The Good news:
It was a normal day in Sharon Springs, Kansas, when a Union Pacific crew boarded a loaded coal train for the long trek to Michigan . . ....
The Bad news:
Just a few miles into the trip a wheel bearing became overheated and melted, letting a metal support drop down and grind on the rail, creating white hot molten metal droppings spewing down onto the rails . . ....
The Good news:
An alert train crew noticed smoke about halfway back in their train and immediately stopped the train in compliance with the rules . . ....
The Bad news:
The train stopped with the hot wheel over a wooden bridge with creosote ties and trusses.
The crew tried to explain this to Union Pacific higher-ups but were instructed not to move the train.
They were informed that Rules prohibited moving the train when a part was found to be defective!
The Very Bad News...
ALWAYS REMEMBER: RULES IS RULES!
(Never let common sense get in the way of a good disaster)
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