Train stoped by tumble weeds,

[BHD]

http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/global/story.asp?s=7444623&ClientType=Printable

"Tumbleweeds vs Train" picture album

Posted: Dec 3, 2007 03:15 PM MST

Updated: Dec 4, 2007 09:23 AM MST

Reporting from KTVQ in Billings

It appears the wind can stop even the most unstoppable objects.

A recent wind storm near Hardin whipped up enough tumble weeds to block a moving train, stopping it dead in its tracks.

The engineer on board says the fully loaded train was traveling about 15 miles per hour when it was overcome by the tumble weeds blowing in the wind. It was enough to cause the train to lose traction and stop almost immediately.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe tells us it's investigating the incident further.

More pictures at the url above,

[wwsmith]

Yeah, that is not far from where I live. We had a train in town have a similar problem where the winds were so strong the train was unable to make it up the incline to get out of town for almost 12 hours that same day. The Interstate was closed for about a 60 mile stretch for almost 30 hours due to the winds as well. It is often windy here during the winter, but this last storm was a doozy. Freezing rain with no snow and winds staying at high gusts for extended periods of time. Welcome to the 4th windiest area in the USA. Contractors and businesses are always surprised when they learn any construction here must be built to hurricane force standards surpassing those rules of many places where hurricanes are commone (i.e. gulf coast & Florida).

[roadrashray]

Yeah, that is not far from where I live. We had a train in town have a similar problem where the winds were so strong the train was unable to make it up the incline to get out of town for almost 12 hours that same day. The Interstate was closed for about a 60 mile stretch for almost 30 hours due to the winds as well. It is often windy here during the winter, but this last storm was a doozy. Freezing rain with no snow and winds staying at high gusts for extended periods of time. Welcome to the 4th windiest area in the USA. Contractors and businesses are always surprised when they learn any construction here must be built to hurricane force standards surpassing those rules of many places where hurricanes are commone (i.e. gulf coast & Florida).
Yeah WW......I spent a summer camped in the Forest Service Cmpgrnd at Pine Creek. We had a wind storm come through there and take down about 20% of the pine trees in the cmpgrnd. It was terrifying because it happened so fast I couldn't get my trailer out and had to just hope and prey. Lucked out. I was also there when the fire started above Immigrant and after burning slowly for a couple of days the wind came in and it moved 20 miles in one day. I came out of the library in Livingston and the smoke overhead and ashes falling all over town looked like the aftermath of a nuclear explosion. I love Paradise Valley though and the mountains around there.....Ray