I work on the Capitol LImited, and this is the best data I’ve learned about the collision two weeks ago in Pittsburgh between the Allegheny Valley and Amtrak’s train 30, the Capitol Limited, in Pittsburgh station.
The freight had an approach restricting signal, but the high-nose Geep, Number 1802, was hauling ~ twelve cars with no air pumped up. Engine brakes were insufficient to stop the consist.
When the engine struck the the rear refrigerator express car (of two), the car jumped vertically some six to eight feet, then miraculously, landed with its rear truck back on the rails. The whole eleven car Capitol Limited consist with all brakes set was shoved twelve feet forward. The engineer coming on duty when the impact occurred, was standing by the engine, and saw it shoved ahead.
An assistant conductor, coming off-duty from the Toledo-Pittsburgh leg of the eastbound trip, was caught on the station surveillance cam, standing right in front of where the impact took place, not going for his radio when he saw the freight coming around the bend from the Allegheny River bridge into the station, watched the strike, shrugged his shoulders, and went into the station.
He is currently out-of-service, as you might imagine.
Luckily, no one was seriously hurt in this “low-speed coupling.”
hey mark…
i pass you all the time… infact sometimes my job delays p029…lol
the silver streek looked good by _________, injoy your stay in the burgh…
csx engineer
Air not pumped up, no air test, how far had they travelled, were the air hoses even tied up? Sure would hate to have to try and explain my actions in circumstances such as that.
lol… might be a good idea…never know when my job might have a “problem” on the main…lol just kidding…i dont want to be out there in the field anymore then i have to…lol
csx engineer