High winds cause major damage to the Shelby and Sparta Railroad near Dublin.
Friday, October 4, a fierce weather front came through packing 50 mph prototype winds. This brought two large beech tree limbs from a height of
1440 scale feet down onto the S&S Mainline trestle tearing up track and crushing roadbed and trestle bents. Tree removal personnel estimated impact
forces to be as high as 10,000 prototype pounds. Track has been twisted into grotesque Halloween shapes.
The 816 scale foot curved trestle, its roadbed integrity now breached, remains in unstable condition. Crews are at a loss in devising means to
repair the continuous laminated curved roadbed which has had two 15 scale foot sections torn out by the crushing blow of the falling limbs.
The superintendent reports that bent replacement is straight forward and expects no complications in that effort.
He admits, however, that construction of new 72 scale foot bents may delay operations for many months to come.
More serious, however, are concerns as to the condition of the track. Several joints were ripped apart, and it appears that about 360 scale feet
of track may have a severe lateral twist. Survey crews have been called in, but the investigation is hampered by the dangerous instability of the 72
scale foot high trestle. They may have to delay work until the roadbed has been repaired and the trestle is stable enough for work crews to proceed.
Damage to ties has not been assessed.
The Operations Office reports that service on the Mining and Logging Line are expected to
continue, as is passenger service on the Farm to City connection and on the Inter City Line.
Estimates of repair costs and loss of operations services are unavailable at this time. The financial loss of the Main Line freight service will
be substantial, but it is believed that income from the operating branches and the owners cash reserves will be adequate to keep the line out of
bankruptcy, at least in the near term.
In late breaking news, the MacBeth Gazette reporter for railroad finances, Bobby Bailout, reported that the S&S has announced a freeze on all capital
improvement projects until the mainline is back in operation and generating revenue. It was well known that a major planned
development was that of an elevated interurban line running west from Sparta to a soon to be developed
major recreational park to be anchored by a year-round circus. The Gazette immediately sent
farm reporter, Fred Farmall, to Sparta to report on reactions there. Fred reports that Sparta held an emergency town hall
meeting in which it was decided to seek a federal grant to permit Sparta to build a gateway terminal for the Eastern terminus of the planned interurban
line. It was hoped that this would encourage S&S officials to continue their plans for the interurban.
Sparta officials noted that their terminal would be the key access to the new recreational area and they had anticipated considerable tourist trade from
people coming from all the other towns and villages served by the S&S to go
to the recreational park.
Fred interviewed officials in Shelby to gauge their reaction. While disappointed at the delay in the development of the recreation area, they
did not feel that it would have any effect on the local economy. Later, however, some of the movers and shakers confided to Fred
that they might look into ways to speed up the project. They were of the belief that easy access to a major recreation area would encourage more
people to move to Shelby thus enhancing the local economy. Other small communities visited by Fred were only concerned with the loss of
freight service, which will have a major impact on local farmers and businesses.
They were unaware of the planned recreational area.
The Gazette then turned to its own local railroad historian, Ralph Railfan, for
background information on the park development. Ralph recalled that some years
ago a seasonal circus had camped on the proposed recreational site, and that the S&S had provided temporary local
trackage to support it.
However, lacking good transportation links to any population centers, the enterprise failed. Ralph also reported that the S&S had in fact purchased a
new diesel-powered Doodlebug rail car for use on the planned interurban line. Upon further investigation, the Gazette learned that the S&S RR was
underwriting the new permanent circus park and had already initiated local rail construction for the circus.
Following this lead, Bobby Bailout tapped anonymous insider sources to learn that the real purpose of this endeavor
was to stimulate additional passenger traffic on the S&S System in an effort to bolster
currently declining revenue in the passenger sector. The key to financial success will be the anticipated interurban line
which will make it easy for people throughout the S&S network to get to the park.
When finally reached for comment, S&S officials Shelby Railroadman and Reefer Sparta, would only say that their first priority was to concentrate
all their resources to get the main line back in business. All other projects have been put on hold until that objective is reached, and
financial impact assessments have been made.
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