Plane fuselages in Clark Fork!

[Tellico]

A train derailment West of Missoula, near Alberton gorge sends plane fuselages into Clark Fork.
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Train-derails-in-western-Montana-3-cars-in-river-265898791.html

Fred

 

[J Miller]

That's a mess and a half. I wonder how they'll remove the fuselages from the river?

Joe

 

[redhawker]

There's some expensive junk right there.

 

[Merle1948]

That's a mess and a half. I wonder how they'll remove the fuselages from the river?

Joe

In small pieces - they are scrap now.

 

[pyth0n]

That's a mess and a half. I wonder how they'll remove the fuselages from the river?

Joe

In small pieces - they are scrap now.

Yup.
Some one may be able to buy one or all real cheap and turn them into house boats, motor homes, as one old guy did with a B 307.
Boeing 307 Stratoliner http://unusuallife.com/2007/03/18/desdemonas-rocket-ship-the-cosmic-muffin/
:)

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I wonder if those fuselages are insured when they are shipped and by who? That would be one whopper of a claim. :shock: :shock:

 

[6gun]

That's a mess and a half. I wonder how they'll remove the fuselages from the river?

Joe

They will just bring in a chopper to pick them up and place them on some new railcars, then they will continue on their journey to Everett Washington and most likely repaired and used.

 

[caryc]

That's a mess and a half. I wonder how they'll remove the fuselages from the river?

Joe

They will just bring in a chopper to pick them up and place them on some new railcars, then they will continue on their journey to Everett Washington and most likely repaired and used.

I agree. They don't look that badly damaged. They can probably be re skinned and maybe some of the structure replaced if needed. Too much work in them to just scrap them.

 

[KWYJIBO]

That looks like an expensive crash, whether they can salvage anything or not.

My father tells a story from many years ago when some of my relatives lived in the railroad town of Bancroft, Idaho. Apparently, a train derailed in or near the town one day, spilling dozens of new automobiles that it was carrying. A great uncle (or maybe it was a second cousin or something) of mine owned a bulldozer, and the railroad called him in to clear the wreckage. Someone pointed out that some of the cars were not severely damaged and they could be saved. "No," said the railroad, "we are losing money every minute this line is closed down, and our insurance will pay for the cars anyway." They ordered him to shove the cars right into the ditch, so the track would get cleared as quickly as possible.

I think airplane fuselages warrant a little more careful calculation.

 

[pyth0n]

That looks like an expensive crash, whether they can salvage anything or not.

My father tells a story from many years ago when some of my relatives lived in the railroad town of Bancroft, Idaho. Apparently, a train derailed in or near the town one day, spilling dozens of new automobiles that it was carrying. A great uncle (or maybe it was a second cousin or something) of mine owned a bulldozer, and the railroad called him in to clear the wreckage. Someone pointed out that some of the cars were not severely damaged and they could be saved. "No," said the railroad, "we are losing money every minute this line is closed down, and our insurance will pay for the cars anyway." They ordered him to shove the cars right into the ditch, so the track would get cleared as quickly as possible.

I think airplane fuselages warrant a little more careful calculation.

If they chose to repair them, it will all be documented, including the cause of the damage. Obviously the Feds are on it. They don't look to bad from these pictures, but an internal hidden damage inspection would also have to be done to check the frames. I've seen what some would say were lost causes, put back into the air good as new. Boeing's call.

 

[caryc]

After I was discharged from the service I went to work for Rohr Aircraft in Riverside California. I worked in adhesive bond. We would get items like the big 40 foot or so pedal doors and various large engine cowls and doors in for repairs.

These things came back from Viet Nam at the time. Some of them would get the skins pulled off of them and maybe get some of the honey comb core replaced and re skined. I saw a lot of that repair stuff come in with field repairs on them. The usual repair was a Black Label beer can flattened out to cover holes. :mrgreen:

In case anyone is wondering, when removing the bonded on skins they used a circular saw set to cut just barely through the skins and they made cuts about four inches apart then used a device that peeled off the strips like opening a sardine can without damaging the core underneath. Cheaper than making a whole new cowl or door.

 

[Critch]

Born to fly, forced to swim!..... :D

 

[Colonialgirl]

Maybe they should move all manufacturing to the Carolinas and shorten the trip and train shipping.

 

[Merle1948]

That looks like an expensive crash, whether they can salvage anything or not.

My father tells a story from many years ago when some of my relatives lived in the railroad town of Bancroft, Idaho. Apparently, a train derailed in or near the town one day, spilling dozens of new automobiles that it was carrying. A great uncle (or maybe it was a second cousin or something) of mine owned a bulldozer, and the railroad called him in to clear the wreckage. Someone pointed out that some of the cars were not severely damaged and they could be saved. "No," said the railroad, "we are losing money every minute this line is closed down, and our insurance will pay for the cars anyway." They ordered him to shove the cars right into the ditch, so the track would get cleared as quickly as possible.

I think airplane fuselages warrant a little more careful calculation.

Back when I was a kid a coal train derailed & dumped a half dozen carloads. Same deal - push it to the side & re-open the tracks. The one old timer in town who still burned coal got a lifetime supply of free coal. Sadly, he passed away :( before using it all up, so coal is still littering the roadbed.

 

[graygun]

I don't think they will scrap them but maybe knock a few $M off the price of a completed product. :)

Where's Tweety Bird?