Trestle Replacement

The trestle with the guard rails still in place.

     Part of the track that the Bucksgahuda and Western Railroad runs on includes a trestle which is a bridge for trains.  This trestle was put in by the Bucksgahuda and Western Railroad crew in 1985 making it very close to being thirty years old.  The ties are starting to deteriorate but luckily the support beams are holding up well and will not need replaced.  Before the tracks running on the trestle are considered unsafe, the crew has decided that it is time for the ties to be replaced.
     Yesterday (10/25/14), the beginning steps of replacing the ties on the trestle took place.  The guard rails were removed and every other spike out of each tie was pulled.  Guard rails are rails that are placed parallel in between the tracks that the trains actually run on.  Guard rails are typically found along areas of restrictive clearance, such as a trestle or a tunnel and sharp curves.  These are in place to keep the wheels of cars and engines in alignment with the regular rails in case of a derailment.  This also helps to minimize damage to the trestle or tunnel and allow for easier post-accident cleanup.  Because the trestle replacement has just barely begun, the trestle is still able to be run over but come next weekend, this may no longer be the case.  

The removal of the guard rails and some spikes marks the start of the trestle replacement.

Pictures taken by Scott Bauer