On the 12:00 local radio news:
CN train hit a rock slide in Fraser Canyon near Lytton, locomotive when down 250’ embankment, another car derailed but rest of 104 car train stayed on the tracks. Good news is that there were only minor injuries to two train crew, they had to wait 6 hours on the slope for rescue but had food, water and blankets.
UPDATE
Scroll down a few posts to see the update
More info (from http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/01/04/bc-derailment.html)
Two CN crew members have been rescued after spending seven hours trapped on a steep 50-metre embankment after their train derailed early Thursday morning in the Fraser Canyon.
Neither the engineer nor conductor were seriously hurt, suffering only cuts and bruises.
They managed to scramble out of the locomotive. But they were stuck on the embankment above the Thompson River because it was too steep to climb.
Blankets and hot food and drink were dropped down to them for the night.
At first light, rescuers climbed down on ropes to pull them to safety. They brought the engineer up just before 8 a.m. PT, and the conductor followed a few minutes later.
The 105-car train was near Lytton and headed for Vancouver when it hit a rockslide on the tracks at about 1 a.m. PT.
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I bet those guys had an uneasy night wondering if another slide would wash them down the ravine. Glad to see that they are relatively unharmed physically.
This Type of Thing happens all too often in the Mountains.
Any info, like when and where? That would help.
I can’t imagine what it must have been like on that slope. The Fraser River swirls 180’ below, probably after close to a 100’ drop…I’m guessing as I have driven the Canyon a gazzillion times.
It would be one thing to wonder what part of the train will roll in the night and begin to slide down onto them, and quite another to wonder how close to the precipice they really were, and if what they were using as a refuge would slide, itself, and plunge them to their deaths in the icy waters below.
I am happy with the outcome, no matter what.
Whew!
Today’s derailment had CN C44-9W 2687 slid down to the Thompson River’s edge while SD75I 5693 was mostly on the ROW.
http://www.canada.com/globaltv/bc/story.html?id=89f68f5b-ed95-43f2-9c7e-26e8ef75718f&k=5702
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=89f68f5b-ed95-43f2-9c7e-26e8ef75718f&k=5702
The CN engineer who was driving the train that derailed in B.C.'s Fraser Canyon early Thursday says he was terrified as his locomotive slid 50 metres down a steep slope.
‘I can’t piece it together in my mind yet exactly how we ended up where we did, but from there on everything happened very quickly.’-Hans Nederpel
Hans Nederpel was at the controls of train 355, colleague Earl McGrail at his side, when they went around a corner near Lytton and saw a huge pile of rocks on the track.
Nederpel said he tried to slow down the 105-car train, but it was too late and the locomotive smashed into the rockslide.
“We hit and lifted,” he told CBC News. “We could feel ourselves lifting and kind of turning.”
Nederpel said it was moment of terror as the locomotive slid down the steep embankment.
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Santa fe had a solution for this…
Well I am glad that those boys made it out alright. It could have been much worse you know.
Great news that the crew survived. Would love to hear about the recovery of the locomotive. Someone please post photos when available.
I was wondering how they would recover a locomotive in a situation like that. It doesn’t look easy.
On the scene photos (not by me):
I would like some help with what train this was. The CN site says it was M35551-02 which I would assume is correct. My Canadian Trackside Guide (CTG) 2006 says this is a manifest grain from Edmonton to Ridley (Prince Rupert) but it appears to be lumber headed to Vancouver. Could it be lumber from Prince George to Vancouver that used to go on the BCR? If it is, is this how the CN ships from Prince George to Vancouver now? I heard there is only one through train on the former BCR now. Is this to get away from the steep grades on the BCR? Any help appreciated.
Barry
CN2687. Here’s a pic of the recovery: