I would like here anything anyone has to say on major rail distaters. Anyone ever saw a spectacular wreck happen? Ever had to be evacuated because of a chemical spill from a crash? What’s you opinion on the worst accident in history?
While definitely not a major wreck I saw one that had a lot of fire works. I was standing opposite of YM tower (the tower was gone though) on the Reading watching a pair of Philly bound Silverliners on the Bethlehem Branch. For some reason the contact wire in the catenary broke and the pantograph started tearing down the wires. When the train reached the next catenary tower the pantograph was torn off of the top of the car which also took off the horns. All of this occurring while the 11,000 volts was sparking on the top of the cars, on the ground and everywhere else the wire was being tossed. I was about 1000 feet down the track and 50 feet back, but you better believe that I got out of the way as fast as I could.
Another small wreck I witnessed was almost comical. While I was photographing units in the Penn Central Engine facility in Harrisburg PA I watched a hostler back an E8 into the turntable pit.
April 1983 a quaker state covered hopper derailed due to an overheated bearing.It also caused a flat car to slice a boxcar wide open.Del monte vegtables everywhere.Luckily the car was empty at the time.I got to see a B&O crane come and help clean up the mess Saturday morning.I have seen derailments of coal trains in deshler (csx) and broughton(ns)ohio.If you come to look at a derailment just look let the people do their jobs to get the line back open.
stay safe
Joe
Apparently, back in the 1940s or 50s, an operator in Verner, Ontario looked out when he heard a train coming his way, literally. The train had derailed at a turnout, and came barreling right through the station. The operator managed to get out in time.
Never saw one actually happen but came pretty close:
- In 1991 I heard a loud sound early in morning (my home is about three miles from BNSF main line and Eola [IL] yard), it was the sound of two trains hitting head on in the yard on the industrial lead track. One crewman dead and two injured badly. SP model SD45 scrapped on site as well as several cars. Speed at collission about 10 mph.
- Almost saw one last year when a newly hired crewman riding rear of a string of cars being shoved into the East Yard at Eola did not see the de-rail was closed and ended up jumping off rear car just before it jumped (literally jumped about two feet into the air…rear right wheels) across the de-rail. Crewman pulled muscle in leg badly and was given real chewing out on radio and called into the yard office for what must have been endless paperwork. No serious injuries or damage to equipment.
- Back in 1976 saw a CNW grain car full of flour derailed while traveling over a fill in SE Wisconsin, got there right after it happened and it would have made a really big cake!
- While traveling along Soo Line main between Marshfield and Stevens Point, WI back in the mid 1970’s I saw a journal box on an old SOO car on fire and raced ahead to the division offices in St. Point (could not raise anybody on my CB radio who would listen) and alerted them to problem, by that time train was coming into yard with journal still burning really bad. Got thanks from yardmaster.
Hope this helps you. Jim
One of the most unusual derailments I’ve ever heard of was an accident that happened in Britain where two consecutively numbered steam locomotives of the same class had a head on collision. That’s got to be a 1 in a billion chance of happening!
As for the worst accident in history, I’d say that one of the worst would be the Armaugh (I hope I spelled that right) Disaster, which happened in Ireland in the 1890’s. There was a train loaded with schoolchildren all going on a holiday. The train they were on was heading up a hill and since the engine didn’t have enough strength to pull all the cars up, they left some behind and took half the train over the hill and would pick up the rest later. When they uncoupled the cars, the brakes got disconnected. The crew had left some stones by the wheels to hold the cars in place. The cars began rolling down the hill and collided with another train that was coming. I’m not sure what the death toll was, but most of the casualties were children. I’ve heard this accident being compared to railways what the Titanic was to ships. I’m sure that ehre are many other bad accidents that could be argued as being the worst, though.
Been riding on the steps of an engine once when the rail rolled out from under neath the locos. talk about a wake up call
Sask- Yeah, I’d read about the Armagh disaster too. I’d heard about it when I was in Ireland a couple of years ago. I fond a site with a little bit of history: http://members.aol.com/victoroly/TrainDisaster.htm
Train Guy and everyone else: The worst I’ve heard of was a local diesel versus school bus. A lot of people, including high school kids, killed and injured senslessly. Only positive to come from it was that all of the lights and crossings here are now synched up, the way it should be everywhere as I’m sure our good Canadian friend KevinstheRRman would agree.
