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Arkansas & Missouri passenger trains running again
Something’s wrong. I don’t see the body of the story anywhere.
I know that quite a bit of damage might not be evident in the picture shown. You have to admit, that a 25 mph collision of two dieses would leave more evidence of that collision by evidence of some pretty serious damage. I feel sympathy for the people injured in the collision, but it sure seems like ALCO built some very tough engines.
This is good news. Its encouraging to see A&M continuing “full steam ahead.”
its bad when you have 3 wrecks in 1 month.
I fully agree that it is interesting to discover some of the details found in major investigation of the NTSB. But having worked a decade of my career as what is now called a first responder investigator, I have found that the NTSB seems to tread too lightly when the fault and causes of accidents leads toward the office managements. With the rescue engine running far in excess of the rules, exceeding 28 mph and crashing at 25 mph, you must wonder and investigate why that freight train crew was so robust. They had a restricted speed on the track which requires that they operate only at a speed sufficient to stop in half the distance of vision of obstruction, and never exceeding 20 mph on clear open track. This line was not clear open track and there was considerable ground leaves on these rails causing a slick rail condition to consider. Why were they going so fast? Were they drug free?
I would sincerely investigate if the dispatcher operated in an entirely incompetent or maybe criminal manner! When he got the call from the passenger excursion train, and heard that they could not proceed, and agree that they would stay where they stopped, why did he not obtain their exact location and agree by working out with the passenger crew, what would be the safe Mile Post ahead that the recue engine would operate to, and then be flagged and walked to a coupling to the stalled passenger train? The NTSB should also investigate if there was a cut in hostlers who prepare the engines for service and if the passenger engine left with full sand boxes with some extra bags in the cabinets.
Statements from the rescue engineer indicate that he was not told his destination, the exact location of the stalled train and just told that the track was ‘out of service’. Did the dispatcher encourage an urgent and quick rescue by the freight engines rescue train? Did the dispatcher also suggest that the rescue engine laid down a good coat of sand on the rails as the leaves were a serious problem (an annual event
Well, its looks like the A&M got part of my safety suggestion as they used a track patrol hi-rail pickup ahead of the recent new excursion trains. Now I hope they learn that taking a track out-of-service is not a safe method to couple anything to a passenger train. Much safer methods are available which involve written instructions and men on the grown providing positive flagging protection.
Today’s Northwest Arkansas Times records the filing of the lawsuit against the A&M for injuries suffered in the wreck. I imagine there will be more.