Abilene Smoky Valley Railroad
On or about Saturday, September 21 an unknown vehicle caused damage to Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroads (A&SV) track at the K-15 Buckeye Street Crossing.
An unknown Southbound vehicle with something low to the road struck the rail in the crossing and bent a two-foot section almost two inches laterally. This bend narrows the gauge of the rail and so prevents the A&SV from using the crossing until it is repaired. Unfortunately, this repair is going to cause a week of disruption to Buckeye Street traffic.
“The driver of the vehicle had to have known they struck the rail. The force necessary to bend the rail would have caused a significant jolt to the entire vehicle such that the driver would have felt it. Rather than stopping and reporting it, they continued on their way without making themselves known, so we are now stuck not only with the repair but with the unexpected $95,000 cost,” said Ross Boelling, President and General Manager of the A&SV.
Abilene Police Department is investigating the incident and is looking for assistance in identifying the vehicle that may have caused the damage. If anyone has information regarding this incident, they are asked to contact Assistant Police Chief Jason Wilkins at 785-263-1213.
“Unfortunately, the only way to repair the bent rail is to tear out the entire crossing and replace it from the ground up. There is no simple way to repair a single piece of bent rail in the middle of a road crossing.” Boelling said.
The crossing replacement by the A&SV contractor will close Buckeye Street at the crossing for seven days to complete. The A&SV expects repairs to start around October 14. Due to the length of time required, a detour will be necessary. Kansas Department of Transportation will specify the detour route since K-15 is a state highway.
“Obviously, A&SV hates the disruption as much as anyone. It is not something that was even on our radar. While this does not affect our Peanuts or Dinner Train Operations, we are now unable to shift our new Kansas Belle cars and are unable to bring a rescue locomotive out in case we have any locomotive issues with our primary locomotive. We hope the driver is identified so their insurance can assist with the costs.” Boelling said.