Two Trains Collide Near Kelso

[steve_relei]

A northbound UP freight train collided with a southbound BNSF train just south of Kelso, near I-5 and the Columbia River. The southbound train was crossing over from the east to the west track. The UP train could not stop in time and rammed the last few cars on the BN train. Both trains were "gargage" trains; BNSF was carrying loaded containers/cars of garbage for eastern Washington/Oregon; the UP train was carrying mostly empty garbage containers. The impact of the crash sent locomotives into a ditch (people were concerned about fuel leakage), and the engineers had to be cut out to b e set free from the confines of their loco cabs. They were injured (non-life-threatening) and taken to hospitals. One container landed on a southbound lane of I-5 (no crashes or injuries among motorists).

It was eerily similar to another BNSF/UP train collision in November 1993 just a 1/2 -mile north. That crash killed all five engineers/crewmen onboard. There is still a monument to the men near the track.

Amtrak service was interrupted: passengers were bused between Seattle and Portland. Empire Builder trains were not affected.

News programs were pretty sympathetic to passengers and painted a sympathetic picture. One father and daughter were missing wife/mom, but what can any one do about it? At least mom was all right. Hopefully some service will return to normal today, although Amtrak's Web site still shows "service disruption" when you try to find out the arrival/departure times for affected trains. The story in the Oregonian is:

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/i...98758937930.xml

 

[jccollins]

Thanks for the info Steve. It's hard to believe these types of things still happen even with all the advanced signal technology that is out there. I wonder why the train didn't slow down for the yellow signal... it seems as if the technology was working right.

 

[steve_relei]

It's a similar situation as it was 10 years ago: engineers not being sure as to who has the right of way at a certain time. I wonder if BN and UP are going to get into some kind of fight as to whose trains get priority and when and how much. BN owns the line and does the dispatching; UP is allowed to use it. There's no room in many places to build another line and especially another bridge across the Columbia River. However, they do seem to operate together all right most of the time.

 

[battalion51]

Well it's a failure mostly of the UP Engineer to obey the signals and keep his train under control. Stops signals don't come out of nowhere, you usually knock down at least one or two signals warning of the upcoming stop signal. Fortunately no one on the BNSF side was hurt.

 

[steve_relei]

Here's a segment from the article explaining the cause of the 1993 accident:

The accident happened in the same spot where five people died when two trains collided Nov. 11, 1993.

In that crash, investigators said the crew of a southbound Burlington Northern train went past a yellow warning light without trying to stop until coming upon a red light 13/4 miles down the track, too late to prevent a collision with a northbound Union Pacific train.

"The similarities between the two crashes is spooky," said John Hiatt, a Spokane attorney who successfully sued Burlington Northern on behalf of the family of a Union Pacific train conductor who died, Tom Klein, in Multnomah County in 1995.

"There is a history of signal malfunctions in that area," Hiatt said. "There's a cure for it, and that's positive train separation, which is a signal that will stop the train before there is a collision, even if the conductor was unconscious. How many more crashes will it take before something is done?"

There's one problem with Hiatt's statement: is it the conductor who 's "driving" the train, or is it the engineer? I presume conductors know how and can "drive" the train--in emergencies; but I thought it was the engineer who did the "driving." As long as the engineer is "driving," it doesn't matter what happens if the conductor faints, or whatever. Of course, the engineer is responsible for the safe operation of the train; the conductor is the captain of the train and is responsible for the crew, the train, and making sure it runs on time and safely. How much responsibility does the conductor have to make sure that the engineer obeys yellow and red signals and yet keep the train on time?

 

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

I think the UP train ran a signal from what i have heard. I think someone was on there cell phone. :wacko:

 

[battalion51]

It's not out of the norm for those guys to be on the phone, but they should still pay attention to their job. That's one of the things I like about the Southern way of operating, you have to call signals, when you verbalize what you're seeing, you pay more attention to it, otherwise you get in the habbit of just assuming it's a high clear, when it could be an Approach or Advance Approach.

 

[AlanB]

It's not out of the norm for those guys to be on the phone, but they should still pay attention to their job.

Some commuter/rapid transit ops, now prohibit cell pone use while operating a train. If states are deciding that cell phone use is too distracting for drivers in their cars, then one has to believe that the same would be true for an engineer operating a few hundred thousand pound locomotives.

That's one of the things I like about the Southern way of operating, you have to call signals, when you verbalize what you're seeing, you pay more attention to it, otherwise you get in the habbit of just assuming it's a high clear, when it could be an Approach or Advance Approach.

I agree with you 100% here. Not only does it help to set it in the engineer's mind, but also now the conductor and any other crewmembers are also aware of that signals state. Since the conductor has to know the route just as well as the engineer, if the engineer blows the signal then the conductor can remind him or dump the air on him.

One-crash years ago between a MARC train and the Capitol Limited might have been avoided had the engineer been required to call signals. He entered a station stop with an approach signal just prior to the stop. Upon pulling out of the station, it appears that he forgot about that approach signal and accelerated to track speed.

