| The Transportation Safety Board of Canada states that "On 28 June 2011 at 0410 Pacific Daylight Time, while under tow of the tug F.W. Wright, the loaded gravel barge Empire 40 struck the Queensborough Railway Bridge in the Fraser River, British Columbia. The bridge centre swing span and protection pier sustained extensive damage. This resulted in the bridge being inoperable for a period of 2 months after the striking, causing major disruptions to railway and river traffic. No one was injured and there was no pollution as a result of this occurrence." "The F.W. Wright is a tug of steel construction. The navigation bridge is located on the fore part of the main deck. There is a conning position with steering and engine controls inside the wheelhouse, another on the top of the wheelhouse with similar controls, and a third immediately on the starboard side of the winch on the after deck. All 3 conning positions are equipped with a pneumatic abort system to allow the tow cable to run freely off the winch drum in the event of an emergency. There is a cabin for the crew below the main deck in the forecastle. The tug is equipped with a hydraulically-operated winch on the after deck, as well as a 400 m-long steel wire towing cable and a 12 m towing bridle, both 28 millimetres in diameter. The tug is powered by twin diesel engines, driving twin fixed-pitch propellers with twin rudders for each propeller." |
