Southwest Chief Derailed in KS 03/14 early AM

[HenryK]

Weird. No status, but Track-a-Train shows it on time at Naperville.

(Later. Thanks, AmtrakBlue..)

 

[Bierboy]

Reports now that possible vehicle accident damaged the rails.

http://bigstory.ap.org/urnublicid:ap.org:6e5a5ae27fc34370b1d178c29a1bf32e

 

[The Chief]

Interesting update at 1:30 PM on ABC's website: Vehicle Accident May Have Preceded Derailment.

When I was a boy my father investigated Santa Fe derailment in Kansas.

He said ATSF concluded misaligned track at crossing caused by earlier crossing of a road grader: either the mid-blade, or rear ripper shanks or scarifier teeth were too low and snagged rail.

No fatalaties.

Video of Vermonter going into emergency.


Engineer usually bails off engine's independent brakes and reduces throttle while placing brake valve in emergency position.

Let's hope Transcon SWC detour not a portent of things to come. Remember when Sunset temporarily halted service between Florida and New Orleans?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Interesting update at 1:30 PM on ABC's website: Vehicle Accident May Have Preceded Derailment.

When I was a boy my father investigated Santa Fe derailment in Kansas.

He said ATSF concluded misaligned track at crossing caused by earlier crossing of a road grader: either the mid-blade, or rear ripper shanks or scarifier teeth were too low and snagged rail.

No fatalaties.

Video of Vermonter going into emergency.

The ?mom? and kids looked like they had no clue as to why the train came to a stop. I was hoping to see the conductor confront them...or better have the cops come.

 

[A Voice]

Interesting update at 1:30 PM on ABC's website: Vehicle Accident May Have Preceded Derailment.

When I was a boy my father investigated Santa Fe derailment in Kansas.

He said ATSF concluded misaligned track at crossing caused by earlier crossing of a road grader: either the mid-blade, or rear ripper shanks or scarifier teeth were too low and snagged rail.

No fatalaties.

Video of Vermonter going into emergency.

Indeed, I hope those two young ladies are proud of themselves...and live long enough to develop some common sense.

 

[Seaboard92]

It's really sense now. As common sense isn't common

 

[The Chief]

AP on-camera interviews w/pax

https://youtu.be/iRG1PVF8kMw

One guy said he was sitting on toilet,,,shaving.

 

[IndyRacingNut]

Taking the #4 to CHI on April 12th. Hearing this today makes me a little nervous....Should I expect that everything will be back up and running by then?

 

[CCC1007]

The trains should be back to normal by the end of the week at the very latest.

 

[printman2000]

And even if it was not, which it will be, the reroute seems to be running smoothly.

 

[C855B]

Last report I read was they were already picking things up, so apparently the NTSB gave them the OK to clear the site. My concern now would be the cars out of service for repairs and inspections. They don't have a lot of spares lying around.

 

[NTL1991]

Engines 153 and 152, along with Baggage 61023 and Trans/Dorm 39023 did not derail. Sleepers 32109 and 32071, Diner 38044, Lounge 33020 and Coaches 34042, 31013, 34056 and 34046 derailed.

 

[IndyRacingNut]

Engines 153 and 152, along with Baggage 61023 and Trans/Dorm 39023 did not derail. Sleepers 32109 and 32071, Diner 38044, Lounge 33020 and Coaches 34042, 31013, 34056 and 34046 derailed.

Basically all the pax cars derailed then, yeah? :unsure:

 

[CCC1007]

Pretty much... And the coaches overturned...

 

[chakk]

4 coaches when I rode #4 on Friday. Not unusual during Spring Break weeks. All 4 were full on Friday. The coaches and the lounge are off the rails and tilted. The diner and one sleeper are off the rails but upright. The dorm-sleeper, baggage car and the two engines appear to be on the rails

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

If they derailed both the sleepers and dining car did remain standing upright and were right behind the engines, baggage car, and transition sleeper which you stated did not derail. I cannot verify but all photos and news reports I heard today said only the sightseer lounge and four coach cars derailed and SSL was leaning while the coaches were all on their sides.

 

[jenniferpa]

So can I just confirm? Even if there is detour it will be by rail? And there will be sleeper cars? I've been somewhat alarmed by comments mentioning buses. I didn't pay over $2K round trip to be put on a bus... I suppose if that's my only option I will take it as I absolutely, positively have to be in ABQ by lunch time Friday as my only daughter is getting married then. But I won't be happy.

