You are way too kind my man! Thanks for watching👊

[@tylermccullywideworldoftra9987]

Wow amazing 🌁 🚂 🚂 🚂

[@edfoulks8047]

Thank you Tyler, very much appreciated!👊

[@douglasskaalrud6865]

Very cool video. Thanks for posting.

[@edfoulks8047]

Thanks Douglas and thanks for watching and leaving a comment👊

[@hikinganddrone]

Thanks for sharing, one of these day, I’ll be there👍👍👍👍

[@edfoulks8047]

Thanks for watching, enjoyed capturing it and happy to bring it to you!!!👊

[@johnfitzpatrick3094]

This has to be one of your best videos. The dreariness actually adds to the video. I can see that BNSF hasn't made much progress on the so-called new bridge. That has to be the lowest I've ever seen the Missouri River.

[@edfoulks8047]

Well thank you John, much appreciated! Yeah, I don't recall EVER seeing the river this low, a good wet winter and spring would be nice👊

[@johnfitzpatrick3094]

@@edfoulks8047 I remember one time when I was delivering plants, I crossed the Missouri River at Waverly. I would say that the river was about 4 feet from the top of the levee. Freaked me out, especially with all of the swirling currents.

[@edfoulks8047]

@@johnfitzpatrick3094 yeah, I can recall multiple times seeing levies either being over topped or nearly overtopped anywhere from Atchinson all the way to Waverly but I don't ever remember seeing the water being this low.

[@johnfitzpatrick3094]

@@edfoulks8047 I've seen the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers really low, and that was the drought of 1988.

[@edfoulks8047]

@@johnfitzpatrick3094 let's hope we don't get to that point again!

[@Crookedriverandeasternrr]

Holy hell that was a lot of train. Awesome filming too

[@edfoulks8047]

Yes sir, yes sir! I'd say I get to see my fair share of "big uns" but this one was truly a land barge! Thanks for watching👊

[@valeriebassett3107]

Fantastic video!

[@edfoulks8047]

Thanks Valerie, happy to bring it to you👊 Hope you have a great New Year🎉

[@valeriebassett3107]

@@edfoulks8047 Wishing you a wonderful year in 2024, I pray it will be safe, happy and healthy for you. Really appreciate your videos, love the drone. It's like flying! ❤️🙏

[@jamesburnside3023]

Fantastic Ed just found it

[@GEVOlutionCPKC]

Bellísima captura 😍 nice lashup 💣🔝🙏🏼

[@edfoulks8047]

Thank you GEVO, appreciate you watching!👊

[@gerfgrub6622]

What a monster train. Crazy. Imagine being a conductor and having to walk the entire length looking for a disconnect air hose. Frankly, I think the railroads are looking for a bad accident running monster trains! BTW, the road that runs under the bridge on the west side, is that a public or private road? I've never noticed it before. The mighty Missouri River looks like it's running a little low. I'd like to see it running bank full in one of your videos someday. 😃 But nothing like the '93 flood, half of Henrietta was under water!

[@edfoulks8047]

A complete outsider's opinion but is seems to me the pendulum is at its peak about to trend in the opposite direction. And I couldn't imagine being a conductor and potentially walking SIX miles for an air hose...in the dark...in the cold...in the rain...on ballast... (I have heard dispatchers radio for maintenance in the area to give conductors a ride when they can). The road on the west side is private, I think it belonged to KCP&L when the Sibley Generating Station was still in operation, looks like it connected the plant with the fly ash ponds...EPA reports even have it labeled "Fly Ash Pond Access Road." And yep we sure could use the rain...but nothing like '93 when the entire Hardin Cemetery floated down the Missouri 😬

[@ThePhk5]

how did you get audio and not get swamped by prop noise ?? - great video..

[@edfoulks8047]

Thank for watching! To get the audio, I just mount the GoPro on top of my drone instead of the bottom....JK, I'm using an H1N external recorder. The recorder stays with me at my location so most of the time you don't hear buzzing props. I just synch up the audio and video in post production👊

[@mattanderson6336]

I would have thought with all the upgrades BNSF has done that bridge would have double-tracked by now.

[@edfoulks8047]

Yep, as I understand it this is one the last remaining single tracked sections of the Southern TRANSCON. In November 2022 BNSF approved money for a new single track bridge to be built just to the east of the existing bridge with the intent to use both bridges. In May 2023 they cleared the area for the new bridge then nothing else happened and hasn't since. I haven't seen anything on why it was halted or when the project might resume...if ever. Thanks for watching👊

[@-tekyamanosh]

Wow amazing 🌉 🚂🚂🚂

[@edfoulks8047]

I appreciate that, thanks for watching and glad you liked it👊

[@postalfnj]

beautiful excellent work

[@edfoulks8047]

Thanks, I really do appreciate that👊

[@Sollyst1909]

Why are there so many rusty bridges in the US? Is there no long-term planning or is everything just about short-term profit?

[@edfoulks8047]

She's an old lady, construction finished the same year WWI ended. The railroad has plans to add another bridge next to this one but the old bridge is still structurally sound and as I understand it the old bridge will remain in service even after the new bridge is built. Thanks for watching👊

[@penelope8557]

Do BNSF locomotives have sleeping quarters?

[@edfoulks8047]

Nope, no sleeping quarters not he engines, they have a "latrine" in the nose of the engine but that's all. Thank you for watching👊

[@penelope8557]

@@edfoulks8047 Thank you.

[@willietalley4239]

Im a 30 year railroader it might be me but thats too much train, disaster wait to happen.

[@edfoulks8047]

I'm am certainly not one to question the wisdom and experience of a 30 year veteran of the railroad...therefore sir, I will have to agree with you. I've heard lots of people express concerns about these massive "land barges" being too long. I think they might be here to stay though. Thank you for watching👊

[@jamieharmer5654]

The amount of rust on that Bridge ?

[@cmayes3518]

Trust me I worked for NS a year ago and the trains are getting longer. Freight trains are getting longer. Almost two trains in one. Imagine walking the whole train when a defect detector goes off.

[@davidmonro3270]

If authorities don't do some serious maintenance on that bridge they can look forward to another disaster, no risk.

[@douglasskaalrud6865]

The railroad maintains this bridge.

[@paulsheward3325]

Don't look like it, could do with a coat of paint and rust treatment...

[@edfoulks8047]

BNSF owns the bridge and is responsible for the maintenance. This is one of the most important bridges on the Southern TRANSCON route that stretches all the way from Chicago to Los Angeles, my bet is they keep a close eye on the maintenance of this bridge. Thanks for watching👊

[@postalfnj]

why doesn't the railroad paint the bridge?

[@edfoulks8047]

I bet they will when the time comes! Thanks for watching👊

[@RaulGonzalez-jg8ks]

Ah bárbaro más largo ke la cuaresma

[@edfoulks8047]

Yep, one of the longest I've ever seen. Thanks for watching👊