Amtrak train details and has cars hanging over bridge!
http://komonews.com/news/local...anes-south-of-tacoma
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I just saw this on TV. I hope that no one was injured.
There is some confusion about the route the train is taking. There is a new route between Tacoma and Portland that takes the train away from the Puget Sound Coast. Does anyone know if this is the new or old route?
The train is blocking I-5. I-5 is the main North / South highway between Canada and Southern CA. The portion between Seattle and Portland is extremely busy. This is going to be a mess for a long time.
NH Joe
New Haven Joe posted:I just saw this on TV. I hope that no one was injured.
There is some confusion about the route the train is taking. There is a new route between Tacoma and Portland that takes the train away from the Puget Sound Coast. Does anyone know if this is the new or old route?
This is the new route, and train #501 is the first revenue passenger train to use it. Thus, lots of confusion.
The train is blocking I-5. I-5 is the main North / South highway between Canada and Southern CA. The portion between Seattle and Portland is extremely busy. This is going to be a mess for a long time.
NH Joe
From what I understand they were doing speed test for the last week! I sure am glad I wasn't going to the VA.
mike g. posted:From what I understand they were doing speed test for the last week! I sure am glad I wasn't going to the VA.
What????? This derailment is in Washington STATE, i.e. not even CLOSE to VA.!
What????? This derailment is in Washington STATE, i.e. not even CLOSE to VA.!
We veterans have what is called the Veterans Administration, refered to as the VA. Seattle has a large VA hospital.
Sorry Hot Water, I meant VA Hospital. I go there to get my hearing aids fixed!
mike g. posted:Sorry Hot Water, I meant VA Hospital. I go there to get my hearing aids fixed!
OH, well that 'splains it. I go the big VA Hospital in Hines, IL for my asthma and medical check-ups, but not by train. Also, the Amtrak train that derailed was reportedly southbound to Portland, OR.
The news is reporting that this was a Talgo train. I know that Talgo trains are used in the Seattle area to allow trains to travel at higher speeds around curves. The news is also reporting that there are many injuries. Too bad.
This is really bad since this was the first revenue train to use the new route between Tacoma and Portland. A failure on a new route with new rail (?) is going to generate a lot of questions.
NH Joe
The GN Man posted:Accident is near Mounts Road exit from Interstate 5. This rail overpass is originally NP trackage. This is near joint base Lewis McChord. There are fatalities among the Amtrak passengers.
Yes, even the county sherif's office has now reported "fatalities", i.e. plural. Also a report from a person riding the train stated that they "hit a vehicle, and the train derailed, just prior to the bridge.".
New Haven Joe posted:The news is reporting that this was a Talgo train. I know that Talgo trains are used in the Seattle area to allow trains to travel at higher speeds around curves.
Well, the Talgo CARS were designed to negotiate curves at higher speeds, except that the diesel units that haul the Talgo cars are NOT. Thus the passenger trains are speed limited to the diesel unit's capabilities.
The news is also reporting that there are many injuries. Too bad.
Now reported fatalities.
This is really bad since this was the first revenue train to use the new route between Tacoma and Portland. A failure on a new route with new rail (?) is going to generate a lot of questions.
There are now reports from some passengers that the train was "going about 80 MPH", yet there is a curve directly prior to the bridge over the Interstate. Another passenger texted they "hit a vehicle just prior to the bridge.". Who knows what really happened, this early.
NH Joe
Hot Water posted:The GN Man posted:Accident is near Mounts Road exit from Interstate 5. This rail overpass is originally NP trackage. This is near joint base Lewis McChord. There are fatalities among the Amtrak passengers.
Yes, even the county sherif's office has now reported "fatalities", i.e. plural. Also a report from a person riding the train stated that they "hit a vehicle, and the train derailed, just prior to the bridge.".
Hit a vehicle, just before a bridge? Was this a holiday-season suicide? After 9/11 I took the train home from Oklahoma (to NY) and about four hours from our destination we hit a jeep that had driven onto the tracks. Smell of gasoline everywhere, and we had to deboard the train - in the cold - for a couple of hours while they got the jeep out and cleaned up the gas. Someone told us those types of incidents tick up during the Christmas season. Not sure how true that is or not.
Hot Water posted:mike g. posted:Sorry Hot Water, I meant VA Hospital. I go there to get my hearing aids fixed!
OH, well that 'splains it. I go the big VA Hospital in Hines, IL for my asthma and medical check-ups, but not by train. Also, the Amtrak train that derailed was reportedly southbound to Portland, OR.
Hot, I drive I-5 from my house to the VA and go under that overpass all the time!
https://www.google.com/maps/@47.081708,-122.6762156,422m/data=!3m1!1e3
If you look at the google picture there is no roads near by for a car to get on the train tracks going north bound. Guess the link doesn't work right.
