This Would Make Your Day if You're a Railfan at the Scene!

I remember seeing those pics in an old issue of Trains Magazine.

Wow...not a good day on the SP thats for sure....

Chris

What's the big deal?  That happens on my layout almost every day.

Larry

........try and explain THAT to the yardmaster!

Thanks for posting; I hadn't seen this before (or don't remember?).

Have to wonder, what was the engine crew's excuse. "Didn't think we needed handbrakes on 'flat' track ..." ?

http://wikimapia.org/4392047/B...Vertical-Lift-Bridge

The Brazos bridge is a lift railway bridge with 98 feet of clearance above the Napa River.  The lift structure remains in the elevated position except when a train passes.  There is a fully furnished apartment atop the lift that provides accommodations for the bridge keeper.  Originally, built as a swing bridge, it was converted to a lift bridge.  On several occasions the bridge has not been in the proper position to receive trains, resulting in locomotives plunging into the river.  The regional railway utilizing the bridge has episodically been active and inactive.  The bridge was refurbished and reopened in 2009 in order to serve trains from the California Northern Railroad that accesses the railway system operated by the North Coast Railroad Authority and the Northwestern Pacific railroad near Schellville to the west.
 

In 1983 two Southern Pacific locomotives went into the Napa River here. www.nilesdepot.org/niles/wreck.html

Did SP get a HOT WAX with thier new train wash???

Well, there may be more to this story than meets the eye.  (Could have been some sort of bizarre mechanical failure?) However, from what I can see in the photo:

* A set of light engines. (NOT a difficult task to stop in time.)

* Good visibility approaching.

* Likely operating under the Restricted Speed rule.

Frankly, even though I'm an Engineer and would like to take up for him... this one looks to be all the Engineer's fault.

the crew wasn't aboard.  They tied down the engines and went for lunch, but an air leak bled off the brakes and they rolled into the drink.

In that case they failed to "properly secure" the locomotive consist.  A properly secured consist does not roll away. 

That information makes it easier to properly place who was at fault, for the Engineer in charge of the consist was also responsible for seeing that the consist was properly secured before being left unattended.

With the dire results of failing to properly secure the power... got a feeling a termination of the Engineer was the end result.

Guess the hand brake wasn't applied...

Chris

Was Gomez Addams watching?

I thought that was fairly self evident.

Only self evident once the fact was known that the engines were not manned.

Gomez Addams was in the cab!

I didn't feel the need to imply anything Wowak.  Originally was just curious about how the incident happened.   Was in a hurry when I viewed the pics and read some of the comments.  Overlooked some of the replies that were humorous one-liners... which must have included yours.  Nothing personal was intended at you, so no need to take it further or get your panties in a wad.

Andre