Amtrak Derailment Philadelphia (5/12/2015)

[jis]

They did not have to install any major new control or signaling system. They just had to tweak some control circuits so that the advanced signal before Shore interlocking signal shows Approach Medium as the most permissive signal instead of Clear (assuming Shore was Clear too) as it used to display before. The rest pretty much follows from that. This is a slightly different version of what Gene had suggested in a message in a different thread here too, with an unnecessarily provocative title.

So Foxx is seemingly claiming that it took much more work than it actually took. This is not to take away from the tremendous work done by the folks at Amtrak MOW. However, I suppose from Foxx's perspective it is best to get the maximum mileage that he can out of all this.

I heard on he radio from CBS News that BC use was pretty light today, with the suggested reason that passengers could be reluctant to be in the car right behind the engine. IMHO, give it a few months and most people will have forgotten about it.

Ironically, this could have happened to any car near the front of the train. Whichever got caught and entangled with a catenary pole at close to 100mph, would have been met with this fate. It just happens so that it was the first car and not the locomotive (which grazed the pole), or the second car etc. Also note that the second car had a huge gash punched through its roof by a different cat pole too.

Also, this should get people who insisted that American cars are so strong that they will withstand anything when compared to the German ICE cars, which had a bridge fall on them and got destroyed, a second thought about their untenable position. This is not to belittle the fact that the German cars then had some serious design defects too.

 

[guest]

I completely agree that it was just 'luck of the draw' that the BC car was the most damaged. If the loss of life had been caused by a rear end collision, people would be avoiding the last car in the consist.

 

[mflsjhs]

It looks like between the news coverage and riding along the NEC on the New Jersey Turnpike, that all the trains running today are powered by AEM-7's and no ACS-64's are running. Did anybody else notice this or see different?

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

It looks like between the news coverage and riding along the NEC on the New Jersey Turnpike, that all the trains running today are powered by AEM-7's and no ACS-64's are running. Did anybody else notice this or see different?

The Amtrak train 170 that I saw at TRE this morning had ACS-64 no. 614, and when I got to PJC, I saw ACS-64 no. 625 leading a train southbound (was too far away to see if it was a regional or the Keystone).

 

[chakk]

Regarding amnesia from prior accidents, it's not just instances from a few years ago. My wife was "run down" by an overspeeding skier on a beginners run in California more than 25 years ago, in which she suffered a concussion and a shoulder separation. (The skier who hit her never stopped.) To this day, she still has no memory of the collision or events for several hours afterward.

So it is quite possible that the engineer of 188 may never remember the events for much of the time around the crash.

 

[Zach]

I'm on 174 right now and #607 is leading. However, the consist is reversed with BC at the rear of the train followed by the quiet car

 

[NAVYBLUE]

A quick word about amnesia. About 10 years ago, I was living in Albuquerque. Coming home from work on Halloween on my way to get my kids ready for trick or treat, I was T-Boned by a guy who missed a stop sign that was obstructed by overgrowth. I remember calling my friend to let him know I wouldn't be making it that night. I don't remember anything else, yet I was fully conscious, just unaware. There were ambulances, police, fire trucks, and I was even able to give directions to my wife to find me. I was taken to the hospital where they took my blood, gave me CT scan and then apparently I wandered around the hospital (who told my wife I self discharged - they LOST me!). My next point of awareness was when the doctor was showing me photos of the wreck while I lay on a gurney in a hallway (I found myself and put myself back where I belonged).

I only tell this story to say that 10 years later, I still have no recollection of the accident. 4 hours of my life went missing that day, but if you had a conversation with me during that time, you wouldn't know it.

This engineer may never tender anything. May not have ever been knocked out, just some wires up there loosened. Totally plausible he could have even called 911 and never known it.

Thats why as a former Disability Claims Adjudicator, when someone was diagnosed with a TBI (traumatic brain injury), they went to medical hold for 90 days as we had to wait to see if they would stay the same, get better or get worse. Everyone reacted differently.

NAVYBLUE

 

[jis]

FBI says that the damage to the windshield of #601 was not caused by firearm.

http://6abc.com/news/sources-human-error-led-to-amtrak-train-derailment/729203/

The story about "human error" that they put out earlier has been withdrawn and replaced by a story involving "over speed and sudden brake application" being the cause of derailment. It is not clear what the source of the information quoted by ABC is, so I would for now treat it as random hearsay until they can suggest a more credible source for it.

A press conference is expected from the NTSB sometime later today.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Head injury discussions are becoming very prominent in the media and on line due to what's happening to athletes in all the sports, especially football, soccer and hockey!

I was hit by a speeding hit and run driver that ran a red light in 1977 that totaled my car, and remember seeing the car fixing to hit my drivers side door, then woke up in the hospital the next day 12 hours later and don't remember anything else about the accident 38 years later!

 

[jis]

So far apparently there is no evidence that has been uncovered that would suggest any projectile found its way into the cab. Until such is found, all physical head hitting presumably happened in course of the derailment, which in and of itself can leave very long lasting effects including amnesia. Questions regarding what caused the loss of situational awareness are still open and I am sure are being actively perused by the human factors folks in the NTSB investigation while they also explore other physical evidence too.

But I am sure we will get the latest from NTSB in the briefing that is reported to be coming up this evening.

