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BNSF, UP trains collide near Tehachapi Loop
I wonder if the coastline will see some detoured traffic?
Was down there in mid March watching lots of trains at the Tehachapi Loop. Of all my visits to this area it was the first time I’de ever seen the grass, etc on the hill green. But my main attraction was the trains on the loop.
Highly embarrassing for both of the two big western rival railroads. Let’s hear it for trackage rights! But, seriously folks, one can only wonder how many beautiful, brand new cars were totalled in this wreck. Could this be a case for PTC? If it does the things claimed, well, the faster train would have been slowed or stopped before contact. Yes, there are many ramifications for the freight giants in this collision.
Theoretically the current signal systems over the Tehachapi’s should prevent this type of accident unless there was human error (asleep at the throttle, perhaps) or maybe a signal failure which did not provide a sufficiently restricted speed. Either one of those conditions would be alleviated, theoretically, by PTC. At least no one was killed or severely injured.
New cars for sale - cheap !!!
Congratulations. The pictures actually belong with the article! Keep up the good work.
Is it finally time to complete double tracking? SP never got around to it and Santa Fe wanted it but wouldn’t contribute to the project.
Is it finally time to complete double tracking? SP never got around to it and Santa Fe wanted it but wouldn’t contribute to the project.
Great article and pictures, too bad the content is about a derailment. Somebody probably missed a signal. So easy to snooze or zone it. I know.
Does UP and BNSF take 5 Year cycles in ownership of the track ad SP/ATSF did?
How could that happen, Uncle Pete?
Expensive. When new cars are damaged in transit the carrier hes to pay for them and then scrap.
Even with double track, both tracks would of been out of service with this. So it doesn’t matter that there isn’t double track in this area.
Sounds to me like the crew on the BNSF train were asleep since the accident occurred at 2:30am and failed to stop short of a train or obstruction while running on a restrictive signal indication. And PTC may have no prevented this from happening either unless they disregarded a stop signal. Trains are allowed to pass restrictive intermediate signals. That is the reason we train crews undergo banner checks.