Another Amtrak accident…Happened at about 11:35 this morning.My Mother will be on that Amtrak later this week…we need a better rail sustem then Amtrak.I have rode Amtrak many times and know from experience they don’t know how to run a railroad…don’t believe me…Check there track record!!
Just saw on the news, there are injuries. Showed EMTs working on people. Hope there are no fatalities.
Great Western Rwy fan,
It’s sad to see an accident occur but it really sounds like the point of this posting is your desire to spew your hatred of Amtrak. And this hatred of yours trumped you showing any sympathy or compassion towards the people on board those trains. I know that when CSX has an accident, there’s usually a tongue and cheek humor in saying that railroad is terribly run. I honestly think you created this post to merely to start a fight on this forum and you get your kicks out of creating conflict. Pleasetake your negative attitude someplace else. [:(!]
Sorry If I made You feel that way…I do feel compassion for anybody involved in a railroad accident.Unless it’s a driver trying to beat the train or a driver going around crossing gates or ignoring warning signals then I only feel for the train crew.In this case Amtrak has publicy stated They are at fault! The Amtrak Engineer was going to connect to the commuter train and came in too fast! I’m not trying to upset You,Just stating facts as reported on Fox News.
I never said I hated Amtrak…I even use Amtrak quite frequently…I just voiced My opinion that I don’t like the way they operate…
Deep breathes, gentlemen. We won’t always have the same opinion on everything… just don’t let a difference of opinion spring into personal attacks.
Bergie
1 car… 30 feet… BAM… far enough!
I too hope that everyone it alright. But I have 5 bucks(that is, 5 male deer) that says there will be a Cell Phone video of the aftermath on Youtube within the next 24 hours… 
From what I just read on a TV station web site report it was a MARC locomotive that ran into the back of the Amtrak train which was parked in Union Station…so it certainly sounds like we can not fault Amtrak for this one folks.
I have read the opposite, that it was an Amtrak switcher that ran into the back of a MARC train. The switcher was to take the MARC loco to maintenance and came in too fast.
Train 419 from Baltimore to D.C. was unloading passengers at Union Station when it was rear-ended by an Amtrak locomotive, causing the rear wheels to come off the track, MARC spokeswoman Cheron Wicker said. The train remained standing upright
http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=68276
Here’s the link to the article I mentioned…read on for yourselves.
Jim: We never doubted you.
Sounds like a pretty good assessment.
I’ve worked with an engineer or two how really like to plant 'em. Then again, I’ve worked with a few who came in so easy that I didn’t trust the hitch. Stretch it!
Thanks, I needed that!!!
The thing that surprises me, is that the yard engine was attempting to make the coupling before all the passengers had disembarked. Of course, I expect, that it was trying to make the pre-coupling safety stop at the time of impact. I note that this is, from a train & engine crew perspective, and all AMTRAK incident, as the crews on both movements are AMTRAK crews.
Fortunatly,there were only a few minor injuries.
Here is a link to the Washington Post’s article out within the last hour.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/07/AR2008020701363.html?hpid=sec-metro
Now the the facts have come out I think someone owes Amtrak an apology for pointing fingers in the wrong direction.
See below.
Are you sure is not CSX?[%-)]
As someone who has backed many light engines into the train shed in Chicago, let me mention this: during the day, as one backs into (under) the train shed, your eyes must adjust from the brightness of the outdoors to the illumination under the shed, which is (by its very nature) much darker than the outside. The trains in the shed are difficult to see until the eyes adjust.
In addition, because of crew reductions, most of these light engine moves are done with only one person in the cab, so there is no one on the ‘firemans’ side to watch for obstructions. So if the moving engine was coming around a blind curve, there may not have been time to stop once the train was spotted.
Also, the controlling tower should not have lined the switch engine into the train until it was ascertained that all passengers had detrained. A coupling done routinely on empty equipment would seem severe to someone standing in a train if they were not expecting movement. Even a mere 1 mph impact could send commuters tumbling.