http://buffalonews.com/2018/02...d-in-town-of-attica/
looks like two AC44C6M total loss. crew made it out alive.
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Here is a followup story.
http://www.rochesterfirst.com/...trainwreck/977476635
It appears a section of track was washed out. This area is in the snow belt and high temps caused sudden melting. Flood watches were in effect for that area.
FYI, this is the same line that the Nickel Plate Berk took a few years ago on the Buffalo, NY to Corning run. Rich, I am sure knows it well.
Pete
Lead engine rolled twice on the way down the embankment. Despite serious injuries, crew is lucky to be alive due to quick action by local farm family to pull them out before smoke from the fuel fire got them.
Poppyl
I understand that this is a freight only line. I pray that the crew is not severely injured and that they quickly fully recover. I am also glad that this was not an Amtrak or any other kind of passenger train.
NH Joe
New Haven Joe posted:I understand that this is a freight only line. I pray that the crew is not severely injured and that they quickly fully recover. I am also glad that this was not an Amtrak or any other kind of passenger train.
NH Joe
Yes, freight only. Engineer suffered broken leg and ankle, severe head laceration, and likely concussion as he was knocked unconscious for some time. Conductor suffered a broken shoulder, multiple contusions, and possible concussion but apparently remained conscious.
Latest indications as to cause is a washout in or around a culvert at the bottom of the roadbed fill. Chances are the crew never saw anything as the roadbed probably collapsed under the weight of the locomotive. The washout happened fairly quickly as another train had passed over the area safely a couple of hours earlier.
Given everything that happened (including several loaded autoracks stacking on the second locomotive and the back of the first), the crew is extremely lucky.
Poppyl
Wow! That could have been much worse. Thank goodness the crew was alive and great thanks go to the farm family who courageously went to the locomotive and got the crew members out.
So glad the crew survived this, could have been much worse, and what that farm family did to help was fantastic. Let us not forget the EMS, Fire, and Police first responders that were responding into an unfamiliar event and likely helped these two crew members survive.
I have run NKP 765 on this line. I know exactly where this is. It's good, solid, main line railroad, so something must have happened to undermine the track. The conjecture is that it could have been a small washout. With all the fast thawing of the snow fall in this part of the state, that certainly seems plausible.
I am not a geotechnical engineer, but I do know the soil properties change when it is fully saturated soil. high water tables can definitely do this!
