Valley Cottage, NY (Rockland) Unusual Brush Fire 6/3/08

[RocklandFires 44]

The Valley Cottage Fire Department was requested for a brush fire along the railroad tracks on Kings Highway just before 3 PM on 6/3/08. Chief Sherman arrived on scene and reported a brush fire along the tracks behind Deemaria's Pizza. He then reported a 2nd larger brush fire just north of the 1st one by Pinecrest Road. The fire was caused by a construction train that was working in the area. The construction train, a RMSX 1001, aka a "rail grinder" is equipped to extinguish fires that it may cause, which were a few in several different locations. There were additional small rail pick up trucks that were also equipped to extinguish the fires as you can see. Definitely an interesting machine, never heard of it before !

Additional Photos, especially close up photos of the train, can be viewed on my website:

http://www.BrianDuddy.com/g/vc060308

http://www.BrianDuddy.com/g/vc060308

[Beekman 5]

Ok, I give up. What does the rail grinder do?

[EJS1810 7]

Ok, I give up. What does the rail grinder do?

I would guess it grinds rails?

[DOC22 1]

I would guess it grinds rails?

ED,

That's exactly wat it does. It grinds the surface of the rails to remove imperfections, and smoths the surface. Kind of like "cutting drums and rotors n the bake syustem in a car, but on a larger scale. I've seen it many times, having lived for many years along the Harlem line.

[x635 4,066]

Unique and excellent photos! Didn't know the railroad has that kind of suppresion capability. What line of the railroad was this?

[jack10562 414]

Are the bicycles a part of the regular equipment carried on some of those vehicles?

Reminds me of a few years back, a train heading north out of GCT on the Hudson line, started track fires all the way up the line from Yonkers to Croton!

Every department along this side of the river had a call on the tracks from this one "rogue train"!

( I don't remember the exact cause, I think it was maybe one wheel seized-up, and was spewing sparks )

[ryefd192 2]

That happened down here in AL a couple years back, but the railroad learned their lesson; because with the way things work, we were able to charge them for our services.

[Jared1979 19]

I believe those tracks are the CSX river line

[DOC22 1]

Are the bicycles a part of the regular equipment carried on some of those vehicles?

Reminds me of a few years back, a train heading north out of GCT on the Hudson line, started track fires all the way up the line from Yonkers to Croton!

Every department along this side of the river had a call on the tracks from this one "rogue train"!

( I don't remember the exact cause, I think it was maybe one wheel seized-up, and was spewing sparks )

I remember a few yars back, we had the same problem on the Harlem Line, when a diesel engine sprung a leak, and the fuel caught fire, and left a flaming trail of brush from White Plains all the way up to Croton Falls where we stopped it in the station and had it shut down. Every FD from North White to Croton Falls had calls that day.

[Remember585 815]

Are the bicycles a part of the regular equipment carried on some of those vehicles?

Reminds me of a few years back, a train heading north out of GCT on the Hudson line, started track fires all the way up the line from Yonkers to Croton!

Every department along this side of the river had a call on the tracks from this one "rogue train"!

( I don't remember the exact cause, I think it was maybe one wheel seized-up, and was spewing sparks )

I remember that too. We had three seperate brush fires at pretty much the same time. While we were taking up from those, T10 got dispatched Mutual Aid to the IBM property in Archville for a brush fire courtesy of this train.

[x129K 1,393]

Wow....those are funny looking Indian Tanks...

[pfdff 10]

I was thinking the same thing. SCBA for a brush fire??

[JetPhoto 626]

We used to get them every once and awhile but since they went to concrete ties the fires diminished

[DaRock98 76]

I remember that too. We had three seperate brush fires at pretty much the same time. While we were taking up from those, T10 got dispatched Mutual Aid to the IBM property in Archville for a brush fire courtesy of this train.

Archville thats a bit of a hike from Croton no? Were you guys one of many tankers?

[unleashedff248 3]

I was thinking the same thing. SCBA for a brush fire??

+1.

What's up with that? I've never ever seen that done before. Brush fires are bad enough in structural gear, but with a pak on too...

I see this thread going off-topic very soon...

[MPACE2-299 0]

Toxic fumes from treated ties?

Edited June 5, 2008 by MPACE2-299