Western Railroad Discussion > #11 stopped at Salem due to a derailment near K Falls.

I just got off the phone with a friend at the Salem depot. Number 11 had departed, and they had to stop within a mile due to an elderly passenger that did not de-board in Salem, and that was her stop. They tried for some time to get in contact with the DS for permission to do a reverse move. When the DS did respond on the radio, he told #11 to call someone/something that sounded like “CKNOX” , or “CNOX” (this may be incorrect spelling, it was just heard on the radio) regarding a derailment. This was before #11 was able to request the reverse movement. It turns out that #11 was going back to Salem due to the derailment. At Salem they were going to let all of the people off going as far as Eugene to catch a ride on #507. The rest were going back to Portland, where #11 was going to stay. I assume they will bus the poor passengers. It sounds like the derailment is down by Klamath Falls. Anyone know who/what CKNOX is?

73,

Jim.

OK, I just heard an update on the radio. 38 cars on the ground at Modoc Point, OR.

Jim.

The DS must have been referring to CNOC, Amtrak's Consolidated National Operations Center, in Wilmington DE. Initial reports indicate 38 cars on the ground near Modoc Point with no ETA.

SCAXEngr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The DS must have been referring to CNOC, Amtrak's
> Consolidated National Operations Center, in
> Wilmington DE. Initial reports indicate 38 cars
> on the ground near Modoc Point with no ETA.


Thanks!! I was close the "C" is next to the "X" on the keyboard.

Jim

Trifecta!

X4449 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OK, I just heard an update on the radio. 38 cars
> on the ground at Modoc Point, OR.


Yikes!

Link to a set of photos I came across via another website...

http://www.hobby-tronics.com/trainwreck/

It looks like I chose a good time to go on vacation. :-)

BTW, train appears to be the QPWRV-23 with 68 loads, 37 mtys, 9092 tons, 6872 feet and some really bad train make-up (but legal under UP rules).

Looks like they were too late for tie replacement there.

Sam Reeves
—
http://www.samreevesphoto.com

F40PHR231 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Link to a set of photos I came across via another
> website...
>
> http://www.hobby-tronics.com/trainwreck/


Good info. Don't understand the idea that the rear DPU's continued to push, supposedly this would only occur if the trainline had not opened up. That would be pretty strange if the cars all fell over but stayed connected.
Sure glad they fixed that tie problem before anything bad happened.

Caption for photo #4: A UP crewman standing on a pile of ties removed only this morning.
Caption for photo #5: You can see from this view the new ties with rail attached have slid down the bank towards the lake.

TCnR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> F40PHR231 Wrote:

> Good info. Don't understand the idea that the rear
> DPU's continued to push, supposedly this would
> only occur if the trainline had not opened up.
> That would be pretty strange if the cars all fell
> over but stayed connected.


It's called 20 second PC knockdown. It will go into emergency, but still remain in power for 20 seconds.

We tied down at Crescent Lake and CSS'd it to K Falls. The side-booms were rolling in from the north and south.

My hat's off to Scott! Nice work!

Yarddog

OK, isn't "snap track" what the modelers use? We always called them track panels - what are you going to "snap" with 39 feet of rail and 24 wooden ties?

If this was recently worked track (sounds like that morning), wonder if the tamper had been over it yet? Voids on the inside of the curve from tie removal/replacement do occur, and if it hadn't been reballasted and tamped, might have caused this oopsie. Speculation, speculation, speculation....

OK, and you haven't done that when you pass a wreck on the highway?

> -----
>
> It's called 20 second PC knockdown. It will go
> into emergency, but still remain in power for 20
> seconds.
>



Thanks for the explanation, sure makes a big mess in 20 seconds, looks like some of the other cars held together, probably due to the slow speed and just walked away.
Big mess, sounds like it could have been worse, the track people often stand nearby and watch the first train to cross, could have been trapped between the track and the lake or stuck in the mud with no where to go, doesn't sound like that happened. Also would have been a big mess if 'something' got into the lake, doesn't sound like that happened either.
Heard the 'other' RR driving out to check things out last night, maybe some more photos?

It was very impressive! The way the cars were leaning over, the way the track looked like a roller coaster track, the subtle sounds of Klamath Lake lapping at the shore and the tops of the cars makes my thoughts that much more enjoyable while I sit here and rot in Klamath Falls waiting to go back to Eugene.

Yarddog

Yardmaster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It was very impressive! The way the cars were
> leaning over, the way the track looked like a
> roller coaster track, the subtle sounds of Klamath
> Lake lapping at the shore and the tops of the cars
> makes my thoughts that much more enjoyable while I
> sit here and rot in Klamath Falls waiting to go
> back to Eugene.
>
> Yarddog


Be happy that the Mods are gone.

I hope that infact they realize that it wasen't the bad track at all, but those stupid DPUs that they just put back into service. Maybe its one more step to taking them away agian (or at least I can dream). Last report I got was they were planning on opening the main by 10 PM tonight.

-------------------------------------------------------
> ... those stupid DPUs ...

If it's related to the DPU's, they'll blame the train crew, just like with the RCL's. I can see a number of factors but it's not our call, this whole mess could reflect on the crew and their careers, my $0.02 says we should wait for something from the powers that be.