TRRS 415: BNSF's Fort Madison Swingbridge

[@franktuckwell196]

Wow! Thanks for sharing, i would never have guessed this even existed, magnificent, greetings from little old England.

[@nobodyshome758]

So enjoyable. You do amazing work. I can't thank you enough. I just love watching. 😍😍

[@denisetindall1487]

I like train videos on KZbin 👍

[@wildbill9919]

I'm a railfan and been there twice to see trains. Fort Madison is a long drive from Houston but well worth it!

[@jerrysinclair3771]

I love to watch trains and my second favorite thing to do is watch movable bridges! So this video is one of my favorites!

[@williamhurren6443]

I stayed a couple blocks away when I worked in Iowa. Lots and lots of trains.

[@Bob.W.]

Flange squeal city! Love the action on the Mississippi.

[@HesitantSignal]

Nice catches! Especially with the swing bridge operating!

[@stanfischer6175]

I've been thru Fort Madison several times on my motorcycle journeys to the Labor Day swap meet in Davenport. Always liked the town because there is a big 2900 on display near the riverfront. Can only imagine that giant 4-8-4 easing its way over the fantastic bridge. Near the bridge is a really mean looking old school prison that always gave me the willy's! Also on Labor Day week is the Old Thresher Reunion in Mt Pleasant. Great place for the gear-heads like me! I'm from Texas but love the Mid-West only during the summer. -'lil stan

[@vettebecker1]

Nice catch, loved how they used deck girders for the road support.

[@Sloppyplane37]

There is one also just up the river an hour and a half in Davenport Iowa on the trains are on top. Also it was the first to cross the Mississippi River

[@toy4x4nj]

Cool Bridge. Never seen a bridge like that before

[@Aaron200707]

Wrong. There is one more double deck swing bridge. The I street bridge in Sacramento, CA crossing the Sacramento River.

[@SteveCarras]

I was just THINKING of that, Aaron (I've been to Sacramento many times, but it's been 30 years.)

[@mentallyilldarkjeroid5378]

There is so many fun action-adventure movie/novel accidents and weird crap you can imagine with this thing, like a lone locomotive sitting on the bridge while it spins around.

[@roboftherock]

That was both interesting and enjoyable. Watching it has raised some questions. 1) The edited sequence is about 6 minutes. How long was the railway actually closed for? 2) Is it a single shipping channel or does southbound river traffic use the other side of the island (i.e. nearer the camera)? 3) What are the speed limits for railway traffic and road traffic?

[@Wistful77]

...Swingbridge in Petaluma, CA, around 110 yeas old. New trains are coming and the bridge might be replaced. not sure. There are two of them at Petaluma and another in Sacramento, CA. very unique video! Thanks!

[@RyanFRails]

Its the longest double deck swing bridge in tha world, boii

[@MrRubenrivera9649]

awesome catches bro

[@mikethechristiangamer85]

love your video great job

[@dennisdebruler6097]

That is the fastest speed I have seen trains go over a big, movable bridge. The other bridges I have seen trains on look like about 10mph. You can tell this is BNSF's hot intermodal transcon route.

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

BNSF, and before them, the ATSF, didn't mess around on the Transcon. Helps that the bridge was exceptionally well-designed in the first place. Many movable bridges have the problem of being built early and on a budget, resulting in today's low tolerances for forces. This bridge doesn't really have those problems, as we can see!

[@legaciesontherails3878]

Very Niiiiicccee! Sharing on my Railroad Bridges, Related Photos & Video page on Facebook!

[@dennisdebruler6097]

I noticed in the opening scene that the river was flowing pretty fast. Is that typical of the Mississippi? The towboat was pushing an impressive propwash to go against that flow.

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

The river is fairly swift in places. Most rivers, actually, are swift, the interaction with the air just reduces the visual evidence.

[@gravelydon7072]

Amtrak 188 was the lead loco on A9716 9/16/2015-9/17/2015.

[@steveyoung8876]

And people complain about waiting at grade crossings for trains lol :D

[@13daniel1974]

The other bridge like this one is in Rock Island, Illinois. My understanding is these are the only two like this in the US.

[@thegamingrhino5864]

There is one like this where I live, Toledo Ohio. It was used in the 40's and discontinued most of the tracks. We had more than twelve railroads servicing the area.

