Irvine Ranch Flatcar Bridge

[TC Smith]

For the most part there aren't any creeks, ravines, or other tributaries that carry much water. There are numerous culverts but there were 4 flats forming two "bridges" over the canal.


TCS - rattlesnake reservior dozerloaderstomperbackhoe hand.

[Myfordbrowning]

(11-29-2011 02:21 PM)holasrmateo Wrote:  

(11-28-2011 09:16 PM)Holloran Grade Wrote:  There is another one in a strawberry field located adjacent to the Irvine Metrolink / Amtrak station.

You can see it as you pull out of the station going south, look to the west towards the freeway and it is over a small creek that runs through the field.

It is fairly close to the tracks.

Yea that's actually the one. MrMRL linked it.

(11-28-2011 09:08 PM)Jaanfo Wrote:  Looks like it got it's last COT&S on 4/20/1971, so it was probably "put out to pasture" around 1975 or sooner.

Thanks, I didn't know what the numbers meant. I just knew the car itself was old and the bridge likely has been there for decades. If so that makes the bridge about as old as Irvine itself (1971).

(11-29-2011 03:19 AM)Myfordbrowning Wrote:  Not only were retired flatcars used as bridges in the agricultural areas of Irvine, a nursery purchased the frame from a boxcar for a bridge over Hicks Canyon Wash. Another crossing of a drainage was made with a retired SP tank car with the ends cutoff. Part of the SP reporting marks were still visiable.

Cliff

Are they still there? Was you I talked to about a former bridge in the Portola area before homes were built and its about the same place.

No they are gone. The one across Hicks Canyon Wash was eliminated when the houses in Northwood were built. The tank car culvert went when they started work on the area between Jeffrey and Sand Canyon, but the building slump halted building in part of the area in Gatesville (opps I mean Irvine).

[Brasscollector]

The more I examine the first photo, the more I am convinced it is not a flat car but a modified 50' double door or door and a half boxcar.

I recall various RR's cut-down and modified their 50' box cars into to 50' converted flat cars for TOFC or MoW service.

The angled-down center-sill, middle gusset-plate and what appears to be a bottom door guide sure give that impression. Plus I've never seen a flat car with that typeof side-sill contour.

??????

[holasrmateo]

(11-30-2011 01:49 PM)Brasscollector Wrote:  The more I examine the first photo, the more I am convinced it is not a flat car but a modified 50' double door or door and a half boxcar.

I recall various RR's cut-down and modified their 50' box cars into to 50' converted flat cars for TOFC or MoW service.

The angled-down center-sill, middle gusset-plate and what appears to be a bottom door guide sure give that impression. Plus I've never seen a flat car with that typeof side-sill contour.

??????

Interesting. I am not up on my freight cars but at second glance I can see the weird sill that would suggest some sort of boxcar. I just figured pieces were added over the years to increase the load capacity of the frame.

Speaking of which, although it is not obvious int he pictures I uploaded, it seems that parts were added and removed to turn it into a bridge, in particular the guide rail or whatever it is. I noticed in a few spots that a torch was used to cut off extraneous parts. I guess its always possible, given its age, that the car could have served as composite boxcar, only to have been cut down for a MOW flatcar of some sort. I have more pictures from other angles that I didn't upload if they would help.

I am not quite sure what its life was like as a functioning bridge since I know modern foot bridges are required to have hand rails of a certain height for pedestrians and cyclists and something to prevent people from sticking their heads through.

[Brasscollector]

Here is an example of the lower center sill and bottom door guide on a SP box car.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/sp/sp172334akg.jpg

Interesting thread.

BTW there is still an ATSF flat car used as a road bridge next to the 15 fwy on Corona where the former ATSF line to Elsinore used to run.

[holasrmateo]

(12-01-2011 01:34 PM)Brasscollector Wrote:  Here is an example of the lower center sill and bottom door guide on a SP box car.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/sp/sp172334akg.jpg

Interesting thread.

BTW there is still an ATSF flat car used as a road bridge next to the 15 fwy on Corona where the former ATSF line to Elsinore used to run.

Well I'm 100% convinced.

[IrvineAmtrakUP]

Is the railcar bridge near the Irvine station the only one of its kind in Irvine? BTW, I live in the Ranch.

[Myfordbrowning]

(05-16-2012 05:38 PM)IrvineAmtrakUP Wrote:  Is the railcar bridge near the Irvine station the only one of its kind in Irvine? BTW, I live in the Ranch.

I don't know of any other still in existence.

Cliff