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The GN Man posted:Looking at the televised pictures, this train was in “push” mode, with P42 on the rear. That accounts for the locomotive still on the rails. This route has undergone testing for several months. The “experts” on CNN right now are clueless...
I'm pretty sure that those Amtrak Cascade passenger trains have some sort of "locomotive" on each end. Thus the powered unit may have been "pushing" on the rear, while the Engineer was controlling from a "Cabbage", or non-powered former locomotive. In other words, they do NOT use "Cab Cars" for controlling as commuter trains do.
Kind of interesting that the speed trials apparently went by without a hitch, but one of the first revenue runs derails. Derails in a very bad spot, a bridge over an interstate, with high media and public visibility, especially when local politicians were, according to past articles, against the rerouting, and warned that the rerouting would result in fatalities.
Yup, kind of interesting coincidence... if you believe in coincidence.
This was the first official normal service run of the Amtrak Cascades on the newly updated bypass route between Tacoma and Nisqually.
A Pierce Count Transit representative who had been on the train stated that the train was traveling at 79 mph and had been passing traffic on I-5 were it parallels the track. He said it hit a truck and derailed. It occurred just at the west side of the bridge that crosses over I-5. The train cars went off both sides of the bridge onto I-5.
Larry
PSAP2010 posted:This was the first official normal service run of the Amtrak Cascades on the newly updated bypass route between Tacoma and Nisqually.
A Pierce Count Transit representative who had been on the train stated that the train was traveling at 79 mph and had been passing traffic on I-5 were it parallels the track. He said it hit a truck and derailed. It occurred just at the west side of the bridge that crosses over I-5. The train cars went off both sides of the bridge onto I-5.
Larry
Also, reportedly the curve just prior to that bridge has a 30 MPH speed limit.
How come a Brand New Train, using a rail line that has upgrades all the time to 79 miles per hour speeds, on its inaugural run derails crossing a bridge on a very busy Interstate Highway and many cars have falling to the ground stopping all the Southbound Traffic on I-5. Sounds very suspicious to me. Since the news states that there all kinds of casualties and disruptions going on in this area. What do you think?
Prayers to all involved.....I have many miles on Amtrak.....sad....
Is this a push pull train with locomotives at both ends? If the news person is correct the train was traveling from right to left in the pictures? If so, is a grade crossing ahead there?. (The girl did say the conductor caused a crash on another train because he did not slow down so I'm not sure how accurate their info is.)
railbear601 posted:How come a Brand New Train, using a rail line that has upgrades all the time to 79 miles per hour speeds, on its inaugural run derails crossing a bridge on a very busy Interstate Highway and many cars have falling to the ground stopping all the Southbound Traffic on I-5. Sounds very suspicious to me. Since the news states that there all kinds of casualties and disruptions going on in this area. What do you think?
What do I think? I think we should all wait for the results of the investigation, that is now ongoing!
BobbyD posted:Is this a push pull train with locomotives at both ends?
I believe I explained that above.
If the news person is correct the train was traveling from right to left in the pictures?
Guess it depends on which pictures you have seen.
If so, is a grade crossing ahead there?. (The girl did say the conductor caused a crash on another train because he did not slow down so I'm not sure how accurate their info is.)
As usual, the news media "talking heads" ALWAYS seem think that the Conductor operates the train! Per Rich Melvin,,,,,,,"Journalism is dead!".
Hot Water posted:BobbyD posted:Is this a push pull train with locomotives at both ends?
I believe I explained that above.
Only interested if the two end units weighed the same.
Hot Water posted:BobbyD posted:Is this a push pull train with locomotives at both ends?
I believe I explained that above.
If the news person is correct the train was traveling from right to left in the pictures?
Guess it depends on which pictures you have seen.
If so, is a grade crossing ahead there?. (The girl did say the conductor caused a crash on another train because he did not slow down so I'm not sure how accurate their info is.)
As usual, the news media "talking heads" ALWAYS seem think that the Conductor operates the train! Per Rich Melvin,,,,,,,"Journalism is dead!".
I cant help myself...but, HOTWATER, why do you always feel the need to respond to EVERYTHING and sometimes sarcastically or in a narcissistic tone !? and on top of that...try to ALWAYS be "THE ONE" with the final answer? Its quite annoying.
Rant over...
Actually, I think HW has the best answer. Let the NTSB do its job.
I traced the RR line for a couple miles north and south of the bridge. I could see no grade crossings, even small ones like come off a farm.
The tracks either go over or under any road it crosses...within the distance I measured.
