A CSX coal train has derailed in Ellicott city late last night. 2 people on the tracks were killed and 21 cars came off the track falling off the elevated roadbed down into themain road below and a bar parking lot full of bar patrions. This is right at the historic B&O Ellicott train station, oldest station in the country? and a few miles from the Thomas Viaduct. This is where Railroading started in the USA.
Here is the local reporters artical so far.
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Ellicott City is totally shut down and police are diverting traffic while the clean up continues. Approximately 23 cars derailed spilling coal onto Main Street. While its sad to hear of the two people killed, there is still no excuse for being on tracks. If that was the case.
Judging from the video and photos I've seen so far, the east bound locomotives came to a stop just past the caboose at the museum, with the cars falling away from the station/museum on the inside of the curve there. Wonder how many museums end up with a major derailment right on their front platform!
I work in Silver Spring, so it will be interesting to see if notice any increase in traffic today, as I would assume they would route over the Capital and back up the Metropolitan subs.
Bob
While its sad to hear of the two people killed, there is still no excuse for being on tracks. If that was the case.
IT was the case. 2 girls on the bridge over main street. Of course the "ambulance chasers" will sue the RR for not providing enough protection to the tracks and prevent people from walking on the tracks and over the bridge.
When I lived in Laurel, I was a frequent visitor to Ellicott City--one of my favorite small towns in America. Sorry to hear about the accident, but I'm also glad that it didn't impact the scenic and very historic station.
From WBAL:
Here's an 1830 drawing of the Ellicott Mills (Later City), an early terminus for the B&O.
Below are more shots from the train derailment. Luckily the cars fell away from the station/museum. 2 people, whom I believe were female and apparently were drinking on the tracks, actually were tweeting pictures mere minutes before the wreck. At one point they apparently thought it would be fun to hang from the bridge- they stated they were "levitating". They were killed in the derailment. First Responders are checking out cars that were impacted on a nearby parking lot to make sure they were empty. The station is to the right.The official cause of the derailment is being investigated.
The Washington post released an update on the CSX accident. The police did release the names of the two 19 years old killed by the accident.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...036bcb182b_blog.html
Wow, I drive through Ellicott City several times a week. Sorry to hear about this fatal accident on B&O's Old Main Line.
Is it possible the engineer threw his train into emergency after seeing people on the tracks and somehow that reaction could have caused the derailment at that particular spot?
The article i read said the girls were on a pedestrian path on the bridge, not on the tracks. it seems unlikely that they caused the derailment and were merely in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Wow did those trees get big.
I hate to say it but my remembering from that place long ago did not seem heavily forested.
There is also supposed to be a river on the far side where the cars spilled somewhat west of the station as well.
I would hope no one else is hurt or killed.
I wonder if they are able to divert onto the MMid or the Dutch Line while this mess is cleaned up?
Does CSX know how to keep its trains in the tracks? They seem to have more derailments than any other class 1 system.
Stuart
This photo looks like my postwar lionel after my 9-year old has tried to put too many cars on an 0-31 curve:
Judging from the video and photos I've seen so far, the east bound locomotives came to a stop just past the caboose at the museum, with the cars falling away from the station/museum on the inside of the curve there. Wonder how many museums end up with a major derailment right on their front platform!
I work in Silver Spring, so it will be interesting to see if notice any increase in traffic today, as I would assume they would route over the Capital and back up the Metropolitan subs.
Bob
The Central Square O&W Station museum a few miles North of Syracuse, NY had one back in the fall of '06. Here's a shot of the 4 CHLORINE cars which were part of the derailment just after they rerailed them. The building in the foreground is the museum. It sustained no damage from the derailment.
According to WMAR-TV news, the train originated in Grafton West Virginia. Grafton is a major junction where the old Coal & Coke, and the line from Fairmont(which was part of the old Baltimore-Wheeling"Main Stem") joined the old Washington-St.Louis mainline. I remember seeing coal trains from Fairmont waiting to enter the yard there. I'm also familiar where the derailment occured.
Ciara Davidson, 16, said she has also gone up on the bridge. "We go up all the time with friends. We like playing on the tracks," said Davidson. "Where the girls were was the unsafest spot. This changes my perspective. I may want to look at the river [now], but not from there."
