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4/24/2024
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Viewing Album:  WASHOUT!!
 
By:Tom Beckett
Dates:4/30/2017 - 4/30/2017
Album Info:Parts of Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas got between 6 and 12 inches of rain over the weekend of April 28-30 2017. One of the results was the KCS was washed out on either side of the Illinois River bridge, a couple miles north of Watts. I wasn't able to get into everyplace, as there were railroad folks all over moving in heavy equipment, and a few locations were still impassible when I was there on the 30th. Here's a sampling of how it looked.
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River bridge
Title:  River bridge
Description:  This is the KCS crossing of the Illinois River just north of Watts. The river is high following 10 or so inches of rain the previous two days. River level is more normally just covering the bases of the piers. This event washed out about 1/2 mile of track(actually, undercut, the track is still in place) to the north, and some to the south, though I was not able to get in to see how far. The road to North Watts is blocked due to high water. The bridge appears to be OK to my untrained eye.
Photo Date:  4/30/2017  Upload Date: 5/1/2017 3:06:29 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Scenic,Bridge
Locomotives: 
Views:  224   Comments: 2
South of the bridge
Title:  South of the bridge
Description:  This is the view from the old roadhouse just south of the bridge. The track is intact, but out of place where the subgrade has washed out. The road back to CP N Watts was impassible, so I could not check to see how far the track damage went. It looked like N Watts was under water.
Photo Date:  4/30/2017  Upload Date: 5/1/2017 3:12:20 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  216   Comments: 2
North of the bridge
Title:  North of the bridge
Description:  This is the view of the tracks just south of the first crossing north of the river. On the opposite side of the tracks is a small creek, crossed by a low water bridge, that leads to the Illinois River. That, and the river coming up, are what caused this.
Photo Date:  4/30/2017  Upload Date: 5/1/2017 3:15:43 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  226   Comments: 1
Checking it out
Title:  Checking it out
Description:  A KCS track department employee walks the washed out section, checking the damage, and taking photos. As I was leaving, the low boys were arriving with heavy equipment to start putting things back together. There is a train of side dump cars at Siloam Springs, with loads of rock to stabilize the roadbed.
Photo Date:  4/30/2017  Upload Date: 5/1/2017 3:18:52 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  264   Comments: 2
Toward the bridge
Title:  Toward the bridge
Description:  The tracks curve to the left before they reach the Illinois River, which is still another 1/4 mile or so at this point. The tele shot shows the extent of the damage to the grade from the runoff and overflowing river.
Photo Date:  4/30/2017  Upload Date: 5/1/2017 3:25:24 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  192   Comments: 1
Mobilizing
Title:  Mobilizing
Description:  A KCS hi rail is at the crossing north of the Illinois River as crews start to move equipment in to repair the washout.
Photo Date:  4/30/2017  Upload Date: 5/1/2017 4:03:49 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  200   Comments: 1
North end of the siding
Title:  North end of the siding
Description:  I was not able to get to this spot the previous day as it was under water. The track gangs have been going at it since the water receded, and have now filled in and ballasted the right of way between the north end switch and the Illinois River.
Photo Date:  5/1/2017  Upload Date: 5/3/2017 4:41:22 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Signal,Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  166   Comments: 1
Looking south
Title:  Looking south
Description:  This is the view looking south from North Watts. The main seems to be mostly intact, but the siding has had some ballast work done. The river, when it floods, comes up on the siding side of the right of way.
Photo Date:  5/1/2017  Upload Date: 5/3/2017 4:50:20 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  125   Comments: 1
Dump trucks
Title:  Dump trucks
Description:  These hi rail dump trucks were being used to spread ballast on the right of way, and are now making their way back to the crossing at 7th St in Watts to dismount and reload. Note the water level compared to 24 hours earlier.
Photo Date:  5/1/2017  Upload Date: 5/3/2017 4:53:57 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Scenic,Bridge
Locomotives: 
Views:  142   Comments: 1
Close up dumps
Title:  Close up dumps
Description:  A pair of hi rail dump trucks on the Illinois River bridge.
Photo Date:  5/1/2017  Upload Date: 5/3/2017 4:59:21 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Scenic,Bridge
Locomotives: 
Views:  154   Comments: 1
Box of rocks
Title:  Box of rocks
Description:  A Herzog side dump car showing its load of rock.
Photo Date:  5/1/2017  Upload Date: 5/3/2017 5:42:14 AM
Location:  Siloam Springs, AR
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  97   Comments: 1
Down to the bridge
Title:  Down to the bridge
Description:  A straight on shot of the main looking from CP N Watts to the Illinois River. Thats quite a stretch of new ballast. This was taken 24 hours after the previous set in this album. The KCS crews have come a long way in a day.
