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Photo by Marc Gibaud, Clouds on Tres Cerros and Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia

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Photo by Marc Gibaud,
Clouds on Tres Cerros and
Mount Fitzroy, Argentinian Patagonia



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  #1  
Old 4 Oct 2011
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Originally Posted by Griffdowg View Post

For the 4 wheelers steep banks are not a huge problem, railway bridges shouldn't be much of a problem, we crossed one in Senegal:
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There are very steep railway embankments you must climb (and descend) to get over some rivers on the railway bridges (active with freight trains) -
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And then there is the VITIM BRIDGE -
Assuming you can get your car up and down the railway embankments, would you be allowed to cross the bridge in a slow car? A little bike can get across very quickly and if a "freight train a comin' " also get out of the way pdq.

Can a car fit across the Vitim Bridge?

Chris
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Old 4 Oct 2011
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Assuming you can get your car up and down the railway embankments, would you be allowed to cross the bridge in a slow car? A little bike can get across very quickly and if a "freight train a comin' " also get out of the way pdq.
And I met one coming the other way. Fortunately I reached one of the 'refuge lay bys' with literally a second to spare!

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Can a car fit across the Vitim Bridge?
Yes - look at the various videos on YouTube.

Here is the latest video - and fastest yet. All of about 40 minutes quicker than me. No one challenging my record?

1 minute 11 seconds.
Notice the clean central path on the timbers? Perhaps created by the apparent "hoardes" of motos attracted to this 'Everest' of bridges.

Sadly, it will be inevitable thatone day someone will go over the side. With the current and cold water the result is without doubt.
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Old 4 Oct 2011
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Originally Posted by chris View Post
Assuming you can get your car up and down the railway embankments, would you be allowed to cross the bridge in a slow car? A little bike can get across very quickly and if a "freight train a comin' " also get out of the way pdq.

Can a car fit across the Vitim Bridge?

Chris
Chris, watch the video answer to all your questions.

A spotter and a 2 way radio will go a long way to keeping eyes peeled. Freight trains tend to travel quite slow (by comparison) so its not as dangerous as it could otherwise be.

Either way, we will give it a try, see what happens. I think I need to pick up some waders on the way though!

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Old 4 Oct 2011
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Originally Posted by chris View Post
Assuming you can get your car up and down the railway embankments, would you be allowed to cross the bridge in a slow car? A little bike can get across very quickly and if a "freight train a comin' " also get out of the way pdq.

Can a car fit across the Vitim Bridge?

Chris
Railway bridges are definitely going to be a bigger risk for a car than for a bike. But it does get done. The 2 Polish 4WDs did the western BAM in 2009.

As for cars crossing the vitim, yes they can.... its a bit less clearance, but possible. Its even possible in trucks ... see this video:

http://youtu.be/AHtzBt-fOAM
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Old 4 Oct 2011
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Just watched the video at campusadventureteam's Channel - YouTube Good fun...

Any idea where on about 9 minutes to 12 minutes(ish) the car ended on the truck and the truck got stuck is? Looked like fun. Are there any bits on the western BAM where you might need to truck a bike?

Nice in warm and dry weather and no wind, but...

Definitely need to get a HD helmetcam.

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Old 4 Oct 2011
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Any idea where on about 9 minutes to 12 minutes(ish) the car ended on the truck and the truck got stuck is?

Are there any bits on the western BAM where you might need to truck a bike?
I've not looked at it recently but from memory of seeing it some time ago I think it was the river Kuanda - a little east of the Vitim Bridge. We crossed the river on the rail bridge after very lengthy (and expensive) negotiations with the guard and the boss for the area.

No need for trucks if you negotiate and get permission at manned rail bridges. The guards appeared to be more signalmen than full security men. Unmanned ones we just went across.
On the BAM east half many are are guarded my armed military which make them "No-No s" unless you are on a train. So we always had to find a way - sometimes on the back of a truck, but they are rare things. Sometimes we went for 2 days without seeing a single vehicle or person other than the nearby trains.
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I've not looked at it recently but from memory of seeing it some time ago I think it was the river Kuanda - a little east of the Vitim Bridge. We crossed the river on the rail bridge after very lengthy (and expensive) negotiations with the guard and the boss for the area.

No need for trucks if you negotiate and get permission at manned rail bridges. The guards appeared to be more signalmen than full security men. Unmanned ones we just went across.
On the BAM east half many are are guarded my armed military which make them "No-No s" unless you are on a train. So we always had to find a way - sometimes on the back of a truck, but they are rare things. Sometimes we went for 2 days without seeing a single vehicle or person other than the nearby trains.
Yes the polish car on the truck that got stuck was at the Kuanda river. I cant remember if the Poles were denied permission to use the railway bridge that day or if they just wanted to try an alternative ... but it ended up taking them all day to cross the Kuanda.

And Chris, I can confirm there is no need for trucks on the Western BAM. All our truck action was on the Eastern BAM
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