CSX Pope Creek Branch (Maryland) Wreck photos

I concur with your judgment that the engineer was lucky.  Thanks for the photos.

These washout derailments make me think that the railroads should take greater care to inspect their right of way after heavy rains.  The cost of the clean up and repair/replacement of equipment must surely be more expensive then the extra cost of the inspections before disaster hits.

Stuart

Thanks for posting. I wanted to see the scene but figured it would be difficult to access.

Was it heading North or South? If it was going south I figured it would be difficult to reach the engines with the heavy lift wreckers.

Do you think the heavy rain caused a washout?

Sam

Recent weather events have been dramatic on top of a long winter that saw temperatures lower than normal.  Some areas not real familiar with the freeze/thaw cycles (part of a harsh winter) and what it does to weaken road beds may be part of the problem. IMO.

The train was heading south.  For Chalk Point or Morgantown, I don't know.  The actual site was very inaccessible.  The water in the photo is a pond/swamp on the west side of the road.  The Collington Branch stream is on the east side of the road.  The washout was apparently at the location of a culvert under the track.  When I was there, there were beaver swimming in the pond and a CSX person asked me "do you have a beaver problem around here."  (I answered yes).   We had had about 4-inches of rain in about 36 hours.   CSX built a gravel road across someone's lawn to get to the site.  Washington Gas was also on site, as there is a gas line along the ROW.  There were two environmental companies on site and three ladies from Tri-State Bird Rescue out of Delaware who said they were on retainer from CSX to monitor the wildlife.  RJ Corman had heavy equipment on site in less than eight hours.  Portable johns, cleaning stations, generator and lights, etc..  A very impressive piece of work.  I understand a south bound drag went through this afternoon.    The locomotives had to have two couplers replaced and one wheel had to be changed out before they could be moved to Benning yard.

Bob