Here are a couple of other sites that might interest (mostly factual although a couple of pics as well):
http://www.emergency-management.net/traincrash.htm
http://www.bmwe.org/nw/2002/02FEB/63.htm
http://members.tripod.com/~kepshire/monon/mon1914.html
http://dhsclassof70.yearbookhigh.com/photo2.html
http://www.joebeer.com/TrainWrecks.html
Also see Roger Hensley’s site:
http://madisonrails.railfan.net/
and my personal favorite, Harold Driscoll’s site (all one address, it just didn’t fit)
http://chicago.railfan.net/cgi/photos.pl/
photo=99a25556.jpg&page=Autorack_oops
I personally consider myself fortunate to have not seen any accidents except for a minor deraliment of a 16,000 gallon tanker carrying Corn Syrup leaving the Kentland, IN Central Soya plant. No injuries that I know of but one pissed off farmer and I’d assume the engineer and conductor weren’t too happy either.
Mike
I haven’t seen anything major but two events come to mind:
- An Erie Lackawanna piggyback train derailed in 1969 on a curve on the CWI in Hegewisch where the South Shore Line crosses overhead. It appeared to be caused by a slack run which pulled down the piggyback flats on the inside of the curve.
- A CNW GP7 split a switch in Proviso yard. A friend and I were watching from the Mannheim Rd. overpass and it looked like the engineer was anticipating that the switchman on the ground would stay ahead of him. The switchman was starting to run to keep ahead of the engine.
I’ve seen plenty of wrecks…even got fired for causing one once. They aren’t fun to watch (or feel–I was in the cab of a derailing locomotive once), and there’s no more helpless feeling than watching a derailment happening, where things get progressively worse…you just wi***he movement would stop, already!
The worst one I ever saw was back in the low-maintenance CNW days at Proviso…an incoming Penn Central train was sideswiped by a transfer run leaving Yard 9…the latter was moving a little too fast and really had the cars rocking. Both trains just kept pulling until someone on the hump saw the sparks…The CNW train was radioed to stop, but there was no way to contact the PC guy back then–they didn’t stop until a car turned over and the train-line finally separated. When the dust settled, the two mains had derailed cars from the west end of the hump to the North Avenue overpass, a good fifty carlengths of track–times two–that had to be cleared and rebuilt.
I was going to school in Ames, Iowa back in the early 80’s. Several of us were out on a beautiful Spring day catching some sun and shooting the bull when we heard a loud, crashing sound. We didn’t think too much of it at the time. We decided to take a drive around town. One of the main, four lane streets in Ames goes under the Chicago and Norhtwestern double track main (now Union Pacific). As we got closer to the bridge we saw an empty coal car laying across all four lanes and a motorcycle laying next to the coal car. The person on the cycle saw the car falling off the bridge and ditched the bike. Good thing that person was paying attention!
We had a few interesting moments in my county a couple years ago. I had just come on duty when dispatch puts out a report of a train derailment just outside of one of the towns. Among the derailed cars…a loaded tank car full of butane. People wer a little excited until they determined that the car was still upright and not punctured. Although it was about 1/2 mile out of town, I’m sure it would have done some good damage.
I never got to see them happen.But got called out to go clean them up.
Spent many year being a crane operator or ground men on derailments.
The worst one I was on is when the engineman was missing and evry lift you
make your looking for the body.Not fun stuff.Seen many things I don’t ever want
to see again.
May 12, 1989 a runaway Southern Pacific train off Cajon Pass in Southern California wiped out a San Bernardino area neighborhood. The wreck damaged an underground pipeline, and the neighborhood suffered a devastating explosion and fire May 25.
For info over the Internet, go to the Yahoo Advanced Web Search, enter: TRAIN 1989 in first field, and DUFFY STREET in the exact phrase line.
What is this about wrecks? After you see someone die in one…I’m sorry guys. This is serious business.
You notice that the professionals are conspicuous by their absence?
Paid professionals may be conspicuous by their absence at this forum, but rest assured that the real true professionals involved with the San Bernardino, California disaster have video files of it and they DO USE them to this day!
Kp
I think i’ve seen that on the discovery channel a couple of times.They have shown that San Bernidino segment on train wrecks & disasters.
stay safe
Joe
K. P., that isn’t what I meant. I know of what you speak. For a while, I held the position that was responsible for photographing ALL derailments and colissions on a part of the division. I am talking about the “WOW a wreck. Let’s go look at it.” And then starts the “tall tale telling” part like it was a ball game or something.
Sorry guys, I almost didn’t look at the thread. Wish now I hadn’t. This subject, and how it is treated, is real up close and personal.
One (relatively) bloodless wreck happened in Des Plaines last year. From what I know, someone was coming off the wye and broadsided the head end of a northbound freight. I believe everyone was OK except one crew member who was hospitalized. More than a couple engines and cars on their side; tied up the line for days. Does anyone know the specifics?
Kenneo
Your right, it is very up close and personal. Sorry if something I posted offended. Please understanding that I’m interested in the history of these accidents, not the sensationalism. For those you’ve lost I offer my condolences.
Mike