 

[CCC1007]

The detour rejoins the normal route about 20-30 miles west of Albuquerque, so a bus might be necessary even though the train will detour intact, sleepers, food service cars and coaches all as normal. The detour begins within about 90 miles of Kansas City, meaning it is a rather long detour, but delays should be minimal, with the detour route having very little single track, mostly double track.

 

[RSG]

To pay journalists, you have to have subscriber revenue. Nobody wants to pay for news in the Internet age, so ya get what ya pay for.

Nobody has ***ever*** paid for journalists out of subscriber revenue. I happen to know something about the history of newspapers (and radio and TV).
Ad-supported has been the primary business model, like, *forever*. Only specialty publications ever made any money off subscribers.

The secondary business model has been patronage by a patron usually with a political agenda. This works too.

What I'm saying is, the Internet hasn't actually changed anything in this regard.

Agreed. Journalism pay has little to do with the quality, other than hiring inexperienced staffers for less money. But it's more than that. There is little attention to detail, particularly when it comes to specialized issues such as transportation.( I wonder how many who reported on this story didn't make the distinction between the train, the Southwest Chief, and the location where it derailed, ie, southwest Kansas.) The prevailing ethic seems to align with the old phrase "close enough for government work". Also, there's a greater reliance on what used to be called "rip-and-read"---pulling copy from one source and repurposing it as your own content (authorized, of course; but still with any original inaccuracies).

 

[caravanman]

There is little evidence of "reading before reporting" on AU... given the large number of folk who post stuff as "hot news" that shows up in this very SAME thread earlier... (or did someone already make that point..?)

Ed.

 

[NW cannonball]

All due respect, that doesn't answer my question. Could it cause a derailment?

I suppose anything is possible, which makes it hard to say definitively that it couldn't be the cause, but if you use an emergency brake under normal conditions and your train crashes there has to be more to it than just applying the brake. Trains going into emergency braking is fairly common, and it doesn't generally end with a derailment.

Thank you...not being involved in the industry, I was just wondering if any of you who work for a RR would know.

I'm not connected in any way with the rail industry.

In the last 5 years I've experienced two "unrequested" emergency brake applications on Amtrak, once on the EB near MariasPass, once on the SW Chief westbound in Colorado.

Neither was initiated by the engineer, both were rather calm, but quick, stops. If I can believe the rumours, both happened because obstructions on the tracks popped the train's brake line, which, if it happens, automatically applies the emergency brake.

No sparks, no panic, not much brake smell, nobody even fell down in the aisle. Conductor had to walk the train and re-certify the brake system -- maybe 15 minutes.

BUT - when the engineer pops the "big-hole" because of (trees, SUV's, rocks, broken track) on the tracks - totally different, and very unlikely, but possible that hitting the e-brake or "big-hole" -- In such rare situations I'll never second-guess - but it's on the hogger -- like on any driver -- "lock your brakes, there's gonna be consequences"

 

[AmtrakBlue]

If they derailed both the sleepers and dining car did remain standing upright and were right behind the engines, baggage car, and transition sleeper which you stated did not derail. I cannot verify but all photos and news reports I heard today said only the sightseer lounge and four coach cars derailed and SSL was leaning while the coaches were all on their sides.

I would not trust the news. The people who did not report the diner & sleepers having derailed probably were not aware that at least one wheel on each of those cars was off the rail. I imagine most people only think of derailment as being tipped over or on its side. Plus "on the ground" would make them think the on their side, not a wheel on the ground.

 

[HenryK]

This morning Amtrak Status for 3 (15) did not show a service disruption, so I am hoping today's Chief will be back on the Raton Pass route. If not, I will have to engage in some negotiation with the conductors about where to pee a service dog between Newton and Albuquerque.

 

[keelhauled]

This morning Amtrak Status for 3 (15) did not show a service disruption, so I am hoping today's Chief will be back on the Raton Pass route. If not, I will have to engage in some negotiation with the conductors about where to pee a service dog between Newton and Albuquerque.

The detour route seems to take about 16 hours, so there will probably be at least one stop for engineers to change.

 

[printman2000]

So can I just confirm? Even if there is detour it will be by rail? And there will be sleeper cars? I've been somewhat alarmed by comments mentioning buses. I didn't pay over $2K round trip to be put on a bus... I suppose if that's my only option I will take it as I absolutely, positively have to be in ABQ by lunch time Friday as my only daughter is getting married then. But I won't be happy.

Yes. Every time they have done this reroute they have served Albuquerque without issue. They simply use the wye south of the station to turn the train around.