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Flood of 2008 |
It is March 18, 2008. Dale Bitsch sends out a notice that the Meramec River, due to recent heavy rains, is on the rise.
The evacuation of the WF&P is announced and its all hands on deck to move out as much as possible. Predictions of the river's crest constantly change upward. We hear reports from 25.5 feet due to crest on Friday to the most recent of 43.5 feet due at 1:00 PM on Saturday. If this is accurate, it will be a record level at Eureka. Water would reach the grade crossing at Grand Avenue at 35 feet. With a prediction of 43 feet, the crossing and rail yard would be under 8 feet of water.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008. The yard is busy with everyone moving as much as possible to higher ground. We had a lot of people out today preparing for a record setting flood of 43 feet, one foot over the December 6,1982 record of 42.89 feet. The '82 flood stayed at the record height for three weeks because the Mississippi River was full and wouldn't allow the water to recede. December '82 was unexpected and on top of that, winter was about to set in. This time, we were able to prepare as best we could.
All locomotive tenders are staying behind (for now) due to space constraints. Locomotives 400, 928, 180 are in the trailer with the walk in door. The trailer was pulled out to higher ground. Locomotives 5205, 535, 403, and the 534's frame, were hauled out by local resident, John Rush and his Bobcat to higher ground. Why was this done this way? Because after trying for several hours, they could not get the old '75 Volvo tractor (semi truck) to release from the other trailer. They tried really hard to get the trailer out, and as a result, spent too much time, so Locomotives 171, 102, and the 300's frame, and one of the cabooses were left behind. There wasn't time to roll them out and Bobcat them to higher ground. Locomotive 401 is on the rack in the roundhouse and as a result, it too is remaining behind (for now). It was discussed to lift it off with the Bobcat, but the Bobcat just barely lifted 403 without pulling over, and as 401 is heavier, the Bobcat does not have a chance to lift 401 without adding several hundred pounds of weight to counterbalance . Bob Hardt picked up the 534's boiler today to take to the boiler shop. So it is out of the flood zone. Former member, Steve Britton, showed up with his trailer and he was allowed to haul stuff out in the trailer. One of the items is loco 41 along with all sorts of lubricants, steam oil, MTY fuel drums, and the hydro pump. Locomotives 13, 704, and 802 were loaded on board a lowboy trailer and hauled out. We figured that we'd need to get them back fairly soon so that we have some power to move cars around. Three local residents, who were there with their trailers hauled out the soda machine and refrigerator. They returned to load up the three diesels and park them up the hill. All of the passenger cars will remain in the carbarn. Even parked at Summit, the cars would be under water. Jim Scott says they will pressure wash all the cars and grease them anyway. Dale Bitsch dismantled the signal system and has taken home the two control panels, and all of the "home made" signal heads. He also took home all of the power supplies, and any other component on a PC board. He removed all the relays, but left behind the relay sockets. The full sized dwarf signals are remaining behind. The cutting tools in the shop were moved out. Errante's toolbox was dismantled and all the drawers were moved. All of the hand tools in the roundhouse are now moved. A lot of other items were moved as well. We worked all day, and didn't stop for lunch. Some were there from around 9:00 am to 8:00 pm. Many got plenty of exercise today going up and down the stairs removing items. I'm sure we may have overlooked something, but we sure tried to get all that we could to higher ground. The empty propane tanks were picked up by the propane company.
There appears to be no damage to the right-of-way. No washouts. However, Swampy Creek was running real fast, and the dammed up channel was forcing much of the water out of the channel and toward the right-of-way. The water was pouring thru the three small culverts under the right of way leading to the Swampy Creek Bridge. Some water continuing east to Swampy Creek trestle, and quite a bit flowing west to Mohan and filling up the low area between Mohan and Bluffs on the North side of the track. It wasn't high enough to go over the tracks, so no washout occurred -- yet. It had a ways to go. The Meramec will fill the area up before Swampy Creek will. Lots of water was flowing through Yeatman and around the west side of the wye and through the culverts under the West Switch.
We can't begin to list everyone who were out, but we'll list everyone we can remember (some working Wednesday, some Thursday, and some both days): Rich Owings, Bob Tabernacki. and wife Carol, Bob Hardt, Hank Welch, Mike Lorance, Mike Brennan, Jim and Jimmy Scott, John Delaney, Norm Cole (with tractor for trailers), Dave Neubauer, Paul Smith, Joe Christen, Jim Foster, President Steve Marx (hobbling around), Devin Lawson, Wayne Mosbacher, John Mohen, Tom Ernst and girl friend Sharon, Mike F. Walsh (father of member Mike R. Walsh), and Dale Bitsch.(email Jim Greathouse if you know others who were there to have them added to the list.) We had some help from Steve Britton, and some local residents who are working up the hill with the Bobcat. We are going to have a lot to clean up after this is all over. We will be needing a lot of help to get things back in order and prepare for opening day.
