Join the discussion on the following article:
Details emerge in fatal Southwestern Railroad collision
Who’s responsible for throwing the switch and returning it back to the main line in such a situation?
Perhaps the “standing” train, the Eastbound, backed their 12 car train into the siding and failed to close back up before leaving in the taxi?
As an aside, while I realize that many, many trains ply this earth in dark territory every day without incident, having only operated in ABS or CTC, I’d be a nervous wreck in dark territory running around at 40-50mph.
How far away could the crew see the switch target well enough to know the switch wasn’t lined?
Did the previous crew back into the siding or otherwise line the switch or was it already misaligned? If already misaligned, should they have noticed it or were they parked too far back from the switch?
I can’t imagine having to make a split second decision to stay or jump. Either course of action could prove fatal. However, I would suggest that a lot work has been done to make modern locos more crashworthy than the old ones were.
I have nothing but prayers and sympathy for all involved including the victims and their families, the crew of the other train, or anyone else who may have thrown the switch. Since the switch was locked, it doesn’t appear to be vandalism.
The article states the switch was locked. This suggests error on crew timing up the train on the siding or sabotage by someone with a switch key.
Dispatching rules on some railroads allow for a crew to be given permission to leave a switch lined for a siding when they enter it. Does this line have that rule? Regardless, it would apply to the switch behind them, not the one in front of them when they tie down the train. But perhaps a previous westbound train was given such permission. If this is the case, it would be the dispatcher’s fault for not advising the train that wrecked of the situation (if it was a different dispatcher, he should have made a note of it).
DS,
“made a note of it,” The last lines on Track Warrants refer to switches left in reverse position…one says be prepared to stop until able to observe the switch is in Normal position. The other grants authority to leave a switch in Reverse position.
RW,
That the switch was locked in Reverse does suggest sabotage. A crew member would not likely lock a switch when getting in the clear with a dozen cars, but hang the open lock in the switches locking hasp; Saboteur with a switch key? Line the switch to Reverse,(after the crew left), and then lock it in Reverse.
Your concern about visibility?, LR,
This happened near sunrise.
If the train was heading toward the rising sun, well, you probably drove your car in that situation, so you know what I’m talkin’ about.
LR, pardon me, I left out something that speaks of RR operational, call it,…" paranoia ".
Your question asked about seeing the switch target permitting determination that the route was properly lined.
Part of my early student-trip education was that the only valid way to confirm a correct line-up was to look at the switch points.
Because switch targets can be vandalized, thus their aspect may lie and their indication might be wrong.
So, seeing a permissive target, can be as dangerous as not seeing a target on approach.
My student trips happened in an urban area…San Francisco, circa 1960. But “observing the switch points” was to be
… applied everywhere, “when in doubt, the safe course must be taken…”
My blunder…not mentioning this.
I live immediately adjacent to SWRR in Carlsbad and I have great respect for SWRR and its operations. I am going to pass on what I have heard from several people around town. Their concerns centered around “What if it had been an oil train?” and “what if it happened here?” They don’t know tank car details, how the line operates, and other rail factors, but they do know about oil train accidents elsewhere. SWRR and BNSF have to communicate and let the public along the line know what is going on and specifically, how they intend to prevent accidents to oil trains on this line. Unlike many other parts of the country, southeastern New Mexico isn’t anti per se, witness support of the WIPP site and the mining and petroleum industries, but it appears to me that effective communication will be vital to maintaining that support.
@FXCarlin: good point that switch targets can lie. If understood Mr. Rowell right, though, he was thinking of the approaching crew seeing the target indicating Reverse. That would tell them something was wrong.
By the way, the train wasn’t heading toward the rising sun. It was westbound. 12 miles south of Roswell puts it not far from Dexter, so (looking at the map) the train was going either north-northwest or south-southeast (I don’t know SWRR timetable directions). The only way I can see the sun being a factor is just maybe reflecting off the lens of a lighted switch target and changing the apparent color. And even if the sun did that, we’re just back to operational paranoia (which is a nice phrase!).