Let's hope so. The two girls were found still seated on the bridge, covered in coal...
Coal has gone pretty much everywhere- over buildings, in the nearby river and parking lot where a few cars ended up.
When I lived in Laurel, I was a frequent visitor to Ellicott City--one of my favorite small towns in America. Sorry to hear about the accident, but I'm also glad that it didn't impact the scenic and very historic station.
From WBAL:
Does CSX know how to keep its trains in the tracks? They seem to have more derailments than any other class 1 system.
Stuart
From what I have seen of the CSX tracks down here in south Florida, they should restrict CSX & Amtrak trains to 20 mph max speed. Rail spikes sticking up close to half-way out of the wood crossties, sometimes even a fishplate missing completely. This was close to the Hillsborough Ave crossing in Deerfield Beach FL, just east of exit 42 on I-95.
If CSX sends a railcrew out every year to inspect the tracks here in Florida is very doubtful!! They have too much track and very few railcrews.
An independant company such as Sperry Rail Service should inspect all CSX tracks.
Lee F.
Does CSX know how to keep its trains in the tracks? They seem to have more derailments than any other class 1 system.
Stuart
And, curiously, they seem to be the most "anti-steam" as well.
Does CSX know how to keep its trains in the tracks? They seem to have more derailments than any other class 1 system.
Stuart
CSX is too busy concentrating on paying dividends to it's stockholders, albeit due to reduced maintenance. Can you imagine what a steam locomotive would do to CSX's poorly maintained tracks? CSX has enough trouble maintaining it's tracks so that diesels can run on them.
And, curiously, they seem to be the most "anti-steam" as well.
I will give them time. And a chance to watch how NS does it. Remember, just a few years ago, CSX was under threat of a hostile take over. That threat is still there, so the pressure to keep dividends high is external and real. To spend money on something like what NS has done would likely risk relighting the hostile take over threat.
I'll wait for competition to apply a different type of pressure. But that will take time.
Bob
Tragic the girls were on the bridge during the derailment but AFAIK it is a pedestrian overpass so they were there legally, just the wrong place at the wrong time.
Totally amazing of the numbers track and FRA experts we have on here. Also to know how CSX spends their Engr Budget and inspects their tracks.
Keep to your toll collecting and saleman jobs you have.
And Yes, I do know as a matter of fact.
A very sad case of events for these two families to endure and to cope with. Never a good thing to deal with and I have had to deal with way too many over the years.
Tragic story.
But Gene, does it really help to disparage toll collectors and sales people?
I realize this forum loves speculation, rumor, and coming to conclusions without all the facts. BUT must we always resort to name calling and negative comments when we disagree?
Paul - still my expectations are too high - Licata
The biggest tragedy here is 2 families losing their daughters. It's not about "almost museum damage" and what CSX did or didn't do. And yes, the experts will handle this like any other catastrophe and maybe keep the next one from happening. Big or small, when people die there's nothing good about it.
I live about half an hour from this. Woman my wife works with was friends with the families of the two girls. One of her co-workers went to school with them. It's a big deal here.
The latest train-related story is that the engineers did NOT engage the emergency brakes - they reported everything going fine, and then the brakes engaged.
Latest theory I have read is that a break in an air line may have triggered the emergency brakes.
Doesn't sound like the girls were doing anything wrong - they were just tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time, as others have said. Then again, they could have been in the parking lot below all of this, and still ended up dead. There's not much you can do when hundreds of tons of steel and coal are coming at you like a tidal wave.
Prayers for their families. What an awful loss of two seemingly bright girls with good futures.
Lawyer representing the families of the girls killed in this event is saying the railroad should ensure loads don't spill in a derailment.
Furthermore
Goldman said it "doesn't take a rocket scientist" to know that metal rails under stress should be phased out after a certain amount of time, not repaired or replaced as they fail.
I live about 30 minutes from Ellicott City. I was there a couple of days ago. While in an antique shop, I overheard some people talking about it.
This is still a big story where the local media are concerned.
Keep in mind this was 2 years ago. (2012), two deaths. The train derailment Lac Megantic, Quebec with 50+ deaths and huge property lose would be way beyond this.
Nice area, my daughter took my wife and I to a late lunch, upscale bar/micro-brewery/restaurant, just up the street, from the station a few months ago.
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