Passenger Trains > Derailment near Union station in Chicago. Possibly 49

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Amtrak-Train-Derails-in-Chicago-417198143.html

Status maps shows 49 sitting at North end of the yard in service disruption.

Posted from iPhone

Magliari dutifully deploys the circumlocution "lost contact with the rail," in lieu of "derailed."

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

In Canada and can't open link.  I can however watch it live on Facebook.  

No doubt it's No. 49, based on both the TV video and the story reporting, which states it was a "Boston-Chicago" train.

Just saw video on the noon newscast on WGN-TV. From the consist you can definitely tell it is 49.

Looks like a truck or something got hung up in the puzzle switches at Taylor St. and three cars (two Amfleet II coaches and an Amfleet II lounge) would up zig-zagged in the plant. Did not appear any Viewliners were involved. 

​Metra reported one train that had already been lined up for depature was delayed while it backed into the station and got a new lineup around the incident. They expect no further delays as there are multiple routes through the interlocking around the site.

​Depending on what's available off the RIP for replacements, 48 could possibly have Horizon cars in place of the three affected cars this evening. If 48 runs at all, that is.

​NZ

They will just borrow a few cars from the Cardinal consist today to put together a 48. And then they will figure out how to shuffle a car or two into the Cardinal consist that departs tomorrow. They might short the LSL one Coach today and tomorrow, if no spares are available in Chicago.

http://abc7chicago.com/news/amtrak-train-derails-near-union-station/1820544/

First I've heard this phrase from the media haha
All of the passengers were moved to the unaffected cars and the derailed cars were unbuckled. The train then went back to Union Station.

Spoony81 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> http://abc7chicago.com/news/amtrak-train-derails-n
> ear-union-station/1820544/
>
> First I've heard this phrase from the media haha
> All of the passengers were moved to the unaffected
> cars and the derailed cars were unbuckled. The
> train then went back to Union Station.

Computer auto-correction at its best.

Frame from NBC video

---

Go ahead.  Pick a switch, any switch.

Then again, some media don't know one passenger railroad from another,
and can't get facts straight about whether any passengers were in
the derailed coaches:

> CHICAGO (WLS) --
>
> An Amtrak train has derailed near Union Station Monday morning.
>
> Several cars of the Metra train derailed in the 1400-block of South
> Lumber Street at an Amtrak Rail Yard.
>
> There were no passengers in the cars that jumped the tracks and no
> injuries have been reported.

One of the effected cars in the photo is the glorious 48/49 food service car:  if there was any damage to that, it would be harder to substitute.  But, as always, glad for no injuries, no overturns, etc etc.

 

Sure looks alot like a Metra train!  No wonder there is so much "fake" news around. Reporters can't even get the very basic of facts straight. 

I'm surprised there weren't some injuries with the shaking up of the cars.

(In NJ or FL, the place would be crawling with personal injury lawyers. Business cards would be dropping from helicopters.)

RevRandy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One of the effected cars in the photo is the
> glorious 48/49 food service car:  if there was
> any damage to that, it would be harder to
> substitute.  But, as always, glad for no
> injuries, no overturns, etc etc.
>
Actually, that's NOT the 'glorious' food service car.  That is the business class/lounge car from Boston.  The imitation diner is just ahead of the New York sleepers on the rear.

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sure looks alot like a Metra train!  No wonder
> there is so much "fake" news around. Reporters
> can't even get the very basic of facts straight. 

Looks like Amtrak to me 

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm surprised there weren't some injuries with the
> shaking up of the cars.
>
> (In NJ or FL, the place would be crawling with
> personal injury lawyers. Business cards would be
> dropping from helicopters.)

It's Chicago. They don't use helicopters; there is a lawyer business card dispenser in every car of the train.

TAW

Have to respectfully disagree with you, BRAtkinson -- as you will see from the attached photo, the "food service" car that was only slightly derailed (only slightly failed to keep contact with the rails) is right in front of the two NY sleepers .... by the time this photo was taken the Boston baggage car, Boston sleeper, the lounge/business class car, and one coach had been uncoupled and taken into Union Station, carrying all of the passengers therein.  

BRAtkinson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> RevRandy Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > One of the effected cars in the photo is the
> > glorious 48/49 food service car:  if there was
> > any damage to that, it would be harder to
> > substitute.  But, as always, glad for no
> > injuries, no overturns, etc etc.
> >
> Actually, that's NOT the 'glorious' food service
> car.  That is the business class/lounge car from
> Boston.  The imitation diner is just ahead of the
> New York sleepers on the rear.

---

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Then again, some media don't know one passenger
> railroad from another,
> and can't get facts straight about whether any
> passengers were in
> the derailed coaches:
>
> > CHICAGO (WLS) --
> >
> > An Amtrak train has derailed near Union Station
> Monday morning.
> >
> > Several cars of the Metra train derailed in the
> 1400-block of South
> > Lumber Street at an Amtrak Rail Yard.
> >
> > There were no passengers in the cars that jumped
> the tracks and no
> > injuries have been reported.

THERE WERE NO PASSENGERS IN THE CARS - thus wouldn't that mean that this train was merely backing up to head to the yard and be serviced? Otherwise that means the Boston section had no passengers in its coaches to Chicago. Also (I'd have to look at the picture again), but this was the Boston cafe car that derailed, Boston Amfleet II, and likely NYC Amfleet II.

Not sure what's involved or how quickly wheels can be changed out, but the Boston cafe can seek another cafe our of Chicago. This then puts the Lake Shore down two Amfleet II cars. Amtrak will likely do a rob Peter to pay Paul. That is, the Amfleet cafe car will get replaced with something Chicago has lying around and they will rob two Amfleet II cars from the Cardinal. As to what happens tomorrow, Tuesday when the Carinal and Lake Shore consists head back East, that will likely depend on what Chicago has around or if the Capitol Limited or Lake Shore deadhead some Amfleet II's to Chicago to make up for what gets used Monday night.

Interesting that derailments happen within "days" of each other at Chicago and NYP where there is a maze of tracks, switches, and lots of train movements. Don't get me wrong, I think it is just a coincidence, but goes to show how fragile this maze of rail is.  

And as for reporting, check out what the Chicago Tribune reported about the route of 49:

"Amtrak advertises the daily route from New York's Penn Station to Union Station as a 19-hour journey aboard the Lake Shore Limited. It goes through Albany, through the Berkshires and into Boston before Cleveland, Toledo, Ohio, and South Bend, Ind."