Train crashes, catches fire on Tempe [Arizona] Town Lake bridge

Maybe it's just a sign of the times... maybe I'm just paranoid... but I can't help but be very suspicious about this:

Train crashes, catches fire on Tempe Town Lake bridge

A fiery train derailment smashed through part of a bridge and sent black smoke high into the sky near downtown Tempe early Wednesday.

The Union Pacific train crashed on a bridge on the south side of Tempe Town Lake around 6:15 a.m., authorities said.

There were no injuries, but one person was treated for smoke inhalation, a Union Pacific spokesman told KTAR News 92.3 FM in an email.

Railroad ties were damaged, causing a partial collapse of the bridge. Rail cars fell through the gap and landed in a park, which was empty.

Huge ten-car freight train derailment in Tempe, Arizona sparks fireball and bridge collapse and fears of a toxic leak from tanker marked 'hazardous materials'

A freight train derailed in Tempe, Arizona Wednesday morning, sparking a huge fire and causing part of a bridge to collapse. Pictures from the scene show the blaze over Tempe Beach Park after up to ten cars derailed, including a tanker labeled with a hazardous materials sign.

This is the same general area -- downtown Tempe and Arizona State University -- that saw BLM protests get out of hand just a couple days ago:
7 people arrested, 1 officer hurt during clash between protesters and police in Tempe

The protest started peacefully at Tempe Beach Park around 5 p.m. But things became unsettled as the crowds moved off the sidewalks and into the streets.

The crowd moved onto the bridge over Tempe Town Lake, and officers ordered them back onto the sidewalks. Tempe police tweeted that protesters near Scottsdale Road and Playa Del Norte Drive had been warned by officers to disperse and exit the roadway. Police tweeted: "Participants will NOT be allowed to enter the roadway on Scottsdale Rd in either direction and MUST remain on the sidewalk."

Note that the bridge mentioned above is a vehicle bridge that runs parallel to the train bridge that collapsed in the train derailment.

Maybe it's just a coincidence... maybe not... there is no known cause for the derailment/collapse being reported yet. My suspicions and speculation are entirely my own... for now.

I really hope I'm wrong.

Wow. Thank goodness nobody died.

The unasked question: Is ANTIFA capable of sabotaging train tracks?
Absolutely.

originally posted by: Boadicea
Maybe it's just a sign of the times... maybe I'm just paranoid... but I can't help but be very suspicious about this: ... Maybe it's just a coincidence... maybe not... there is no known cause for the derailment/collapse being reported yet. My suspicions and speculation are entirely my own... for now.

I really hope I'm wrong.

Nope, there is a known cause for the derailment.

Railroad ties were damaged, causing a partial collapse of the bridge. Rail cars fell through the gap and landed in a park, which was empty.

The derailment was caused by damaged railroad ties.

There is, as far as I can see, no known cause for damaged railroad ties.

originally posted by: IAMTAT
Wow. Thank goodness nobody died.

The unasked question: Is ANTIFA capable of sabotaging train tracks?
Absolutely.

Wrong question.

Correct question: Is ANTIFA capable of damaging large pieces of wood?

a reply to: incoserv

"Pre-existing" damage ----

The perfect cover-up !! 😎🚬

originally posted by: IAMTAT
Wow. Thank goodness nobody died.

Yes!

The unasked question: Is ANTIFA capable of sabotaging train tracks?
Absolutely.

Definitely.

I don't know if it's important or not, but when I heard about the protests in Tempe, I found it odd that they were held in Tempe as opposed to Phoenix. Why go to an obscure suburb for a protest instead of a major city right next door? Granted, ASU is in Tempe, and ordinarily that would mean plenty of college students to take part in a protest, but as far as I know ASU is still shut down -- no classes, no students.

Saw this on youtube a while ago, just wow.
The damage is incredible.

originally posted by: incoserv

Nope, there is a known cause for the derailment.

[snip]The derailment was caused by damaged railroad ties.

There is, as far as I can see, no known cause for damaged railroad ties.

Excellent catch... I stand corrected.

originally posted by: xuenchen
a reply to: incoserv

"Pre-existing" damage ----

The perfect cover-up !! 😎🚬

I saw a report that the last inspection was July 9.

