Closeup Photo of Lobato Trestle in Durango Herald

The photo attached to this Durango Herald article: Durango Herald - Tourist season sans train worries Chama has the most close-up post-fire photo of Lobato trestle that I've seen so far.

The beams and piers look to be in remarkably good condition, but that can be misleading since:

(1) We can't see all the spans. Let's hope that the photographer composed his photo around worst looking part of the bridge.

(2) We can't see what burned on the ground, at the bottom of the piers.

(3) We can't see what is in between the beams -- if the rail, burning ties and other debris dropped onto the lateral bracing (the steel L-channels connecting the beams), their dead weight might have bent the lateral bracing. If so, the lateral bracing would have pulled the beams closer together, bending the beams. That would be very bad.

(4) We also can't see if the heat from the fire caused any material changes. (It would be very bad if it had gotten hot enough to effect the rivets.)

--
Chris Webster