[@w9gb]

Ironically, the Toledo, Peoria & Western (TP&W) western terminus was across this bridge, in Ft. Madison, when the SantaFe and Pennsylvania jointly owned the TPW railroad line to Peoria, across central Illinois & Indiana. From this bridge to Lomax Junction, the TP&W had shared trackage rights on SantaFe main-line. PRR had a branch point near Logansport, IN. Illinois & Indiana grain & coal traffic was common until 1970s, before coal mining moved to Powder Basin (Wyoming). SantaFe had ability (rarely used this routing with TP&W) to compete with Wabash RR for KC to Detroit auto industry (Ford) moves.

[@robertbowman3406]

Does this swing bridge operate both day and night hours?

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Yup

[@StrokerAce3983]

does the R×R over see the operation of the bridge or the local city government?

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

+Stroker Ace BNSF and predecessors have always controlled this bridge. BNSF is responsible for the maintenance of everything, and collects tolls for public use. BNSF says that it sets the tolls so that it recovers only what is needed to maintain the roadway on the bridge....though most suspect that they charge more and essentially pay for the entire bridge with it. The City had such has tried in the past to build another bridge over the river, but with no major road or municipality on the other side, there simply aren't the funds or real necessity to do so, thus road traffic continues to use the railroad bridge, and will for the foreseeable future. Everybody I've ever heard from says the bridge is in excellent shape mechanically and is nowhere near its limits, thanks to railroading's conservative building last century!

[@StrokerAce3983]

Thank you for the information about this video. Ive never seen a railroad/roadway swing bridge before. I was kinda thinking that the RxR was responsible for the upkeep on the bridge. But i wasn't quite sure because of roadway been there and also it's for maritime use also you know what I mean. Yeah thank God the railroad does the maintenance and upkeep on that bridge because it would probably be junk if the state DOT was responsible. Here in Georgia where I live the state owns 540 miles of rail out of the 5,000+ miles of mainline and light density rail. 90% of the 540 mile that the state owns is least out to short line operator. But other net that's pretty cool video and I thank you for taking the time out to respond back to my question.

[@danielsharon524]

@@ThornappleRiverRailSeries BNSF should cover the cost of the entire bridge maintenance w/automobile tolls and it's really nobody's business. It's their bridge, it serves an economic purpose, and they're entitled to make a profit. If ppl don't like it, build another bridge but it would likely have charge a toll and by the time all is said & done, probably more than what BNSF charges although it wouldn't need a swing. If BNSF senses competition coming, they can lower the tolls and thwart it. That's how a free market works.

[@fordfreak2007]

How do they ensure the tracks are lined up each time it rotates?

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

There are a number of locking mechanisms that keep the bridge lined up properly, and obviously ensure that it all lines up in the first place. There are retractable rails that lift up to swing the bridge, those come down and ensure a good rail alignment. Also, I bet the bridge operator (who sits in the middle and also collects tolls) has cameras pointed at various key places for a visual confirmation!

[@polyrhythmia]

@@ThornappleRiverRailSeries As I understand it, there are pins on each end of swing span that go into slots to correctly line the span before it is jacked back onto the piers. Then the rails are locked together.

[@13daniel1974]

I might mention that Rock Island, IL and Davenport, IA are right across the river from each other. Two of the Quad Cities.

[@AllanLoveJr]

How many TUG boats go through Ft Madison a day?

[@ThornappleRiverRailSeries]

Varies by the season, but supposedly a dozen to two dozen daily in the summertime.

[@campbellglass3773]

how do they steer those barges ?

[@williamstewart-uy2cc]

they steer like a car on the highway. they use flanking and steer livers like a sticks. do you have a email address !!

[@KatzStudiosMedia]

Rode over it on Amtrak in 2011!

[@azamkhan-nx2xm]

the swing bridge also our india in kolkata

[@jimlangley840]

Needs a coat of paint !

[@coldwar1952]

Tug sounds like it might have EMD 567's.

[@koiesbow]

Anyone notice that the engine and horn on the tugboat sounded just like a train engine?

[@danielsharon524]

Where's your narration:)?

[@gravelydon7072]

+ coldwar1952 There are towboats that do. I've ridden on a former sternwheel towboat on the Ohio but it had Cats for power. In the winter we can watch the tows go up the Ohio River from the house. I have to check the radio at times to tell if it is a tow or a CSX train going up the river. CSX trips the defect detector. :-)

[@rodneyh5519]

My mom works in Ft Madison and gets stuck every day on that bridge lol

[@williamstewart-uy2cc]

Ingram boats have alco turbo charger and St. Louis ship have emd 567 .. just like trains do