Montana Train Wreck Ditches New 737 Hulls Into The River.

[mmciau]

Boeing fuselages derailed on MRL.... (http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3455777)


Not a lot of details yet, but a westbound BNSF train has derailed on MRL near Lothrop, MT. Cars carrying Boeing fuselages and parts are involved in the derailment.

Paul Birkholz
Sheridan, WY
Mountain West Rail (http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/warning.php?forum_id=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mtnwestrail.com)


Being reported on US-based Train Website

[Intruder]

MT is Montana, which makes sense. MN is Minnesota, which does not...

[barit1]

Some discussion:
Boeing fuselages derailed on MRL.... (http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3455777)

BNSF is Warren Buffett's choochoo.

Sorta messes up the JIT theory.

[doyll]

Lothrop, MT is about 27 miles west north-west of Missoula, MT on the river. MRL is Montana Rail Link.

I suspect the derailment is more a non-story as first report is 10 hours ago and no news and no additional news since... and it's now 11AM there.

[Maxan_Murphy]

Montana Rail Link Train Derails Near Superior (http://newstalkkgvo.com/montana-rail-link-train-derails-near-superior-three-cars-in-clark-fork-river-audio/)

http://wac.450F.edgecastcdn.net/80450F/newstalkkgvo.com/files/2014/07/Montana-Rail-Link-photo.jpgphoto courtesy of Montana Rail Link

19 cars of a westbound Montana Rail Link (http://www.montanarail.com/) train carrying aircraft parts, soybeans and denatured alcohol derailed near Superior yesterday.
Spokeswoman for Rain Link Lynda Frost, said the derailment occurred at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 3, 18 miles east of Superior.
“Those cars contained aircraft components, denatured alcohol and soybeans, most of which were the aircraft components,” Frost said. “The crews have worked through the night, and it looks like that main line will be closed until tomorrow evening.”
Frost said three of the cars containing aircraft components slid down a steep embankment and ended up in the Clark Fork River.
“Three of those loaded cars did end up in the river, and we’re working hard to get those back up on the bank,” Frost said. “The three cars containing denatured alcohol did not rupture, and as of this morning had already been offloaded to other cars. The shipment of aircraft parts originated in Kansas City and was headed for Renton, Washington.”

Frost said there were no injuries and the investigation into the derailment is ongoing by Montana Rail Link personnel and other agencies. Train derailments in the United States fall under federal jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation’s Federal Railway Administration. (http://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0001)

[Spooky 2]

I see some overtime coming to the Renton factory to play catch up.:ok:

[BOAC]

It'll be AB sabotage, mark my words:8

[MarkerInbound]

I suspect it's out in the middle of no where and no one has a cell phone to post pictures. See the picture in R&N.

[Intruder]

More overtime in Wichita to make more fuselages!

[J.O.]

So much for the advantages of having large component production so far away from final assembly.

[7x7]

Some enterprising fast food chain owner might pick up a couple of ready-made and rather eye-catching restaurants he could place on the outskirts of some mid west towns. Don't think they'll be of much use for anything else apart from scrap metal.

[parabellum]

Having seen some of the disasters that the Boeing repair team have got back into the air I wouldn't write them off just yet, it may come down to cost of repair versus insured value.

[Heliarctic]

Proof again that alcohol and aircraft don't mix!:ooh:

[barit1]

Another photo (http://missoulian.com/news/local/train-derails-near-fish-creek-aircraft-fuselages-in-clark-fork/article_55070078-03ba-11e4-b39c-0019bb2963f4.html) :{

[oldoberon]

disagree the comment on that picture the green thing is more like a tank ( the alcohol?),fuselages probably in those large wagons.

[lelebebbel]

http://i.imgur.com/EJVBCzL.jpg

Better photo

[blue up]

737s seem to have a great affinity to water. Usually you see them looking like that with a runway behind them and a beach in between. :E

Replace those Fir trees with Palm trees and it could be any one of a number of airfields.

[nitpicker330]

Well not a very nice end to a very short career for those poor 738's

Fortunately they are basically empty shells and would have been fitted out at Renton, so no Flight deck stuff fitted.

[5000 metres]

Sad, but that is rather an extraordinary photo.

[Offenbach]

Rumour has it another train, this time full of Speedtape, is already following !
(note to self - buy 3M shares Monday). OB

[GHOTI]

Train Derails In Montana, Dumps Boeing Fuselages Into River | Zero Hedge (http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-07-05/train-derails-montana-dumps-boeing-fuselages-river)

[underfire]

dont know how you would get them out of there except in pieces....

pretty good break in the one fuselage....

lelebebbel, reposted your pic here..

http://i61.tinypic.com/23hvqr6.jpg

[seafire6b]

Glad someone in the Shipping Dept affixed "This Way Up" labels to each one!

