Mishaps will always be a part of railroading.  These scenes show the old and newer methods of cleaning up a wreck scene.  In years past the railroads owned and positioned “big hooks” and associated equipment out on the line.  Such equipment was always in the ready-mode, warmed up and on the go in a moment’s notice.

In today’s “contract-out” way of doing business, private firms like Hulcher Services are called to the task.  They and other firms have highway transportable lifting equipment on the scene dispatched from numerous locations around the country.  Upon completion of the Interstate highway system truck-transported clean-up equipment allowed the rail lines to reopen sooner.

Note the special tread on the pair of crawler tractor side-mounted lifting machines.   I didn’t use the word “Caterpillar” because their origin could be of a different manufacturer.