When he hit the stop signal just before an interlock, he was going way to fast to stop before entering that interlock and plowing into the side of the Capitol crossing over that switch. Had the conductor been aware of that signal's status, he might have prevented that tragedy by reminding the engineer to slow down. Failing that, he could have dropped the air.

 

[battalion51]

I've always been a fan of calling signals for the reasons you described, but also because it helps Conductors keep track of the location and track of the train so that they can call slow orders. This is especially important for younger Conductors so that they can use their cheat sheet to call the order from about 3 miles out. Missed slow orders are another thing that can cause a major catastrophe that could otherwise be avoided.

 

[steve_relei]

I, too, am bothered by people using their cell phones when they should be doing and having their minds on other things--such as driving. However, I would hope the use of a cell phone by trainmen would be allowable in times of emergency, such as to call 911, when necessary.

 

[battalion51]

Actually, believe it or not, they don't make the 911 calls. The dispatcher is responsible for making that call. Since the dispatcher must know why the train has stopped. So in essence it's just easier for the dispatcher to make that call to the appropriate authority.

 

[battalion51]

On a somewhat related note, a Engineer in Japan was suspended for using a cell phone, while he was operating. Here's what trains.com had to say:

An engineer on a Central Japan Railway Co. Bullet Train was suspended for using his cell phone to send e-mail photos of the scenery and trains he was passing to a friend while at the controls of his train, according to a story in the Japan Times.
The engineer, who was not identified, admitted he had been doing so since 2001. Railway policy is not to use cell phones or similar devices while operating trains.

 

[steve_relei]

During the tragedy at Mobile, Alabama, in 1993, the conductor or other trainman was on the phone (I don't know if it was cell phone or rail phone or what) to emergency autorities, telling the operators the extent of the horror--I preseume he was there to see and report what he was seeing. I'm not sure a dispatcher miles a way, would know the extent of the damage. The engineers, of course, were all dead (five of them!!) already. Of course, no one would blame anyone for talking to 911 in such a situation. I would hope not. I would consider those extenuating circumstances.

 

[battalion51]

During the tragedy at Mobile, Alabama, in 1993, the conductor or other trainman was on the phone (I don't know if it was cell phone or rail phone or what) to emergency autorities, telling the operators the extent of the horror--I preseume he was there to see and report what he was seeing. I'm not sure a dispatcher miles a way, would know the extent of the damage. The engineers, of course, were all dead (five of them!!) already. Of course, no one would blame anyone for talking to 911 in such a situation. I would hope not. I would consider those extenuating circumstances.

Five Engineers? You sure about that one Steve? There were five crewmembers killed, but two were in the Dorm asleep or getting ready to when the accident happened. The Genesis Cab was designed for two guys, but can handle three (it's tight though). If there were five up there something's wrong. The Conductor also would've had to be on a cell phone since I don't think Railfone was around at the time, and also because the only Superliners equipped with them are Auto Train Lounges, which weren't around at the time.

 

[tp49]

IIRC there were 3 in the cab including a deadheading engineer.

 

[battalion51]

IIRC there were 3 in the cab including a deadheading engineer.

Wow, most deadheading Engineers would probably be asleep in the Dorm. :lol: Riding on the head end is something I would do whil off duty. :lol:

 

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

We do call 911 on oue cell phones i did just a day ago when we had a near miss with a trespasser who also started throwing rocks at us the police were sworming the area within minutes.But we also have to call the Dispatcher to report it.

 

[steve_relei]

I may have been in error in how many engineers were in the cab. I do remember there were 5 Amtrak employees who were killed that day. I remember there were a number of observances across the country shortly thereafter, including in Portland. There were 5 blasts from the whistles--one representing each of the employees killed that day. It was one of the saddest days in Amtrak history. Although I am glad that Amtrak has survived, the route is still being used (though it has been pared back--the Sunset originally went all the way to Miami--the nation's first coast to coast train--before it was cut back to end in Orlando).

 

[battalion51]

One of the things that caused me to nearly break down was the Saturday following the Silver Star derailment. I was in the yard at the Auto Train compound waiting for the Hospital Train to come in. It was at 3:00 when they were washing the equipment from 3 rail for 52, and as the train was coming down to the station from the washer, 3:00 hit, and you could hear both the 842 and the 514 sounding their airhorn in honor of Wayne. That got to me more than even seeing the engine from the wreck.

 

[The Chief]

That's one of the things I like about the Southern way of operating, you have to call signals,

battalion 51,

When I was in train service in the Midwest, we called all our signals. Pretty much it's a national practice, not limited to a "Southern way."

Not just "verbalizing," either; we used hand signals when cab noise was excessive. Hope this helps.

 

[battalion51]

I always thought it was a Eastern/Southern thing. :lol: I was under the impression that out West (UP/BNSF) cews did not have to call their signals.

 

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

On BNSF we don't call signals out over the radio i just write it down on my SAF and i will tell the engineer what i see and he will repeat.