I received a call from a cousin this morning. NS had had a minor derailment in East Memphis today between White Station Rd and Mendenhall , both major streets in that area, of a Westbound stacktrain.
I remember that there is a passing siding just East of the White Station Rd. It is the only location where trains might pass before getting much farther East on that line ( NS’s New Crescent Corridor Yard will be out at the Rossville,Tn. area. Forrest Yard in Memphis is the more or less end of track there in Memphis for NSRR.
Looks like the cars were drug West bound until they derailed and came off the tracks and some containers landed in Poplar Ave. There were probably three crossings damaged, the two mentioned earlier, and the Troust (sp?) Ave; a dedicated street in to the Home Depot. Should be a mess for traffic there on Monday.
I have linked two site that have still photos of the results of the incident:
WMCTV :http://www.wmctv.com/story/16679556/train-derails-in-east-memphis
WREGTV: http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-train-derailment-at-poplar-mendenhall-20120205,0,6313433.photogallery
Both sites have a number of still photos ( note the axle/wheel set) in one of the crossings) and it was a NSRR train not CN as one of the sites reported.
I was glad to hear one of my old hangouts at Poplar& Mendenhall was not damaged. Would have been a problem for Cigar smokers.[:'(]
Sam,
What amazes me about derailments is (1) how fast Hulcher and Corman get to the scene without picking up speeding tickets, and, (2) how quickly they can get things cleaned up or at least off the tracks so repairs can begin.
I know some MOW folks here in Michigan, and have watched and photographed some of their work following a derail. Depending on how bad the situation is several crews may be called, and the speed at which they get the track passable leaves me in awe of them. I’ve many photos of them at work. No way I could keep their pace, and some of their hours run long.
Three crossings damaged? They may take longer to be open to vehicular traffic but NS will have them passable, perhaps with slow orders, in good time. Unpassable track does not make the railroad money, and costs big money to repair.
A few years back I met and became friends with a track foreman. As long as I don’t trespass I’m welcome to take all the pictures I want. I make sure he gets copies so he can show and tell his grandkids about working his tail off to keep trains moving.
Norm48327:
Hulcher is quite possibly still a local operator in Memphis, they used to have a yard down on the southeast part of town ( just off the BNSF at Holmes and Hwy78). They could probably get to the scene of the NS incident easily within an hour or two from the location mentioned.
About 4 years ago over in SE Kansas UPRR lost their old ROW at the Neosho River ( just on the south side of Erie< Ks) due to flooding. RJCorman came in and they were set up and running in hours. It was a pretty massive effort to replace a big wash out. and seemed like trains were running in a couple of days. It was an amazing show to watch. They now have a facility about 7 miles form here just outside of Wellington, Ks. When they move out it is quite a show and done professionally.[2c]
Hulcher & Corman have multiple operating units and they are strategically located around the country. In many cases the nearest unit is less than a 3 hour drive from the incident.
The hallmark of their business plan is quick response and quick clearance.