Palmetto accidents last week

[jis]

Palmetto had two grade crossing accidents on consecutive days last week.

The first one resulted in a 7 hour delay.

The following day northbound it hit another car, and got delayed again.

One of the accidents is reported here. I can't tell which one for sure.

This combo led to all sorts of locomotive assignment problems, This was around 10th and 11th. I managed to miss the mess because I was on the Star which went around the problem on its normal route via Raleigh. The Meteor was delayed some 4 hours that day presumably because it got stuck in the mess. And this was probably the reason that Washington DC was short diesels, and 91 on which Penny was had a single P42 as a result. On the following day it is reported that 91 had 3 P42s, one of which was dropped off at Jacksonville to be added to 98, which traveled Miami to Jacksonville with one unit.

One of the engines involved was p42DC #7 which had its nose thoroughly blackened, and a few panels bent. I saw it parked at Savannah last night as we passed by there on the Meteor.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

According to the report, the car drove around the safety arms. That was really foolish! This accident was totally his fault!

 

[pennyk]

Thanks Jis. That is an excellent explanation as to why the train on which I was traveling only had one engine. I hope you enjoyed your quick trip to Florida.

 

[afigg]

According to the report, the car drove around the safety arms. That was really foolish! This accident was totally his fault!

And the driver paid the price for his foolishness. 21 years old, impatient, and likely thought that he could beat a slow moving freight train. Well, it was not a slow freight train. Of course, it could have been a 50 or 60 mph intermodal train (depending on the max freight speeds at that crossing).

NC has a significant program to improve grade crossing safety. Wonder if this crossing had been upgraded with longer gate arms or other techniques that NC has deployed to discourage drivers from trying to drive around lowered gates? According to the newspaper report, there was collision involving a CSX train and another idiot trying to drive around the lowered gates at same intersection in August.

 

[xyzzy]

Google Maps doesn't provide a sharp, clear photo of the Rennert Road crossing in Rennert, NC. But it's not a numbered highway, and the population of Rennert is only 283... not the kind of grade crossing that NCDOT has focused on.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

283 and dropping due to idiots going around gates.

 

[Acela150]

Can we please show a little respect for the deceased? Yes it was foolish to drive around lower gates. But please his family is mourning him.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

According to the report, the car drove around the safety arms. That was really foolish! This accident was totally his fault!

And the driver paid the price for his foolishness. 21 years old, impatient, and likely thought that he could beat a slow moving freight train. Well, it was not a slow freight train. Of course, it could have been a 50 or 60 mph intermodal train (depending on the max freight speeds at that crossing).

NC has a significant program to improve grade crossing safety. Wonder if this crossing had been upgraded with longer gate arms or other techniques that NC has deployed to discourage drivers from trying to drive around lowered gates? According to the newspaper report, there was collision involving a CSX train and another idiot trying to drive around the lowered gates at same intersection in August.

Even if it was a freight train, he probably would have died anyway. Remember how the article says that a month earlier somebody did the same thing and was wrecked by a CSX freight. Though he didn't die probably because freights are a lot slower than pax trains.

 

[Yoshi55]

Amtrak's response to people driving around train gates.

 

[xyzzy]

Though he didn't die probably because freights are a lot slower than pax trains.

That part of the ex-ACL main line is flat and virtually straight, in the proverbial middle of nowhere. Almost any freight, unless it has hazmat or is accelerating from a stop, is likely to be going 40+ mph over the crossing in question.

 

[afigg]

Google Maps doesn't provide a sharp, clear photo of the Rennert Road crossing in Rennert, NC. But it's not a numbered highway, and the population of Rennert is only 283... not the kind of grade crossing that NCDOT has focused on.

Street View in Google Earth for Rennart Road shows a well marked crossing with warning lights on an overhead crossarm. The gate arms are up in Street View; they look long enough to extend to the double yellow line in the middle of the road, but not much pass that. With 2 accidents in a month, NC DOT may replace the gate arms with longer ones that extend 2/3rds of the way across the road to discourage people from driving around the gates.

