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This is one of about forty autorack cars that were damaged when a CSXT crew took an excess-height train under a normal-height bridge. The Autorack oops article discusses the incident.

This is one of about forty autorack cars that were damaged when a CSXT crew took an excess-height train under a normal-height bridge. The Autorack oops article discusses the incident.

The autorack cars of this train would seem to be taller than a bridge they attempted to pass under. The results (discussed below) are certainly dramatic, but they are hardly pretty.

The autorack cars are 19' tall (excess height cars), however the Belt Railway of Chicago overhead bridge (46th Avenue) just east of Cicero Avenue has a clearance of 17' 3".

This appears to be the first group (of three) autorack cars in the train, maybe a few dozen cars back from the front. The tank car appears to have received damage when one pickup truck came off the third (near) autorack. TTGX 253757, TTGX 603569, Autorack oops, TTGX, Autorack cars, Freight cars, index, photographed on 25 October 1999 at CSX Altenheim Sub by Harold A. Driscoll using a Sony Mavica MVC-FD88 digital camera (with tripod) [railfan/1999/10/99a25708.jpg] NEW 25 October 1999 This image size is ( 1200 x 900; 266 KB ). A smaller image ( 600 x 450; 79 KB ) is also available.

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Car markings on TTGX 253757: EXH 19-0 W 5-1, EXW 10-8 H 5-8, EW 10-5 H 16-3, IL 89-4, IW 9-1. [25 October 1999]

Equipment characteristics of TTGX 253757: AAR car type V972 (vehicular flat car), plate type G, tare weight 104,000 pounds, total gross weight allowed 179,000 pounds, load limit 75,200 pounds, external dimensions (length 93' 8", width 10' 3", height 19' 0"), internal dimensions (length 89' 4", width 9' 0"), pool number 9,990,017. [courtesy of BNSF Equiptment Characteristics, October 1999]

Railcar fleet details for TTXX 253757: Vehicular Flat Car, Mechanical Designation: FA; Outside Length: 93 ft 8 in; AAR Car Type Code: V972; Outside Extreme Width: 10 ft 3 in; Outside Extreme Height: 19 ft 0 in; Height of Extreme Width: 5 ft 8 in; Plate Clearance: G; Star Stencil: S; Trans. Code: N; Draft Gear: 10; Tare Weight: 104,000 lbs.; Rate per Hour: 0.74. [courtesy of CSXT Railcar Fleet Details, November 1999]

Chicago Rail Photographs collection updated 24 March 2025 at 09:53. Photographs and text copyright © 1998-2000 Harold A. Driscoll, All Rights Reserved. Email address is provided exclusively for personal contact, but emphatically not for use for SPAM net.abuse.