photo #1555635

The Good news:It was a normal day in Sharon Springs, Kansas, when a Union Pacific crew boarded a loaded coal train for the long trek to Salina.The Bad news:Just a few miles into the trip a wheel bearing became overheated and melted, letting a metal support drop down and grind on the rail, creating white hot molten metal droppings spewing down to the rail.The Good news:A very alert crew noticed smoke about halfway back in the train and immediately stopped the train, in compliance with the Governmental Regulations.The Bad news:The train stopped with the hot wheel over a wooden bridge with creosote ties and trusses. When crew tried to explain to higher-ups that they needed to move the train, they were instructed not to move the train because Federal Regulations prohibit moving the train when a part is defective. Well, okee-dokey then, and the pictures tell the rest.As always the Government knows what is best for us.