Photo Date:  5/1/2017  Upload Date: 5/3/2017 5:00:47 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Bridge,Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  125   Comments: 1
Stranded
Title:  Stranded
Description:  This northbound empty sand train was stranded here at Watts by the flooding. It is being passed by a ballast extra(Herzog cars) that has just dumped its train on the repaired washout section.
Photo Date:  5/1/2017  Upload Date: 5/3/2017 5:03:41 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Action
Locomotives:  KCS 3907(SD70MAC) KCS 4031(SD70ACe)
Views:  233   Comments: 1
Ballast cars
Title:  Ballast cars
Description:  The ballast extra, a now empty solid train of Herzog cars, pulls past the south end of Watts to clear the interlocking and back into the yard.
Photo Date:  5/1/2017  Upload Date: 5/3/2017 5:06:47 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Action
Locomotives:  KCS 4609(AC44CW) KCS 4191(SD70ACe)
Views:  191   Comments: 1
Pulling by
Title:  Pulling by
Description:  The ballast extra, in charge of a gray AC 44 and an SD70ACe, pulls past the end of the stranded sand train as it gets headroom to back into the yard.
Photo Date:  5/1/2017  Upload Date: 5/3/2017 5:09:17 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Signal,Action
Locomotives:  KCS 4609(AC44CW) KCS 4191(SD70ACe)
Views:  199   Comments: 1
Rock train
Title:  Rock train
Description:  This rock train was in the siding at Siloam Springs, ready to go south to dump its load of rip rap when the track work was done.
Photo Date:  5/1/2017  Upload Date: 5/3/2017 5:31:42 AM
Location:  Siloam Springs, AR
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Yard,Action
Locomotives:  KCS 7008(SD50) KCSM 4705(ES44AC)
Views:  336   Comments: 3
Surfacing
Title:  Surfacing
Description:  A surfacing machine levels out the track north of the Illinois River. Compare the track in the foreground to the previous days photo.
Photo Date:  5/1/2017  Upload Date: 5/3/2017 5:20:26 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  102   Comments: 1
Cleaning up
Title:  Cleaning up
Description:  A ballast cleaner works north of the Illinois River. Looks a lot different today.
Photo Date:  5/1/2017  Upload Date: 5/3/2017 5:22:52 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  107   Comments: 1
Working it over
Title:  Working it over
Description:  Track equipment works between the Illinois River and the first crossing. The line would be handling revenue trains the next day.
Photo Date:  5/1/2017  Upload Date: 5/3/2017 5:25:43 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  137   Comments: 1
Almost ready
Title:  Almost ready
Description:  The section south of the Illinois River that had been washed out the previous day now has ballast restored, and is almost ready for traffic.
Photo Date:  5/1/2017  Upload Date: 5/3/2017 5:27:55 AM
Location:  Watts, OK
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Track
Locomotives: 
Views:  92   Comments: 1
Rock extra
Title:  Rock extra
Description:  We see the side dump cars that are carrying the rock for to stabilize the right of way at the flood site. An SD 50 and ES44 have the train.
Photo Date:  5/1/2017  Upload Date: 5/3/2017 5:35:38 AM
Location:  Siloam Springs, AR
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock,Action
Locomotives:  KCS 7008(SD50) KCSM 4705(ES44AC)
Views:  302   Comments: 2
Rip rap
Title:  Rip rap
Description:  Side dump cars full of rip rap sit on the siding at Siloam Springs, waiting for the call to come down to Watts. View is from Kenwood St.
Photo Date:  5/1/2017  Upload Date: 5/3/2017 5:38:49 AM
Location:  Siloam Springs, AR
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  RollingStock
Locomotives: 
Views:  133   Comments: 1
First train
Title:  First train
Description:  At least, the first one I saw. Most of the washout repair looked like it was done the previous day, though they were still tamping and surfacing when I was in Watts. Now its Tuesday evening, and this 131 car H train is rolling north across Lincoln Av at 1900. There may have been others during the day, I just did not see them. Its good to see trains running again. Amazing how much the track crews accomplished in a short time. Bringing up the rear is KCS 4034 as distributed power.
Photo Date:  5/2/2017  Upload Date: 5/5/2017 1:58:13 AM
Location:  Siloam Springs, AR
Author:  Tom Beckett
Categories:  Action
Locomotives:  KCS 4694(ES44AC) KCS 4811(ES44AC) KCS 4796(ES44AC)
Views:  267   Comments: 1

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