 

[JSmith]

Silver Meteor #98 was originally planned to terminate in WAS but got the green light to follow its usual route all the way to NYP about 15 minutes outside of WAS. Unfortunately my checked bags ended up getting detrained in WAS even though the SCA moved them to the new NYP pile. :-( I can't get too upset, everything was totally being decided last minute it seemed and I'm sure we weren't the only people affected by the confusion.

Things looked pretty quiet north of PHL: an excavator moving rail stock, some rail welding, a few Amtrak police cars. I expected to see more activity. I did see an ACS-64 locomotive in either PHL or TRE, I think. Very attractive engines. Nice to see the new Viewliner baggage cars in use as well.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Didn't they change to an ACS-64 in WAS for your train? And did y'all have a new Bag Car and Diner ( 8400) or were they Heritage Units?

 

[JSmith]

Is the ACS-64 the only model of electric engine in use now? I guess they did switch to one in WAS. I never got a good look at the full train, too busy inside with my kids.

The diner was the pink and green heritage car. I'm on 49 now and it was a heritage diner that I've never seen before. More of a dark blue color scheme I think with no "stars" lighting and instead of the open view of the kitchen there is a doorway in the center of the aisle. What's that diner called?

 

[chakk]

188 running on time this evening.

 

[afigg]

Is the ACS-64 the only model of electric engine in use now? I guess they did switch to one in WAS. I never got a good look at the full train, too busy inside with my kids.

No, as of May 1, there were 28 AEM-7 AC units still in revenue service (according to On-Track On-Line).

 

[afigg]

188 running on time this evening.

Given the amount of press coverage, I wonder if Amtrak should have or will change the train number? The airlines will do that after a fatal plane crash.

 

[Glenn]

FBI says damage to windshield was NOT from a bullet. So, much for the endless palaver about how it must be a 30.30 or 30.08 or a bazooka. If it was anything not a result of the crash it is going to be a rock. I'm sure the speculation will now turn to a conspiracy to cover up a gunshot in order to protect something or other...

 

[Acela150]

I read that an Amtrak conductor who was on the train is suing Amtrak.

I'll give you my two cents on this. The conductors are qualified on that territory. Why didn't any of them say "We're going to fast for this area" and pull a brake? These conductors, IMO are just as at fault as the engineer.

 

[Bob Dylan]

On second thought Steve, I know you're a railroader but as jis pointed out, there are reasons folks involved in situations such as this acquire lawyers, usually contractual and procedural!

Since thee are no Coach attendants on the Regionals and the Conductors are doing tickets etc after the station stops in Philly, I wonder if the Conductor could really be at fault?

 

[jis]

I would investigate first whether a suit is a necessary step in the compensation process before going off and starting to blame people. Maybe this is like blaming the engineer for getting a Union lawyer before meeting with the wonderful Philadelphia Police who seemed to have already decided whose fault it was.

Practically, how is a Conductor who is collecting tickets supposed to know in dark night what speed they are going at and exactly where? How many of you have actually worked as a Conductor on an Amtrak train. Or are we all just going to do some more armchair quarterbacking?

Frankly I am disappointed. Maybe CBS has a job for a few of you

 

[VentureForth]

Practically, how is a Conductor who is collecting tickets supposed to know in dark night what speed they are going at and exactly where? How many of you have actually worked as a Conductor on an Amtrak train. Or are we all just going to do some more armchair quarterbacking?

This is exactly why I would like to see the duties of railroading separated from revenue-ing. Have an operations conductor in the cab and a ticket punching, drunk-tossing conductor in the train. Could have saved Metrolink in Chatsworth.

 

[cirdan]

Practically, how is a Conductor who is collecting tickets supposed to know in dark night what speed they are going at and exactly where? How many of you have actually worked as a Conductor on an Amtrak train. Or are we all just going to do some more armchair quarterbacking?

This is exactly why I would like to see the duties of railroading separated from revenue-ing. Have an operations conductor in the cab and a ticket punching, drunk-tossing conductor in the train. Could have saved Metrolink in Chatsworth.

As long as the thumbscrews are on Amtrak to cut costs, no matter the consequences, I don't see anybody approving the extra salary costs.

 

[MARC Rider]

188 running on time this evening.

I was on 188 last night (got off at Baltimore, as usual.)

Before we left, there was a guy in a suit who looked a lot like the picture of Joe Boardman in the Arrive Magazine walking down the aisle individually thanking each of us for riding,

The passenger load boarding in Washington was pretty light, but that might just be the usual light Monday crowd. I do know that there should be a good crowd on Thursday because when I went to make the reservation, it was the top $30 bucket. That's when I switch to business class to avoid the crowds, except that the BC fare on the regional was more than the BC fare on the Acela Express that leaves 10 minutes earlier, so I'm riding the Acela Express instead.

 

[PRR 60]

Putting the railroad back together for Monday's reopening was a huge undertaking. This article describes how the two new catenary and transmission support structures were ordered, detailed, fabricated and delivered in 50 hours.

PennFab

 

[WoodyinNYC]

Putting the railroad back together for Monday's reopening was a huge undertaking. Thus article describes how the two new catenary and transmission support structures were ordered, detailed, fabricated and delivered in 50 hours.

PennFab

Very nice article.

I'm proud of Amtrak and its contractors for their excellent work on this project.