Holland MI Station CSX Switch on fire

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Landoncsx
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Holland MI Station CSX Switch on fire

Unread post by Landoncsx »

HI it is Railfan Landon here with a picture from 11/27/22 on scene at a small CSX Switch fire that started from debris on the warm par of the Heater on the switch and I talk with another Railfan he called CSX and they said it is fine.
I will post a picture of it
IMG_0260.jpg

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Schteinkuh
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Re: Holland MI Station CSX Switch on fire

Unread post by Schteinkuh »

What're you waiting for? Go get some hotdogs and marshmallows
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Chip
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Re: Holland MI Station CSX Switch on fire

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Schteinkuh wrote:
Mon Nov 28, 2022 9:19 am
What're you waiting for? Go get some hotdogs and marshmallows
Mmmmm, creosote hot dogs

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J T
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Re: Holland MI Station CSX Switch on fire

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Landoncsx wrote:
Sun Nov 27, 2022 9:50 pm
HI it is Railfan Landon here
Yes, we know. Your forum name is a dead giveaway.
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Doktor No
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Re: Holland MI Station CSX Switch on fire

Unread post by Doktor No »

Fry bacon and eggs on the rail for a real taste treat!
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Saturnalia
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Re: Holland MI Station CSX Switch on fire

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Chip wrote:
Mon Nov 28, 2022 10:06 am
Schteinkuh wrote:
Mon Nov 28, 2022 9:19 am
What're you waiting for? Go get some hotdogs and marshmallows
Mmmmm, creosote hot dogs
I prefer the heat tape variety myself. Mmmm diesel and fiber insulation :lol:
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David Collins
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Re: Holland MI Station CSX Switch on fire

Unread post by David Collins »

In all seriousness: COULD a switch heater light a fire on the ties?

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SD80MAC
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Re: Holland MI Station CSX Switch on fire

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David Collins wrote:
Wed Nov 30, 2022 7:24 pm
In all seriousness: COULD a switch heater light a fire on the ties?
Why do you think they soak ties in creosote?
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justalurker66
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Re: Holland MI Station CSX Switch on fire

Unread post by justalurker66 »

SD80MAC wrote:
Wed Nov 30, 2022 9:30 pm
David Collins wrote:
Wed Nov 30, 2022 7:24 pm
In all seriousness: COULD a switch heater light a fire on the ties?
Why do you think they soak ties in creosote?
Including the ties that are not at switches?

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J T
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Re: Holland MI Station CSX Switch on fire

Unread post by J T »

SD80MAC wrote:
Wed Nov 30, 2022 9:30 pm
David Collins wrote:
Wed Nov 30, 2022 7:24 pm
In all seriousness: COULD a switch heater light a fire on the ties?
Why do you think they soak ties in creosote?
Perhaps they should have soaked the Newberry Rd bridge in creosote. :shock:

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Buster Manning
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Re: Holland MI Station CSX Switch on fire

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Hey now....

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J T
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Re: Holland MI Station CSX Switch on fire

Unread post by J T »

SD80MAC wrote:
Wed Nov 30, 2022 9:30 pm
David Collins wrote:
Wed Nov 30, 2022 7:24 pm
In all seriousness: COULD a switch heater light a fire on the ties?
Why do you think they soak ties in creosote?
Preservative? I just read on facebook that it only takes one spark to start a creosote fire.
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justalurker66
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Re: Holland MI Station CSX Switch on fire

Unread post by justalurker66 »

J T wrote:
Sun Dec 04, 2022 6:45 am
I just read on facebook that it only takes one spark to start a creosote fire.
I've known that it only takes a spark to get a fire going since I was a child.
I also learned (from another source) that "only you" can prevent forest fires.

That is a lot of responsibility for a kid. The number of forest fires in states I never visited must make me a failure. :D

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Re: Holland MI Station CSX Switch on fire

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justalurker66 wrote:
Sun Dec 04, 2022 8:41 pm
J T wrote:
Sun Dec 04, 2022 6:45 am
I just read on facebook that it only takes one spark to start a creosote fire.
I've known that it only takes a spark to get a fire going since I was a child.
I also learned (from another source) that "only you" can prevent forest fires.

That is a lot of responsibility for a kid. The number of forest fires in states I never visited must make me a failure. :D
Speaking of forest fires, how come it takes only one match to start a forest fire, but a whole box of matches to start a campfire? :P
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Saturnalia
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Re: Holland MI Station CSX Switch on fire

Unread post by Saturnalia »

Creosote is by itself flammable, but creosote-treated wood isn't significantly more flammable than the regular wood alone. I've seen a lot of railroad hot work, from welding, thermites and "heat tape", and I've never noticed additional flammability above what I would expect from any random piece of wood in similar conditions. When it's wet, it doesn't light on fire, and when it's bone-dry at midsummer it'll light rather easily. Once it starts, I doesn't burn faster than one would expect from regular wood, either, again per my observations.

What I've observed is that creosote is more like rubber when it comes to burning: it takes a lot to make a really hot fire before it really takes off. We have no problem putting out "heat tape" fires in the winter, which usually do catch the ties on fire to a degree, with water or a dry chemical extinguisher. The ties don't smolder well at all, unless it's bone dry outside.

Switch fires are usually from garbage or dried leaves in the switch. The switch heaters in Holland are the propane-burning type, with a flame that obviously likes to catch trash on fire. The electric resistive heaters I'm familiar with can also start trash fires, but direct contact is typically required and it is pretty rare.

Where I work, we "winterize" switches in the fall, and a part of the process is removing any trash and leaves from the switch point areas. Turnouts by roadways tend to be the worst. We also make sure there isn't too much ballast around the points, to make cleaning snow out easier as well, and gives the melted snow a place to go if it is going to refreeze. That's why you'll usually find the ballast section to be a bit bare around the points.

My guess is litter from the area collected, and wasn't cleaned out before the burners were activated for the season. No big deal, unless there is a lot of stuff, as usually these fires burn themselves out quickly since the trash and leaves burn at relatively low temperatures and extinguish themselves before the ties catch.
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MuskegonRailfanning
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Re: Holland MI Station CSX Switch on fire

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Doktor No wrote:
Wed Nov 30, 2022 6:37 pm
Fry bacon and eggs on the rail for a real taste treat!
Oh yes!
MuskegonRailfanning, that one local Muskegon/Grand Rapids/Holland Railfanner. :D
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