The only thing I did see is to the right (west) side of the bridge, where the visible loco is: what looks like a power line right of way that some heavy equipment could be on, but nothing cross the tracks near the approach end on either side of that bridge.
Dominic Mazoch posted:Actually, I think HW has the best answer. Let the NTSB do its job.
In this age instant info is expected by 99.999% of people in this country. Why the surprise?
How many people do you see in nice sit down restaurant looking at there phones....can't stay off off for 30 minutes.
Audio recording of engineer talking to dispatch right after the wreck.
Scroll to the bottom of the page.
Escapesrocks if you look just north you will see Mounts Rd. Less then a 1/4 mile away.
EscapeRocks posted:I traced the RR line for a couple miles north and south of the bridge. I could see no grade crossings, even small ones like come off a farm.
The tracks either go over or under any road it crosses...within the distance I measured.
The only thing I did see is to the right (west) side of the bridge, where the visible loco is: what looks like a power line right of way that some heavy equipment could be on, but nothing cross the tracks near the approach end on either side of that bridge.
From what I read, the train was traveling SOUTHBOUND, and IIRC, Mounts Road DOES cross the tracks there just before the bridge the train derailed on.
I Have used the Mounts Road exit many times in the past, just up and over, to take a break, but I do seem to recall looking for traffic to my Right before crossing the intersection.
Doug
RSJB18 posted:Audio recording of engineer talking to dispatch right after the wreck.
Scroll to the bottom of the page.
A prime example of the 'NEED TO KNOW NOW' mentality of the media and it's followers. I'm not sure this stuff should be public YET....it could alter or harm a investigation down the road......but this is the norm today.
RSJB18 posted:Audio recording of engineer talking to dispatch right after the wreck.
Scroll to the bottom of the page.
No mention of hitting anything in that audio. Just says they went to take the turn and went on the ground. Not a good situation at all.
AMCDave posted:RSJB18 posted:Audio recording of engineer talking to dispatch right after the wreck.
Scroll to the bottom of the page.A prime example of the 'NEED TO KNOW NOW' mentality of the media and it's followers. I'm not sure this stuff should be public YET....it could alter or harm a investigation down the road......but this is the norm today.
Amazing that this would be released. I bet it shouldn't have been.
Looks like the lead locomotive derailed on the engineer's side dragging several cars behind it and the trailing locomotive pushed the rest off the other side of the overpass.
Budkole posted:Hot Water posted:BobbyD posted:Is this a push pull train with locomotives at both ends?
I believe I explained that above.
If the news person is correct the train was traveling from right to left in the pictures?
Guess it depends on which pictures you have seen.
If so, is a grade crossing ahead there?. (The girl did say the conductor caused a crash on another train because he did not slow down so I'm not sure how accurate their info is.)
As usual, the news media "talking heads" ALWAYS seem think that the Conductor operates the train! Per Rich Melvin,,,,,,,"Journalism is dead!".
I cant help myself...but, HOTWATER, why do you always feel the need to respond to EVERYTHING and sometimes sarcastically or in a narcissistic tone !? and on top of that...try to ALWAYS be "THE ONE" with the final answer? Its quite annoying.
Rant over...
I, for one, appreciate hot water's knowledge of this industry and his no nonsense comments on these topics...
I can't open the CNN content to listen to it.
I was riding through there exactly when it happened in the vanpool, but was going northbound (you wouldn't have seen it going the opposite direction due to a large tree-covered berm between the directions there) and I was asleep at the time. Didn't know until I walked into the building (less than 1/4 mile from the site, also in Dupont).
Two train fan pals were riding this, and rode what would have been the final northbound along the sound, last night. One is in the hospital (with the type of injuries you get in a bad rear-end car collision) and the other nobody's heard from though I just heard that the latter guy was last seen being tended to and upright.
The one at the hospital now (who runs trains in a large coal plant and has been a hogger on Class II lines) called a mutual pal, who confirmed the train was going too fast for the curve. He'd confirmed the cascades went past the yard at Dupont at 81MPH. That's a slight dogleg to the right that direction, a sharp downgrade between the yard and gold course, and then a very tight left turn. I watched them lay the track over a long period through there and I know the freight speed limit is 10MPH. I have no idea what the speed ratings are between the yard and that curve for Cascades or the Coast Starlights.
I won't comment on what I'd heard from the engineer via a mutual friend. I have met this engineer recently and know who he is, but I can't say he's a friend of mine.
My head is not in work, even though everyone at work is just worried about getting home southbound tonight.
Amazingly, the Charger locomotive is in I-5 right now, well down from the bridge. The tracks are brand new, they just rebuilt that entire line over a long period and just got certified. No arguments can be made for poor MOW work.
Pray for all the victims of this tragedy!
