Western Railroad Discussion > Today's Tehachapi (Rowen Siding) Derailment Clean Up.

The Union Pacific's Contractor got a big jump on Clean up today. Possible late afternoon Blizzard Expected to hit the Mt. Snow Levels as low as 1500ft are Predicted. Tuesday morning would be excellent for pictures at the World Famous Loop. Currently Tehachapi has received 6 inches of Snow.. Pretty good Blizzard this afternoon. Almost as good as the Christmas day storm of 2008.


Chadmatcablesidng (Tehachapi Local)

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Were those loads or empties that went on their sides?

SPB

SPB Wrote:
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> Were those loads or empties that went on their
> sides?

Empties

All Cars where Empty, as far as we heard.

Ooh... does this mean Coast Detours? Or is that just wishful thinking? :)

Was this the M RICBAR or a unit vehicle train? I have heard differing reports... Any one know?

Mr MRL one spot closer to a return?

Pulling a little too hard ?

BrooklynHauler Wrote:
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> Mr MRL one spot closer to a return?


Hey, It's a tough way to go, but...

In all seriousness, the crew will most likely get a slap on the wrist, but I seriously doubt any discharge.

Mr. MRL - still warmin' up in the bullpen...

I have photos of the same thing in the same spot 15 years ago.

To clear things up, the crew was NOT at fault.

NEEBAR Wrote:
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> To clear things up, the crew was NOT at fault.


Even better for them. No one needs time off before the holidays...

Mr. MRL

NEEBAR Wrote:
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> To clear things up, the crew was NOT at fault.

If this was caused by improper train makeup, how can they not take the blame? When I worked the Cajon sub., as a conductor, it was my responsibility to get a wheel report(train list) and make sure my train was in compliance. If I left town out of compliance, it was my fault, not the trainmaster or yard crew or anyone elses for that matter. BNSF has a compliance flow chart that has train make up restrictions for mountain grades, and the Cajon and Mojave subs. are specifically listed. If the train profile and wheel report are accurate and the conductor does his/her job properly, problems like this wouldn't happen. Several times I had to switch my train out to make it compliant, and this has to be done prior to departing the terminal. Again, I don't know what caused this particular incident, but if it was improper train makeup, then the crew would be to blame.

From the position of those cars in the photos nothing looks bad as far as train make up goes. Just a case of long wheelbases in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Not knowing I'd also assume the train was making a restart? Are those articulated racks noted for instability?

Andy

After researching the M RICBAR1 03A, the train makeup was 100% in compliance. The train departed Bakersfield at only 4585 tons total with only a half dozen or so heavy loads spread out in the rear half of the train. Definitely not a train makeup issue!

Loads first out, mty's on rear of train. could have saved this wreck!

What caused the gash in the auto rack that is still on the rails? Did they scrap a tunnel, derailed slightly, but stayed upright until Rowen? There seems to be a compression of the roof line on the auto rack ahead of the auto rack with the gash.

Look at yesterdays post....it looks like the crew has already righted those two racks (on their sides in yesterdays photo)

Those are rerailed from the wreck and the gash is probably from a telegraph pole that the car slide down into. upkpfan

NEEBAR Wrote:
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> To clear things up, the crew was NOT at fault.


Here is what was sent to me:

CPUC staff reviewed the locomotive event recorder with a UP manager at the site. It appears that the engineer attempted to start his train up a 2.11% grade, after having initiated the locomotive consists’ Auto Start function. The engineer had also brought online the remaining two locomotives that were not in operation prior to arriving at Rowen, increasing the tractive effort over the allowable for this location.

To begin the Auto Start function, the locomotive reverser lever must be put into the forward mode, and left for two minutes - to ensure that the function has started on each of the online locomotives, in this case all five engines. The engineer waited 1 minute and 37 seconds before increasing the throttle to run 2. As the engine power increased, the engineer put the throttle into run four. In the attempt to pull the 7,147 feet long train upgrade, and out of the siding, the Auto Start abruptly cut in, causing the train to lurch forward, subsequently stretching the cars across the 10º curve and onto their side on the inside of the left hand curve at the south end of Rowen.


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