Nostalgia & History > Infamous day on the SP Coast Line - May 24, 1981

There is one TO member who know's exactly what happened to one of the trains on this register (showing westbounds out of LA to both San Luis Obispo and Bakersfield).  It was nearly disasterous for the crew involved.  Anybody else, with a long memory, recall the incident?? 

In case it's hard to read here are the trains and crews:

7779 West - Conductor Kracht, engineer McKalson
9228 West - Shawver and Krueger
7201 West - Haskin and Bray
8309 West - DiMaggio and Fisher
8994 West - Irving (Toby) and Hagen
9365 West - Santos and Zieg
9054 West - McCallister and Woronovich
7311 West - Bunting and Jenkins (only train listed going to Bakersfield)

Allen

 

---

I remember if it is the same incident concerning the loaded sugar beet train. I was called for the train and was patched at Burbank Jct...by MCKalson..

Posted from Android

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?18,3271719,3274018#msg-3274018

West train went in the ditch in the sump between Elwood & Naples. account of an eartquake ?


Nudge

I think the earthquake derailment near Elwood was before 1980.  I worked it and was transfered to San Antonio in the fall of '80.
I think there was a 3-way derailment/collision at Surf about the time mentioned and a big derailment at Callendar too.

railstiesballast Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think the earthquake derailment near Elwood was
> before 1980.  I worked it and was transfered to
> San Antonio in the fall of '80.
> I think there was a 3-way derailment/collision at
> Surf about the time mentioned and a big derailment
> at Callendar too.

Santa Barbara earthquake - August 1978

Surf "mess" - April 1981

A link was provided,  but the infamous day was when the westbound beets, 7779 West, stalled in tunnel 26 account not enough horsepower and tractive effort.  Crew was "gassed".  The 7779 was a four axle B30-7.  The heavy beet trains should not have been assigned anything but 6 axle units.  The power was crap leaving Taylor Yard and the first crew never made it passed Burbank Jct. - that hoghead is here on TO.  It was the patch crew that got "gassed".  Engineer was off the extra board.

Allen
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/15 23:16 by bradleymckay.