Train Derailment in Lackawanna county- caught on film!

I like the flying rail, looks like there was a track issue that started the mess.

Awesome video!  I bet that officer was surprised!

Yea, the flying rail …. wow!

I just saw the entire video of that train derailment from their local news program (I can't seem to get a url to post), and there was a CNJ ALCO RS-3 as part of the engine consist. Pretty cool little railroad, Delaware-Lackawanna is.

From RRArchives ….

Yea- nice collection of classic diesels they run. The CNJ RS-3 was what caught my eye too.

Gotta be a loose/ broken rail issue.

This is up by were my oldest brother lives, I'll have to message him to see if he heard about it.

In an interview I just read, the Police Chief sitting in that vehicle mentioned he's been watching trains on that line for 20 years.  He said something seemed out of the ordinary to him.   According to him he noticed a wheel on one of the trucks off the track, sort of dragging, and that particular railcar began rocking until the momentum carried it over off the track, taking the other cars with it.  That's also when he saw the rail snapping in his direction.

I just looked at the video. The first car that toppled was already on the ground when it entered the camera's view. The way that rail pops up makes me wonder what is the condition of the ties. Granted, there is a lot of force going where it should not, but I think the rail and ties should have stayed together an little better. Just my opinion.

Chris

LVHR

Just after the news clip swipes, and the hoppers are in view, you can see that the car with no graffiti has a wheel outside the rail.  On the longer clip, you can see that the locomotives (thank heaven!) and the wallboard flats were on the rail but several hoppers were bouncing along the ties with wheels down on the inside rail.  So, we really do not see the beginning of the derailment -- just the cars turning over.

Gunrunner John is probably on-target.  Poor tie condition, or loose or missing spikes, probably allowed a wide gauge situation to exist, and those heavy little hoppers dropped down inside the rail.  Or, there could have been a broken rail, although the engine crew would probably have heard it when the locomotives passed over it.  Why didn't the Alco locomotives derail?  Well, the gauge just had not become wide enough when they passed over the point of initial derailment, or if it was indeed a broken rail, the flanges of the engines and wallboard flats did not pick at it, but one hopper did, and the gauge was forced wider.

Why is she wearing a cocktail dress?

I worked this line for many years.  The 10 mph track speed tells me a lot about current track condition. Last I heard it was excepted track, but not positive if it still is.  The heavy sand trains are a daily occurrence on the line.  I agree that soft ties or loose spikes are probably to blame. I just watched the local news and it indicates that they are working around the clock to restore service. The DL is one busy little railroad and very customer oriented.  They will be back in business  very soon. 

BTW this stretch of track is said to be the oldest ROW in the country.  Rail was laid here for the original D&H gravity line before the B&O laid their first rails.   

Mill City posted:

Why is she wearing a cocktail dress?

She is a reporter.  Breaking news you go with what you have on.

Is this an omen against Fracking.....LOL

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I like the flying rail, looks like there was a track issue that started the mess.

After riding trains to work have my life I never saw rail that had been kicked out like that, I agree that track must have been in need of attention for some time I think, bad tie plates, rotten ties, spikes to lose? I can imagine the joking from this mess,  sand for fracking?

Dan Padova posted:

Is this an omen against Fracking.....LOL

I worked 30 years in the Oil fields and fracked approx. 100 wells and NO rail cars or track (also  dirt, grass , water and air) were damaged fracking those 100 wells.

CAPPilot posted:

Mill City posted:

Why is she wearing a cocktail dress?

She is a reporter.  Breaking news you go with what you have on.

Okay, let me rephrase the question. Why is she wearing an evening cocktail dress in the afternoon? Because this piece aired during the 5:00pm news, it can safely be assumed she was wearing this dress long before cocktail hour. I think it's a simple case of her not knowing any better...

Mill City posted:

CAPPilot posted:

Mill City posted:

Why is she wearing a cocktail dress?

She is a reporter.  Breaking news you go with what you have on.

Okay, let me rephrase the question. Why is she wearing an evening cocktail dress in the afternoon? Because this piece aired during the 5:00pm news, it can safely be assumed she was wearing this dress long before cocktail hour. I think it's a simple case of her not knowing any better...

Seriously??   We have a reporter who actually gets it right, ask the proper people the right questions, and just gives us the facts without hyperbole, and all you can do is ask about her clothes?

What do you mean she didn't know any better?  Maybe she was on her way to the studio, when she got called to head to the derailment. Checking WNEP website, she wears dresses most of the time when on air in the studio, and usually has pants and jackets when reporting in the field.

Anyway, does it really matter?  

Her contact info is on the WNEP news site.   Perhaps you can ask her about her clothing choices.

Actually, please call their dedicated feedback line and leave a voice message.  You might get on the air!

Talkback 16: 1-800-228-WNEP

She looked just fine to me ... 

Rusty

Conductor Earl posted:

I worked this line for many years.  The 10 mph track speed tells me a lot about current track condition. ….

Earl, I see that you are a long time conductor at Steamtown. I naively assumed that CNJ RS-3 1554 was owned by Steamtown. This isn't true? Delaware-Lackawanna loans her to Steamtown for certain activities or runs? Did Steamtown restore 1554, and then sell it to the D-L? Thanks, Jim

Mill City posted:

Why is she wearing a cocktail dress?

What's a "cocktail dress?" 

Steamtown contracts with the DL if there is an issue with motive power or overlapping excursions.  The ELDCPS also uses them.  I was very happy to have the chance to ride behind 1554 (in a CNJ coach, no less!) when the F units developed some electrical gremlins.  I expect this practice to be less common once NP 514 is back online.  

Basic black dress is a sensible choice for discerning railfans. 

The U.S.M.R.R. would have repaired this track in a day back in the 1860s ...

A day?  They woulda had trains running over that section before the evening news cast and gone dancing with the reporter at the ball that night.

Hey Jim,

All of the Alcos on the line are owned and maintained by the DL. Steamtown has been using several of DL units over the last few years while the NKP GP9,514 is getting refreshed.   

palallin posted:

A day?  They woulda had trains running over that section before the evening news cast...

That was my first thought.  The story said it "might take days to clean up"? 

I once saw a documentary about the 4449 and the 700 when they were still at the Brooklyn roundhouse. There was a story (with photos) told of when, during WW2, I think, Espee replaced the turntable at Brooklyn: with the help of a couple of "big lifts", they removed the old one, and put in a new one...in 45 minutes.

I know those were different times, but still...

Mark in Oregon

PS: Loved all those Alcos; didn't realize there were still that many around... 

Some reasons for her dress:

She might've anchored the Noon news that day.

She might be anchoring the 11PM cast.

She might be representing the station at a chamber event that evening.

She might be headed to a funeral.

Whatever she's up to, she did one of the best pieces of train journalism I've seen in a very long time... so watch for her as a rising star.

Jon

They can get Hulcher out there, re-rail the cars and haul them away, and drop in some track panels in a day.

With covered hoppers, they usually have to be unloaded before being turned right side up, and then all the spilled sand will need to be hauled off.  But they could have the line open within a day if it was deemed necessary.  Not sure how frequent traffic is on that line.