A train carrying members of Congress – including House Speaker Paul Ryan – to their legislative retreat in West Virginia hit a truck Wednesday, multiple sources told CNN…
http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/31/politics/congress-train-accident/index.html
An aide confirmed Ryan was on the train and is fine. Separately, a congressman on the train told CNN most of the staff and members on the train are OK…
Latest info is one of the three people in the truck died, another taken to the hospital. Rep. Jason Lewis of MN was taken to the hospital for possible concussion.
The accident occurred in Crozet VA on the way to the Greenbriar in White Sulphur Springs VA.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/train-carrying-gop-lawmakers-hits-truck-1-reported-dead-173332153.html
Very disturbibg as to vulnerability of a passenger train with virtually the whole of the majority party of both the Houses and Senate. Is there surveillance of the route before and during trip? Are grade crossings monitored by law enforcement for the trip?As this event has happened, what prevents a saboteur from causing chaos?
At the risk of getting political wouldn’t it made a better headline had members of congress driving a truck got hit by a locomotive while thinking theywere imune? [;)]
It looks like a photo of Amtrak P42 #145, in 40th Anniversary paint, presumably taken by Rep. Jeff Denham, is making the rounds as being the engine involved in the accident.
Other photos show the wreckage of the garbage truck with Amtrak #4 in the background.
Something smells fishy there…
Ed
Double ended engines on the train - 145 in lead and 4 in trail. The only thing smelling is the spilled trash.
That had me going for a bit - looking for a location that looked right based on the images from the scene, then trying to figure out how a westbound train had a locomotive facing east. Then it dawned on me that 145 had the damage, but 4 was in the TV feeds.
https://www.statter911.com/2018/01/31/breaking-republican-train-wreck-not-metaphor/
Finally found a news site that gave the specific location, a little west of downtown Crozet: 38.07731 -78.71672
One source said a congressman was doing CPR on the conductor. I’m presuming they meant engineer, but the only fatality reported was in the truck.
I see!
That would also explain why #4 was stopped right next to the damaged garbage truck. Looks like 145 is on the ground, though. Good thing it slid to a stop without anything else derailing!
In Jeff Denham’s photo 145’s snowplow is eating the rail, then in the video linked above, the train is slowly backing up? That sure seems odd to me… but, maybe they cut the derailed lead engine (145) and pulled the train back, apparently to remove an injured person.
Thanks for the clarification, Ed
POSITIVE TRUCK CONTROL (PTC) … NOW!
(1) GBO and DOTsay the existing technology is on the shelf, ready to go! (What? - You already bought that line of baloney once? - Why not now?)
(2) Make the truckers and bus people pay for it. They’re rich and have limitless deep pockets!!!(Your more liberal buddies seem to think so. Just like any other company or corporation?)
(3) POSITIVE TRUCK CONTROL WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS!!!
[soapbox][soapbox][soapbox]
[;)]As long as trains and other metal objects are magnetic this will happen. Just make trains anti magnetic.
As mentioned in my other reply, I would like to see the forward facing video from the lead unit. This is former C&O.
Ed Burns
Degaussing cables were tried in WW2, then they used accoustic homing devices.
One of the talking heads on a western TV station mentioned as part of his running commentary (a good deal of which was laughable, at least for anyone who knows anything about railroads) that he’d like to see cameras on all crossings… “I know it will be expensive…”
Are we sure this wasn’t an ISIS inspired Suicide Garbage Attack to strike at the heart of Congress?
Well, the talking heads mentioned that possibility, too…
Baltimore ACD or others:
The town is Crozet. Is is pronounced "Crozet (heavy on the [T[) or “Crozay”? I have heard both on the news.
Ed Burns
That is what is of great concern. Any person(s) bent upon chaos apparently could create chaos at will at many points along the right of way for the trip to White Sulphur Springs. Was there surveillance of the right of way? Were grade crossings supervised by local local law enforcement? This yearly sojourn to the Greenbriar has been going on for years. The ease for the circumstances of the collision to happen raises concern.
I also wonder. Had it been a POTUS special (will we ever see another?), there certainly should have been surveillance all along the route–and there should have been surveillance along the route for this train.
Does anyone know what equipment was in this train?
I don’t know Amtrak equipment. Looks like it was all the same equipment. Plenty of images in the news videos (click the Statter911 link).
It’s Crow zay.
congressman like us, we buys our tickets and takes our chances.