Backhoe hits Gas Main

   / Backhoe hits Gas Main #1  

BHarrison

Silver Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2002
Messages
152
Location
Baton Rouge, LA
Tractor
Kubota ZD21
If you haven't seen it on the news yet, a backhoe hit a gas main in Chicago putting 3 guys in critical condition.
The flames looked to be about 30 feet high. I can only imagine how large the inital blast was.
The weather looked to be very cold, and wet. What a mess.
 
   / Backhoe hits Gas Main #2  
And I thought I had a bad day.
 
   / Backhoe hits Gas Main #3  
Is this what you are talking about? I hope they will be ok.

Backhoe_on_fire_2.jpg
 
   / Backhoe hits Gas Main #5  
I pulled a large gas line out of the ground with my box blade a couple of months ago. Someone had tore down a commercial building and instead of having Entex pull the line they just poured a sack of concrete around the valve. I was hammering the block of concrete pretty good and when it finally broke the valve broke, too. It sounds like a jet engine taking off behind you. I've had cars run over gas meters on my rental properties so I knew what happened immediately, the guy behind me that was guiding me like to have had a coronary. I don't really like to think about the sparks struck from that scraper chattering across rough concrete. Then there was the time, when I was driving a wrecker, that I snatched a car on it's side out of a ditch and a four inch gas main came with it. I've been kind of lucky with gas mains. :)
 
   / Backhoe hits Gas Main #6  
So much for Dig Safe Program.
Hope the workers are okay..yikes.
 
   / Backhoe hits Gas Main #7  
That High pitched whine can realy get the adrenaline pumping as well as enabling one to set new records the 100 meter sprint. Heard it a few times in my previous work place and its not fun.

Egon
 
   / Backhoe hits Gas Main #8  
You also want to be careful with the gas mains and a diesel. Diesels will suck the gas right through the air filter and run REAL good for a while. You don't want to wait around to drive the tractor away, but if possible point it in a general direction, and if geared, leave it in gear, and RUN. If you don't have time for all that, run first, re-build engine later./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
 
   / Backhoe hits Gas Main #10  
reminds me of the time i trenched through a 2" gas line feeding a mc donalds. boy were they mad.
the job supertendent told me there wasnt anything in the ground and to have at it so i did.
i bad part i didnt even know that i had hit it. i was just beboping along when a few ppl on the job sight came running out and yelled shut off the ditchwitch.
by that time i was already 50-60 feet from where i had hit it. and it does make a nice noise.
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

2015 International 4400 SBA Gap Vac Truck (A53117)
2015 International...
ROLLER DOLLY (A53843)
ROLLER DOLLY (A53843)
2005 KENWORTH T800 (A53843)
2005 KENWORTH T800...
2803 (A50460)
2803 (A50460)
2010 Ford Edge SE SUV (A51694)
2010 Ford Edge SE...
2016 CAT 325FL CR (A47477)
2016 CAT 325FL CR...
 
Top