[underfire]

Quite a few images here....

something you dont see everyday when rafting...

Train derail (http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Train-derails-in-western-Montana-3-cars-in-river-265898791.html?tab=gallery&c=y&img=3)

[pattern_is_full]

I've seen these as they pass through Denver from time to time - always an attention-getter, even when they stay on the tracks.

Poor babies! :(

[barit1]

Seems to me Boeing might consider the carnage as valuable test specimens - for experimental static, fatigue etc work. Behind every dark cloud... :8

[500N]

barit

I was thinking the same thing, if the insurance company allowed them to have them.

[RatherBeFlying]

There's a detached forward section that might appeal to a simulator hobbyist;)

[Luna77]

Before the crash

http://i.imgur.com/YxQ0QpV.jpg

[GrumpyOldFart]

"In the event of a water landing..."

[RJ Kanary]

It's not every day you get to see multiple aircraft crash before they have ever flown. :)

[barit1]

Museums could outfit them for display, even cutaways.

[Codger]

Pilot error. Of course it's pilot error.

[neil9327]

More photos + humorous comments at:
https://www.facebook.com/flightradar24/posts/736827973023295

And a video of some people in a white-water raft passing it on the river:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUGGd4tPdP4

[barit1]

One would expect insurance to pay the Boeing claim, then offer the carnage at auction sale. Boeing (or anyone else) might then buy it at 2X scrap value, subject to restricted usage.

[pants on fire...]

These could be an excellent deal for a cut and shut solution to that last ground handling incident, collision or runway excursion!

Boeing fuselages in Montana river after train derails | NWCN.com Washington - Oregon - Idaho (http://www.nwcn.com/news/washington/Train-derails-with-aircraft-parts-265866171.html)

[barit1]

Upon further pondering, there are plenty of good skin panels visible here. Careful inspection might deem some of them "good as new". Why not?

Alternatively, Grumman turned out large numbers of aluminum canoes after "the big one". Design is still produced by Marathon. (http://www.ehow.com/about_6622918_grumman-canoe-information.html)

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

from The Seattle Times....

Derailment spills Boeing fuselages

A train derailment in Montana ended with several
Boeing airplane fuselages and other equipment
bound for Renton sliding into a river on Thursday.

By COLLEEN WRIGHT - Seattle Times staff reporter | 9:30AM PDT - Saturday, July 05, 2014

http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo92/RasputinDude/Aviation%20News%20Story%20Pix/20140705_Boeings1_zps47a31e91.jpg

BOEING investigators were dispatched to a train derailment in Montana that ended with Boeing airplane fuselages and other equipment sliding into a river on Thursday.

Boeing spokesman Larry Wilson said in a statement that a BNSF Railway train carrying six 737 fuselages and assemblies for 777 and 747 planes derailed near Rivulet, about 18 miles east of Superior, Montana.

Photos taken by rafters on the Clark Fork River showed at least three fuselages scattered along the river bank.

http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo92/RasputinDude/Aviation%20News%20Story%20Pix/20140705_Boeings2_zps8213860a.jpg

http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo92/RasputinDude/Aviation%20News%20Story%20Pix/20140705_Boeings3_zps6e178a22.jpg

The train was westbound on track operated by Montana Rail Link (MRL) when 19 cars derailed, spilling the equipment down a steep riverbed and into the river. MRL spokeswoman Lynda Frost told a Missoula radio station the derailment happened around 4 p.m. No injuries were reported.

“Those cars contained aircraft components, denatured alcohol and soybeans,” she told KGVO. She said crews worked through the night to recover the load and attempt to clear the tracks.

According to The Associated Press, 13 of the cars that derailed were carrying freight, mostly aircraft parts with some soybeans and denatured alcohol. Six were empty.

Frost said the alcohol didn’t leak and no soybeans spilled. She said crews were working to remove the aircraft parts from the water.

http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo92/RasputinDude/Aviation%20News%20Story%20Pix/20140705_Boeings4_zpsbf2cb4b4.jpg

The train was headed to Boeing’s final-assembly plant in Renton from Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kansas. As of Friday, trains were being rerouted while repairs were made. Frost said the line should reopen by Saturday evening.

<a href="http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2023999353_trainderailmentboeingxml.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2023999353_trainderailmentboeingxml.html (http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2023999353_trainderailmentboeingxml.html)



from The Seattle Times....

