Did the Desert Wind And Poineer Derail

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Me!

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I was wondering, did the Desert Wind ever derail or have any rail accident? And did the Pioneer every derail or have any rail accident? I was just wondering, thanks! :huh: :huh: :huh:
 
I don't know that the Desert Wind ever derailed, but I'm not sure, but I do know that the Pioneer did have several incidents, the Pioneer once hit a truck with a farming family, I think everyone on board the truck were killed, and the Pioneer did derail in Boise, Idaho in 95', and again, in February 97 outside Borie, Wyoming, that time the train derailed about 3 months before it was discontinued with the Desert Wind, due to a Superliner car shortage, you can also go to the National Transportation Safety Board, where they have all Airline, Marine, Railroad, Highway and any other incident that has happened, the web site is www.ntsb.com, hope this helps!

Member, Amtrakadirondack

:) :) :) :) :)
 
Me! said:
I was wondering, did the Desert Wind ever derail or have any rail accident? And did the Pioneer every derail or have any rail accident? I was just wondering, thanks! :huh: :huh: :huh:
I don't think there were any major incidents involving either of these two trains.

Remember though that they were both combined with the California Zephyr east of Salt Lake City (although for a time the Pioneer was combined at Denver instead when it went through Wyoming), so any media reports would refer to the combined train as the California Zephyr, not as the Pioneer or Desert Wind.
 
"amtrakadirondak" is correct in that there were a few derailments involving the Pioneer train, on its own, apart from the California Zephyr: One was at Boise (ID), another near Borie(Cheyenne), WY. I think there was another one during the 80s in North Portland. It damaged a rail guard used to keep trains from going across the Willamette Bridge when it was open (for ship traffic). The train itself was not terribly damaged, but a BN freight train mistakenly started across the bridge while it was still open--this was at night, when it was foggy and cold, and the locomotive plunged into the river. The engineer and firemen drowned. I think the error was in part attributed to the Pioneer derailment (which happened quite a few days earlier) and damage it caused.

But the Boise and Borie derailments were minor--though certainly inconvenient and unwelcome news at the time.
 
The Pioneer accidents were severe enough to sideline million dollar plus railcars. Boise (2/8/95) wrecked superliner coach 38040, and Borie (1/13/97) wrecked diner 38060. Both those cars are still sitting in the wreckage yard at Beech Grove. A sleeper was also wrecked at Borie but has returned to service.
 
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