Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Colchester Overpass


 * The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review).  No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was   merge to Bunny Man. -Scottywong | gossip _ 14:16, 14 May 2012 (UTC)

Colchester Overpass

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This overpass is not notable in itself. West Eddy (talk) 00:04, 5 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Delete. I would make exception if this were a historical landmark, but the only thing I can draw out of here is that it is on a supply line from the American Civil War.  If something else can be found about it that makes it significant, sure I'd say keep, but I see nothing special about this.  -- Dennis The Tiger   (Rawr and stuff) 05:55, 5 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Keep or Merge. I am the article writer. Please see the latest edits. I will defer to the more seasoned editors as to whether or not Colchester Overpass is notable in and of itself. My intent with this submittal was to provide factual information to curiosity seekers regarding the train and vehicle traffic present at this popular legend tripping site. If it can't be kept as a stand alone article, then perhaps the information should be merged with the Bunny Man article. It would seem to me that public safety information pertaining to a popular urban legend is an important part of any encyclopedic entry. This can be done by linking this article to the Bunny Man article or by including the information there. Please read the following excerpts from a newspaper article currently in work as part of the public service announcement campaign regarding railroad trespass at Colchester Overpass. With its place at the top of Google search results for Bunnyman Bridge, the Wikipedia entry for Bunny Man plays a prominent role in drawing curiosity seekers to the overpass.

"... Colchester Overpass is sometimes referred to as Bunny Man Bridge. In nearby Clifton, t-shirts advertising Bunny Man Bridge as a local attraction are sold in the General Store. Though some are aware of this local curiosity, very few are aware of a very real danger there. Unconvinced? Just ask the individuals involved in the railroad trespass arrests that have occurred at Colchester Overpass since October 2011....The recent string of arrests has little to do with legend and plenty to do with a matter of public safety. At the heart of this matter is an active railway. The railroad tracks at Colchester Overpass are the same tracks that run through Clifton. They are NSC tracks used by Virginia Railway Express (VRE), Amtrak, and NSC trains. Weekly VRE and Amtrak traffic accounts for at least ninety trains. Add the NSC freight traffic and the weekly total is easily in excess of one hundred trains.....Though vehicular traffic is safe, Colchester Overpass surprisingly receives an inordinate amount of pedestrian traffic on the active railway. How can this be? During April 2011, local residents discovered a disturbing fact on the Internet. While researching the Bunny Man legend, long embedded on the cyber sphere, multiple YouTube videos and various blogs promoting railroad trespass at Colchester Overpass (Bunny Man Bridge) were discovered. Normally, active railways are not advertised as destination locations. In this case, the location is “advertised” as a great place to experience a thrill on the track! Uninformed curiosity seekers are drawn to the overpass through the Internet exposure. Perhaps unaware of the railway traffic they proceed onto the tracks, twenty five feet above Colchester Road, endangering themselves in the process. Unknown, unattended and often occurring at night, this scenario had been in place for several years. The potentially lethal mix of pedestrians and trains was recognized as a very real public safety danger.....Discovery of this information led to several meetings. As a result, local residents teamed with law enforcement in implementing the following actions....The actions taken to address the insidious Internet “advertisement” for Bunny Man Bridge have changed the circumstances at this local curiosity. This affects not only local residents but others as well. Since October 2011, the string of arrests related to railroad trespass at Colchester Overpass has included both juveniles and adults. Many were high school students from distant Fairfax County schools. Some were not old enough to drive but caught a ride. In April 2012 alone, five arrests were made. Ironically, by being arrested, these individuals are being protected from themselves. Curiosity seekers of all ages from the greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area and beyond are getting an unexpected surprise when they trespass on the railroad tracks at Colchester Overpass. Increased public awareness of the safety danger and potential consequences at the overpass could prevent an arrest or most importantly, save a life."

Kohlchester (talk) 12:27, 5 May 2012 (UTC)  Kohlchester (not exactly sure how to "sign" this)


 * Delete. No need for lists of minutiae about the speed limit, clearance height etc. of this small railway bridge (WP:NOTEVERYTHING).  Wikipedia is not a travel guide. Most of the sources are blogs, reviews and apparently self-published material.  Removing all of that leaves insufficient material for an article.  If people have been injured on the road or rail line, that can be included in the Bunny Man article (with reputable sources), along with a statement that law enforcement are actively patroling the area (ditto). Dricherby (talk) 23:30, 5 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Virginia-related deletion discussions.  • Gene93k (talk) 01:06, 6 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Transportation-related deletion discussions.  • Gene93k (talk) 01:09, 6 May 2012 (UTC)


 * Keep or Merge. I am the article writer. Colchester Overpass is certainly a small railroad overpass. What makes it significant is not its clearance height. The significance of Colchester Overpass is its deeply embedded association with the Bunny Man urban legend. This association draws legend trippers to the site. Once there they like to leave their vehicles and have a look around. Pedestrians unfamiliar with the active railroad and roadway traffic are at risk. There is a public safety hazard at Colchester Overpass. This is the information that must be conveyed. I found a couple of other Wikipedia articles that include public safety information. The Niagara Falls article includes a section called Over the Falls that talks about the different ways daredevils have been injured there. The Grand Canyon article includes a section called Grand Canyon Fatalities that talks about the different ways visitors can be injured or killed there. Public safety information is missing from the Wikipedia Bunny Man article. The missing information can be added either by linking Bunny Man to the Colchester Overpass article or by adding pertinent information directly to Bunny Man. Kohlchester (talk) 08:56, 6 May 2012 (UTC)


 * As per WP:DISCUSSAFD, please do not make more than one recommendation for action ("keep or merge" etc.). You're welcome to discuss your recommendation but using the boldface more than once means that somebody who looks at discussion without checking the signatures will think that several people share your opinion. The two examples you mention (Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon) seem very different to me: they do not simply give safety information but discuss notable historical events that received wide media coverage, including an air crash that killed 128 people. Furthermore, the safety advice of not walking on railroad tracks, parking your car in an appropriate place and being careful while crossing the road is commonsense that should be known to everybody; it certainly isn't unique to the Colchester Overpass. If there is a safety problem caused by people reading the Bunny Man article and visiting the overpass, the place to put the factual statements is in that article (as suggested above), where it will be seen by the people you're trying to warn. Dricherby (talk) 10:51, 6 May 2012 (UTC)


 * Thank you for the tip on Wiki etiquette. I agree that it is common sense not to walk on a railroad track or loiter in a roadway. It is also common sense not to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel or to hike the Grand Canyon in a poor state of fitness yet this information is included in those articles. The Niagara Falls article discusses the illegality and potential consequences of barrel rides over the falls. The Grand Canyon article discusses actions taken to prevent unfit hikers from becoming overzealous. All good public safety information at these popular destinations for those that lack common sense. Colchester Overpass is a popular destination for legend tripping visitors that obviously lack common sense. How do I propose a modification to include public safety information in the Bunny Man article? Is that something proposed and discussed here or in another Wikipedia forum?Kohlchester (talk) 17:17, 6 May 2012 (UTC)


 * You don't need to propose it — just do it. But please find reputable sources to indicate that this is a significant problem. Dricherby (talk) 17:34, 6 May 2012 (UTC)


 * It's done. See Bunny Man.Kohlchester (talk) 18:05, 8 May 2012 (UTC)


 * merge Bunny Man.  Not really appropriate for a separate article, but the contents is relevant, and its an important redirect.  DGG ( talk ) 02:51, 12 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Merge to Bunny Man. Appaears not notable otherwise.  Sandstein   05:52, 13 May 2012 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.