Crews to try to remove Boeing 737 fuselages from Montana river

By BETH KAIMAN - The Associated Press | 5:44PM PDT - Saturday, July 06, 2014

http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo92/RasputinDude/Aviation%20News%20Story%20Pix/20140705_Boeings5_zps240063b4.jpg

MISSOULA — Crews on Sunday will attempt to remove three Boeing 737 fuselages that tumbled down a steep bank and into the Clark Fork River in western Montana after a train derailed.

Montana Rail Link spokeswoman Lynda Frost said Saturday it’s unclear the type of challenge involved because it’s the first time the company has faced such a task.

No one was injured when 19 cars from a westbound train derailed Thursday about 10 miles west of Alberton. The cause of the derailment is under investigation.

http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo92/RasputinDude/Aviation%20News%20Story%20Pix/20140705_Boeings6_zps6febe137.jpg

The train carried six fuselages. Three others also fell off but stayed on land. Frost says Boeing has had workers at the scene assessing the damage.

The fuselages were headed to Renton to be assembled into completed airliners.

<a href="http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/07/crews-to-try-to-remove-boeing-737-fuselages-from-montana-river" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/07/crews-to-try-to-remove-boeing-737-fuselages-from-montana-river (http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/07/crews-to-try-to-remove-boeing-737-fuselages-from-montana-river)

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

from The Seattle Times....

Tough task pulling fuselages from Montana river

By NICK PROVENZA - The Associated Press | 2:57PM PDT - Sunday, July 06, 2014

http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo92/RasputinDude/Aviation%20News%20Story%20Pix/seattletimes_20140706_boeings1_zps12d23dea.jpg (http://seattletimes.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/today/files/2014/07/Montana_Train_Derailment.jpg)
This July 5th picture shows components of three Boeing aircraft sitting near or in the Clark Fork River after the train carrying them derailed near
Missoula, Montana. The parts were being transported from Kansas City, Missouri, to their final assembly location at a Boeing facility in Renton.
— Wiley E. Waters Whitewater Rafting/European Pressphoto Agency (click on the image to download a larger version).

MISSOULA, MONTANA — Removing three Boeing 737 fuselages from the Clark Fork River in western Montana after a train derailment could take until Tuesday.

Montana Rail Link spokeswoman Lynda Frost says progress at the site on Sunday is slow as a crew of 50 with eight heavy equipment machines works in conjunction on the steep bank.

No one was injured when 19 cars from a westbound train derailed Thursday about 10 miles west of Alberton. The cause of the derailment is under investigation.

The train carried six fuselages. Three others also fell off but stayed on land.

Boeing says it has experts at the scene to assess the damage.

The fuselages were traveling from a Spirit AeroSystems plant in Wichita, Kansas, to be assembled into airliners at a Boeing facility in Renton.

<a href="http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/07/tough-task-pulling-fuselages-from-montana-river" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/07/tough-task-pulling-fuselages-from-montana-river (http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/07/tough-task-pulling-fuselages-from-montana-river)

[Offenbach]

No-one has yet seen the need to post Metars ?
Incredible!

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

The effects of a 'bit' of 'mechanical turbulence' seen there on the one closest to the camera.....and.....
NOT a Kindergarden / school / hospital / etc etc in sight!!

Can't blame the FO for that one...either....:}

[gcal]

https://uk.screen.yahoo.com/boeing-737-fuselages-damaged-train-152727182.html

[Down and Welded]

The railroad will get a 'big hook' in there and drag those hulls and cars up the bank in no time. It'll be one of their easier "difficult" jobs.

Media comment suggesting it's no biggie (for Boeing)...
"...even if all of the parts are scrapped, the losses won't produce more than a minor hiccup in Boeing's production," analysts said.

"High on the annoyance scale, but not a major setback," said Howard Rubel, a managing director at Jefferies LLC in New York. The loss of six Boeing 737 fuselages "...is equal to three days of production," he said. "My guess is that Spirit could make up the disruption within a month with some overtime."

Cai von Rumohr, a managing director at Cowen & Co in Boston, said the time available to catch up on the work and the likelihood that Boeing and Spirit have a production buffer made it unlikely that the parts losses would show up in Boeing's full-year earnings.

The company is making 42 Boeing 737s a month, giving it plenty of scope to recoup six lost fuselages in six months, he said.

[Kiwithrottlejockey]

http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo92/RasputinDude/Aviation%20News%20Story%20Pix/20140704_MontanaDerailmentBNSF_zps9ca00d97.jpg


Well....you can buy pre-worn jeans, so why not pre-crashed airliners? http://www.smfboards.com/Smileys//smf/azn.gif