Western Railroad Discussion > RE: GWWR Collision

I talked to a GWWR engineer who stated that on Friday night the Slater, MO. local parked their engine on the stub track just north of the main line and next to a grain elevator. The locals brakeman left the switch open when they went off duty about 7:30 pm. At approx. 11:00 pm. a westbound train came through slater at 37 mph.
An old U-Boat was on the lead. When they saw the red target on the switch, which is in Track Warrant Control Territory, they threw it in emergency. They collided at 32 mph. The engine that was parked on the stubb now looks like a flat car and the U-Boat went on to climb a concrete wall that was next to the track and part of the old elevator. The engineer was slightly injured and the conductor was severely injured and had to undergo surgery.
The conductor of the local was near retirement, im sure he will get an early retirement.
Bryan-ex GWWR Conductor

Bryan,thanks for the info, I too am ex-GWWR. Left there in 96, worked out of E.St.Louis. You would think that after the terrible accident at Alma,Mo. in 1995 the GWWR would adopt a T.W.C. system similiar to the bnsf. The bn track-warrants have a line 20 that instructs you to be prepared to stop at a certain switch that is open. Thanks again.

Well, I would think it would be Gateway Western policy to make sure that switch IS lined back BEFORE they clear the track warrant. I doubt this is a case such as on the BNSF when you're talking about 8000 plus feet of train that the man would have to walk or get a reverse move to line up behind...after all, it was just a local.

I feel sorry for that brakeman on the local, this will be a terrible thing to deal with for the remainder of his life. Hope the conductor on the thru train comes thru OK....

Chilli, you would have to be familiar with the gwwr, the common practice of lining the siding-switch,pulling your train in the clear,sitting on your lazy ass & letting the opposing train stop their train & close the m/l switch. Unless things have changed since 1996, you can clear your warrant with the switch open behind you. As I said before, after the deadly 1995 accident you would think that they would have changed their track-warrants to include a line 20 & 21. Then again,that would mean spending a few $ to replace their track-warrant books. The place was a joke in 96, some things never change!!

I thought the GWRR / KCS was governed by the GCOR Book, and in that you MUST be clear of the main track and switches lined back before giving that warrant back.

If it's done otherwise on the GWRR / KCS, I would suggest you will see that rule modified first thing Monday morning.

Too bad things like this have to happen before something is corrected.
But then again, the rule book is "written in blood" as my rules instructor on the WP said three decades ago...