Western Railroad Discussion > Remember Duffy ST and SP Cajon Derailment? (PHOTO 2007)

Well I guess almost twenty years is enough to forget "what happened"....May 12, 1989 when a 69 car Southern Pacific freight train came down Cajon Pass out of control and jumped the tracks on a curve doing an estimated 90 MPH, crashing into the residential neighborhood alongside the tracks. This past fall, and friend and I sought out Duffy ST. We expected the promised park to be there, but instead found empty land, with the exception of this new house being constructed right smack dab in the middle. You wanted to go up to the door and knock, asking, "Do you know what happened here 20 years ago??"

Then you would recommend along with the customary smoke detectors and CO monitors, some police gumball red lights wired directly into the Harriman Center....with placards reading..."When light lights...run...out the FRONT DOOR!!! DO NOT RUN OUT THE BACK DOOR!!"

David Harrison

---

I wonder if the gas pipline is still there?

Probably too dangerous for a park! It's a wonder more of the neighborhood wasn't taken out.

Map attached

Fred Harrison
Central Point, OR
CORPpower/JSS/EORS

---

The accident scene is at the bottom of the map (South). Google satellite gets in closer. Nice info.

David Harrison

DHarrison Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The accident scene is at the bottom of the map
> (South). Google satellite gets in closer. Nice
> info.


Correct David, here is the pinpoint location of your original thread photo a la Google Maps from the tragic '89 derailment:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=2350+Duffy+St,+San+Bernardino,+San+Bernardino,+California+92407,+United+States&sll=34.137383,-117.343855&sspn=0.010088,0.015492&ie=UTF8&ll=34.137366,-117.344198&spn=0.010088,0.015492&t=h&z=16&iwloc=addr&om=1

David, was that picture taken last Sunday of the Trona train? If it was, I was running and it was the OTNLB-21. Any more pics of it?-BMT

OliveHeights Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wonder if the gas pipline is still there?


It sure is. In fact, according to this link, they are adding a second pipeline to increase capacity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calnev_Pipeline

UPNW2-1083 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> David, was that picture taken last Sunday of the
> Trona train? If it was, I was running and it was
> the OTNLB-21. Any more pics of it?-BMT

No, sorry. This shot was back in September, 2007. Around when Athearn had their 60th Anniversary Sale. Here's the head end. You'd never forget that graffitied loco.

David Harrison

---

Thanks for correcting that location. Something bounced the location I sent in further north on Duffy Road. My apologies. The accident happened just north of West Highland Ave.

Fred Harrison
Central Point, OR
CORPpower/JSS/EORS

OliveHeights Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wonder if the gas pipline is still there?

It is Still there and that's why The City of San Bernardino has declared this spot a no build zone.
I remember this day vividly
7:41 AM 5-12-89 MJLBP1 12 put six engines (4 on the head end and 2 on the rear) and 69 cars on the ground, also SP's first Kodachrome SD45 (7551) was destroyed in this wreck.
The Cause was that the Train was almost 8200 tons instead of the 6151 tons as it was supposed to be along with only two of the six units had operative Dynamic Brakes (one on the head end and one on the helper)
Espee payed out hugely for this along with Cal-Nev Pipelines (owner of the gas line at the time)