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The Mysterious Fallen Rail

There is a mystery that lurks beneath the C.P.R. High Level Bridge. The object of this mystery is a 4-foot long piece of rail that protrudes from the ground between the 15th and 16th piers. C.P.R. personnel have examined the protruding rail and have guessed that it is a section of “Engineering Series” rail that is either 33 or 36 feet long. So how did a 935 pound piece of rail come to be driven 29 or more feet into the ground?

There are many possible explanations to the mystery. One possibility put forward, is that the rail may have fallen during the original construction of the bridge. However, it seems unlikely that the contractors, who had the proper equipment to retrieve the rail, would have overlooked it when cleaning up. Another possibility is that the rail may have fallen off a passing flatcar carrying used rails from another location. Yet, once again this explanation seems unlikely as there are too many crossmembers and other framework obstructions to find its way through to the bottom, directly under the bridge,

Could the rail be a hoax? There is the possibility that the rail was put there on purpose for a joke. However, the culprits would have had to dig a very deep posthole and then pound the rail into the ground, a feat that would not have been very easy. The most probable explanation, according to C.P.R. officials, is that the rail had fallen during the 1930s bridge repairs. This was when the 85 pound/yard rail was upgraded to 100 pound/yard rail. It may have also been a “buffalo rail,” a shorter piece of rail that was commonly used during repairs. In any case, such a piece of rail falling from a height of 120 feet could indeed have sufficient force to drive itself into the ground. But what ever the explanation, the mysterious fallen rail has, and will continue to leave many unanswered questions.