I have seen other reports refer to an "annual" inspection, but also I've seen it reported that the tracks are inspected monthly. I tend to believe the latter.

a reply to: Black_Fox

Amazing video -- thanks for posting.

My husband happened to drive by on the freeway to the north right after it happened, and sent me a pic. He got stuck in the traffic jam as they were closing down the freeway. He said he heard a couple booms or explosions too. He said it was surreal.

Could be worse, looks like it's a cut of lumber cars on fire, at least it's not chemicals.

Here's the latest, as of an hour ago.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

Could be worse, looks like it's a cut of lumber cars on fire, at least it's not chemicals.

Yes -- thank Heaven for small wonders!

There were some cars with chemicals, but they weren't affected.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Toxic cyclohexanone in 2 of the rail cars according to article. Dodged a major catastrophe

originally posted by: incoserv

originally posted by: Boadicea
Maybe it's just a sign of the times... maybe I'm just paranoid... but I can't help but be very suspicious about this: ... Maybe it's just a coincidence... maybe not... there is no known cause for the derailment/collapse being reported yet. My suspicions and speculation are entirely my own... for now.

I really hope I'm wrong.

Nope, there is a known cause for the derailment.

Railroad ties were damaged, causing a partial collapse of the bridge. Rail cars fell through the gap and landed in a park, which was empty.

The derailment was caused by damaged railroad ties.

There is, as far as I can see, no known cause for damaged railroad ties.

Can't for the life of me, see how that conclusion was reached ?

Railroad ties were damaged, causing a partial collapse of the bridge. Rail cars fell through the gap and landed in a park, which was empty.

Where in that statement, does it say that the damaged ties led to the derailment ?
Could not the ties have been damaged by the derailment ?
You know:
1 - Whatever causing a derailment;
2 - Tons of rail-car wheels ripping on rail-ties;
3 - Fires and partial collapse ?

Seems to me that we don't have enough info, although we all know ATS'ers love to jump to conclusions.

a reply to: Black_Fox

Thank you again for posting the video!

So the freeway they showed at the end is where my husband was. They said it happened about 6:15, and he sent me a pic about 6:45.

This also confirmed the reports I read that it was last inspected July 9, and inspections are conducted every 30 days.

My husband just got home and is showing me all the pics he took. He was coming from the west, and about half the bridge is burning quite evenly and uniformly right along the edge... things that make you go "hmmmmm"...

If the rails were missing then I could see the train digging in and going through the bridge, but if that was the case then the local Train Yard would have gotten a signal that the rail was messed with and told the train to stop before hand. if the rails had their spikes removed I doubt that the yard would have any notices on their master board about this.

So in one instance this was a planned event, on the other it could have been sabotage at the moment. The cyclohexanone being on the tracks is what gets me. How many knew that it was on this train?

If this was an act of antifa, well that pretty much does them in as more a terrorist organization then just a loose group of like minded folks.

a reply to: Guyfriday

I try not to think that this was antifa, because if it was, what it would mean, is far to scary.

It would mean that they have gone from low budget rioting, to terrorism.

It would also mean, that there's more to come.

I'd also have to believe they would now be funded, supplied and trained, by someone.

I'm just gonna hope it was a freak accident.

Shutting down freeways and attacking vehicles (and their occupants) is just a step away from sabotaging trains for ANTIFA.

originally posted by: Guyfriday
If the rails were missing then I could see the train digging in and going through the bridge, but if that was the case then the local Train Yard would have gotten a signal that the rail was messed with and told the train to stop before hand. if the rails had their spikes removed I doubt that the yard would have any notices on their master board about this.

Interesting and good to know -- thank you!

So in one instance this was a planned event, on the other it could have been sabotage at the moment. The cyclohexanone being on the tracks is what gets me. How many knew that it was on this train?

Good question. Something I read or heard said that a passenger train had just passed traveling in the other direction. If it is sabotage, I hope they weren't targeting a passenger train. Another small wonder to be thankful for.

If this was an act of antifa, well that pretty much does them in as more a terrorist organization then just a loose group of like minded folks.

I would certainly hope so!