There is a Street view 360 degree image taken straddling the 2 tracks at the crossing. The tracks are straight with excellent visibility in both directions from the grade crossing. This was not a train coming around a bend blocked from view by trees. Did the driver see the on-coming train lights, thought that it was a slow moving freight train, and that he could beat it by driving around the gates? We will probably never know.

 

[jis]

One of the engines involved was p42DC #7 which had its nose thoroughly blackened, and a few panels bent. I saw it parked at Savannah last night as we passed by there on the Meteor.

I've got further info on the disposition of this engine from a friend in Amtrak. It is sitting in Savannah because it was determined that it cannot be moved as part of an in service passenger train. It will be moved to Washington DC in a freight move by CSXT and thence on to Beech Grove for repairs. It will be repaired and put back in service.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

One of the engines involved was p42DC #7 which had its nose thoroughly blackened, and a few panels bent. I saw it parked at Savannah last night as we passed by there on the Meteor.

I've got further info on the disposition of this engine from a friend in Amtrak. It is sitting in Savannah because it was determined that it cannot be moved as part of an in service passenger train. It will be moved to Washington DC in a freight move by CSXT and thence on to Beech Grove for repairs. It will be repaired and put back in service.

Wasn't #7 involved in a previous accident? I vaguely remember it as een listed "under repair" on the OTOL or some other roster.

 

[VentureForth]

I haven't seen number 7 yet. If I get a chance at lunch I may go see if its still there. There's a good picture of it on railpictures.net. It wouldn't let me link to the image from here, though.

 

[jis]

One of the engines involved was p42DC #7 which had its nose thoroughly blackened, and a few panels bent. I saw it parked at Savannah last night as we passed by there on the Meteor.

I've got further info on the disposition of this engine from a friend in Amtrak. It is sitting in Savannah because it was determined that it cannot be moved as part of an in service passenger train. It will be moved to Washington DC in a freight move by CSXT and thence on to Beech Grove for repairs. It will be repaired and put back in service.

Wasn't #7 involved in a previous accident? I vaguely remember it as een listed "under repair" on the OTOL or some other roster.

Yes. It came back on line about a year back.

 

[Trogdor]

I think the 7 was the lead unit on 371 that rear-ended a freight train just west of Englewood four or five years back.

 

[jis]

I think the 7 was the lead unit on 371 that rear-ended a freight train just west of Englewood four or five years back.

The damage this time appears to be much more superficial.

 

[VentureForth]

I haven't seen number 7 yet. If I get a chance at lunch I may go see if its still there. There's a good picture of it on railpictures.net. It wouldn't let me link to the image from here, though.

Didn't make it out there. Got stopped on my way out the door to explain cub scouts to a co worker. Sigh. Maybe later.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I think the 7 was the lead unit on 371 that rear-ended a freight train just west of Englewood four or five years back.

Man, does the #7 have bad luck. It was also one of the original P42DCs. I really hope they can get it repaired and back into service quickly.

 

[Acela150]

I think the 7 was the lead unit on 371 that rear-ended a freight train just west of Englewood four or five years back.

That was 8. I believe it was scrapped or it's on the list to be.

 

[AlanB]

Not sure what the plan for #8 is, but it is indeed the engine that was wrecked in Englewood. It's current location is listed at Beech Grove (BEE).

Engine #7 however was in some wreck, as it is listed as being released from BEE earlier this year after having some wreck damage repaired. But I have no idea what that wreck was, or when it occurred.

 

[Agent]

Engine #7 however was in some wreck, as it is listed as being released from BEE earlier this year after having some wreck damage repaired. But I have no idea what that wreck was, or when it occurred.

Here is #7 in 2008. The caption says it hit a garbage truck in Crystal Springs, MS in March of that year.

http://www.rrpicture...aspx?id=1281969

And here's #7 in 2010 (I think from the same incident):

http://www.rrpicture...aspx?id=2040182.

 

[jis]

This time there is no damage to the side. Only a blackened and damaged nose. But there is more apparent damage to the coupler and brake pipes up front.