Thursday, March 20, 2008. Hank Welch and Jim Greathouse continue to move smaller items to higher ground. The water tank was filled with fresh water to help with cleanup, if needed, after the waters go down. Hamilton Creek, behind the ticket booth was only ten feet away from the booth. Water was approaching the station turntable and picnic field near by. By noon, several more members showed up again along with Steve Haack and his box truck. The loco tenders were loaded from the transfer table along with the 1201 Pullman car. The 401 was moved to the apron of the roundhouse. By using straps and chains, the locomotive was centered closer to the Bobcat to help balance better. Hank Welch was then able to lift 401 off its stand and moved up to higher ground. By 3:00 PM water was flowing over Grand Ave near the Al Foster Trailhead parking lot. Most of the members moved their cars to the Trailhead parking lot. By 4:00 PM we had moved about everything that could be moved and were asked by St. Louis County Police and Wildwood officials to leave the area. They blocked the road at 3rd street and would not allow any more sightseers past. By this time, water was over a foot deep on Grand.
Stay tuned to www.wfprr.com for more details and pictures as they become available.
Photos provided by Jim Greathouse unless otherwise noted.
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Hamilton Creek is only a few feet from the ticket booth. While it may be hard to see in this picture, there is a floating pile of brush just behind the telephone pole. Normally the creak is about 20 feet down the hillside. This picture was taken at 9:00 AM, Thursday, March 20th. By 4:00 PM, the water was at the edge of the grass behind the pole. By Saturday, the water was just below the WF&P Logo. |
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Student Member Devin Lawson chains down the Station benches Thursday afternoon. |
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By 9:30 AM, Thursday, water was nearing the station turntable. |
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Joe Christen and Deven Lawson (along with Bob Tabernacki, Jim Greathouse, Mike Lorance, Hank Welch, Rich Owings, Steve Britton, and Steve Haack load tenders into Steve's box truck. Seven tenders and a wooden passenger car (1201) are loaded and hauled to higher ground. |
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Joe Christen and President Steve Marx prepare locomotive # 401 to be lifted with a Bobcat and moved. The loco has been under renovation to replace valve gear and cross heads. |
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By 4:00 PM, Thursday, Wildwood city officials close the road to the railroad. When the water reaches the crossing in the background, the river will be at 35 feet. The prediction is the river will crest at 43 feet. That will put the railroad under 18-9 feet of water. |
Revised Level as of 8:30 PM Friday, March 21 - Current level 39.71 ft - Crest 40.7 ft |
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Revised Level as of 5:30 AM, Saturday, March 22 - Current level 39.74 ft - Crest 40.03 ft |
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| Videos of the # 401 locomotive being evacuated during the 2008 flood are available on YouTube.com | Moving 401 - part 1 of 8 |
| Videos of the area near the station turntable as the water comes up. | 10:00 AM - March 20 |
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This is Grand Avenue, Friday, March 21, around 4:30 PM. You can see the crossbucks from the grade crossing signal just out of the water. This photo was taken from Grand Ave. just before 3rd Street. Photo by Steve Haack |
We are over the crest !!!! At about 10:30pm last night, the Meramec crested at Labarque Creek just a few miles upstream of Eureka. The river has dropped about a foot since then. (This is as close to Eureka as I can get due to the flooded roads). According to the weather service predictions, the river should drop to 32 feet at Eureka sometime on Easter Sunday afternoon. At which time we may be able to get back in to the railroad assess the damage. Expect to have a lot of muddy silt deposited everywhere. Rubber gloves might be a good idea. The Meramec crested in Eureka at 40.06 ft according to the NOAA website at 9:00am Saturday, March 22, 2008. This makes it the 4th highest recorded flood on the Meramec. Following are the 10 highest flood crests at Eureka on the Meramec River (I have added 2008 to the Top 10 List - Dale Bitsch): Eureka Historical Crests on the Meramec River (from NOAA website) Historical Crests (1) 42.89 ft on 12/06/1982 (2) 42.20 ft on 08/22/1915 (3) 40.90 ft on 04/14/1994 (4) 40.06 ft on 03/22/2008 (5) 39.00 ft on 02/01/1916 (6) 38.90 ft on 06/11/1945 (7) 36.72 ft on 09/26/1993 (8) 36.60 ft on 05/03/1983 (9) 35.77 ft on 07/02/1957 (10) 35.60 ft on 11/17/1993 |
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Sunday, March 23rd
Hank Welch & Wayne Mosbacher were activating electricity. Devin Lawson, Steve Haack, and Bob Tabernacki were cleaning mud and debris out of the RH.
Tomorrow: Hank,Devin,Strain, Scotty, and possibly Haack will be out.
We would like to finish cleaning the RH,start on the machine shop floor and Scotty will start on the car barn and rolling stock
We could use more help.
The road is clear to our property
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Monday, March 24th Car Barn: Jim Scot ,Jimmy Scott, Bob Randall - trash clean up and power washed tables and floors. Round House: John Bell, Rich Owings, Jim Strain, Bob Tabernacki - Trash clean up, walls, floors, tables, shelves and tools
power washed and put back. Devin Lawson began draining Round House pit.
Machine Shop: Devin Lawson - power washed floors. Water reached the main floor of the Machine Shop. There was just under two feet of water inside.
Maintenance Of Way (MOW) - Hank Welch cleaning rails and switches in yard. Some ballast at Meramec Junction (just past the yard and before Bluffs) will need to be replaced. We have not checked the track further down the line yet.
Planned work for Wednesday: power washing rolling stock and bring tools etc back to Machine Shop, Car Barn
and Round House.
Depending on what we get done we will probably continue same on Saturday. At this time, there are no plans for evening work times. Bob Tabernacki
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