Today at approximately 11:23, EST Strasburg 475 struck a piece of standing MOW while running around their train.
Switch appeared to be lined for the siding/track that the MOW equipment was on, but also a violation of restricted speed by the engine crew… smoke box was punctured by an excavator arm.
No information on injury.
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From Virtual Railfan
WOW! At Least its the end of the busy season. Hopefully they can repair the smokebox damage as long as the boiler/frame wasn't compromised!
Oh my god! Totally smashed the front of the boiler in. Thats an indescribable shame.
Well we know who wont be running the loco next season. That's a real shame!
WOW! That's a shame. Looks maybe somebody wasn't watching where they were going.
@prrhorseshoecurve posted:WOW! At Least its the end of the busy season. Hopefully they can repair the smokebox damage as long as the boiler/frame wasn't compromised!
Don't know about that. They have Santa trains that keep them busy thru Christmas.
Man, that's terrible to watch.
Who left the switch lined for the siding? Where was the conductor? I could understand how the engineer might not have been able to see which way the switch was thrown. I can only imagine what the engine crew felt like when they realized that the engine was headed down the wrong track…
This is not good…
I hope there isn’t damage to the cylinder casting!
Well, at least it was the smokebox and not the actual boiler (I think if the actual boiler was pierced, there would be a lot more steam escaping). It is easier to repair the smokebox than the actual boiler.
Sad to see! Someone has a whole lot of explaining to do, that's for sure.
My understanding is the diesel switcher was sent out to pull back the coaches.
No word on injuries so far.
Hopefully no one was hurt and the damage can be repaired. I didn't see any steam or smoke escaping from the front where the damage is, so hopefully that means it is more patching the shell than anything else (maybe wishful thinking on my part, and I claim no expertise on the design of this or any steam locomotive).
I am as confused as some of the other posters. Was the engine supposed to push the cars, and instead got diverted to the siding? Or was the engine doing a move around to position itself at the head of the cars on the left (I don't know if this siding is just a siding or does it end up connecting to the track ahead of the cars? ). If it was just simply they were sent to the siding by accident, then the question is did the MOW crew leave it thrown?If it was a run around, then how come the train crew didn't see the MOW equipment when they threw the switch?
In the end it is just sad. I am sure the train crew at the least got shook up and maybe banged around a bit, it was moving enough to cause a jolt I am sure.
Not good.
The switch stand shows how the switch was aligned.
The engine was running around the train on the passing siding to get to the other end. My guess is that the MOW crew never put the switch back in position. However, that does not excuse the steam engine crew from verifying the switch position.
I take back my statement about the engineer not being able to see the position of the switch. The switch stand is clearly visible on the engineer’s side of the locomotive…
No one is error free, you will incorrectly tie your shoes one out of a thousand times. Accident prevention requires multiple barriers.
Part of the problem was the conductor at least and maybe the engineer I can't really tell in the video, was hanging out the window waving to the people in the coaches. I realize they meant well, but ultimately it's the crews responsibility to make sure the track ahead is clear and lined. Restricted yard speed States being able to stop in half the distance of sight.
I think I see an engineer shortage for future runs... That was painful to watch! The shop will certainly be busy for a spell fixing that!
I feel sorry for the engineer. He must feel terrible about it.
The question is whether there has been any structural damage to the boiler itself. That would require inspection and possibly testing of the boiler in addition to repairs to the smokebox, pilot or cylinders.
Has there been any report on injuries? Very sad to see.
MELGAR
I didn't see any people around the MOW equipment, hopefully nobody got hit when that stuff moved. The train crew looked like they were OK, just not the front of the locomotive!
I just realized that the MOW was on a spur off the passing siding and the switch was thrown to go straight. I suspect the MOW people left the switch in that position and the train crew wasn't looking. At this point I leave it to investigators to figure out.
@bigkid posted:I just realized that the MOW was on a spur off the passing siding and the switch was thrown to go straight. I suspect the MOW people left the switch in that position and the train crew wasn't looking. At this point I leave it to investigators to figure out.
I don't think it will take super sleuth investigators to come to those conclusions either...
Yes. Too bad. Crap happens and you just second guess one's self.
Glad everyone is safe. Thats number one. You can always repair/rebuild a train if its insured. Hope they can get it fixed up soon!
This just stinks all the way around… I hope everything turns out ok in the end…
From a mechanical standpoint I’m kind of surprised at the way the smoke box front failed. I would assume it would be made of sheet steel, but it appeared to crack like cast iron would… I would have expected it to bend/tear…
I don't really have much additional insight except to question what expectation the crew had of the switch being lined correctly. Yes they should have been looking as well but were they aware that there could be any issue.
One question though, does anybody know if 475 is superheated. Couldn't find anything online in a quick search,
@Steaming Jon posted:This just stinks all the way around… I hope everything turns out ok in the end…
From a mechanical standpoint I’m kind of surprised at the way the smoke box front failed. I would assume it would be made of sheet steel, but it appeared to crack like cast iron would… I would have expected it to bend/tear…
No, the smoke box front is cast iron, NOT sheet steel.
I know the door would be cast. I assumed the rest would have been steel sheet, but I was wrong…
How does one find that part to replace it? I'm assuming the local locomotive shop doesn't stock those! 
I would think they might be able to weld the pieces back together good enough to make a pattern to cast a new one??
It is a good thing the angle of the arm prevented it from going past the pettycoat pipe. I imagine the screens and nozzle are a mess.
Wasn't there a second one on static display somewhere? Or am I thinking of another class?
Jon 
@Steaming Jon posted:I would think they might be able to weld the pieces back together good enough to make a pattern to cast a new one??
Welding cast iron is NOT easy, especially a piece, or pieces, that size. They will simply have a new one cast. The Strasburg Shop is VERY resourceful.
Very sad. Whenever a tourist RR has an accident, it brings more scrutiny. Bad press is always worse for a non-profit.
This isn't a job for JB Weld and a 3-D printer, that's for sure.
I watch that cam all the time. The SRR has been replacing the interchange siding with NS west of the highway overpass. The excavator has been parked on that short spur in front of the old wreck crane for several weeks.
Looks like an unfortunate instance of complacency by the engine crew since that switch is rarely ever moved. The MOW crew has some explaining to do. Fortunately no one was hurt.
Sad to see 475 get punched right in the nose.....
Bob
@gunrunnerjohn posted:How does one find that part to replace it? I'm assuming the local locomotive shop doesn't stock those!
Ah come on.....that'll buff out......🤣🤣🤣🤣
Seems blame is being cast on the MOW crew - could it have been vandalism though? Just wondering.
A different view with sound... OUCH
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