(erielack) Float Bridge Reachers

[Gordon Davids <g.davids_@_verizon.net>]

FBR signified "Float Bridge Reacher."  The container carried scrap to add weight to the car.  Erie and EL prohibited all engines except 300's from operating on float bridge aprons.  In 1969, after the Erie electric float bridges at Jersey City were retired and replaced with pontoon bridges, engines were prohibited on the bridges.

To pin a float at a pontoon bridge, you had to shove a heavy car onto the bridge so it would settle down into the water until the tracks met the level of the tracks on the float.  That's the reason for ballasting the reachers, so they could be used for pinning floats.  After the float was pinned to the bridge, they used the reachers to get to the cars on the float without running the engine onto the bridge.

By the way, the two pontoon bridges that were installed in 1969 on the DL&W side in Jersey City came from the CNJ.  They replaced the Erie electric bridges when the Erie yard was converted into a facility for unloading International trucks for export.

Gordon Davids

Message-ID: <12c.6f112897.31271c89_@_aol.com>
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 07:33:13 EST
From: Andrisd_@_aol.com
Subject: (erielack) EL FBR-1 Photo id

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/el/frt/el-fbr1alb.jpg

I was wondering what this car was used for? Were the containers open or closed?

Thanks   Andy Cole



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