Western Railroad Discussion > Second BNSF derailment in Washington

Empty grain apparently hit a tractor-trailer at a crossing. About three miles east of Mabton, WA.

https://www.yaktrinews.com/train-derails-near-mabton-second-washington-derailment-in-2-days/

Bad stuff often comes in threes...

Stay safe!!

Posted from Android

"The BNSF train was traveling from Yakima County toward Benton County when for as-yet unknown reasons three engines and several cars went off the tracks."  Well let's see,I know it's a stretch, but maybe hitting a tractor trailer rig hauling a piece of farm machinery just might have something to do with it? 

I wouldn't want to go for that ride in the locomotives.  Glad there were no serious injuries. 

Did the paper get that right? The truck hit the train?  Yeah, you can't fix stupid.

The semi-truck driver won't be able to use the excuse "I couldn't see."

This afternoons radio reports are saying the truck hit the train.  Guess this will be clear at a later time.
RB

PHall Wrote:
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> Did the paper get that right? The truck hit the
> train?  Yeah, you can't fix stupid.

That scenario IS within the realm of possibility. I've had that happen, not once but twice.

Chico43 Wrote:
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> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Did the paper get that right? The truck hit the
> > train?  Yeah, you can't fix stupid.
>
> That scenario IS within the realm of possibility.
> I've had that happen, not once but twice.

You would figure that big orange locomotives would not be that hard to see.

Photos from the Yakima County Sheriffs Office show the train hit the truck.  The semi cab and part of the trailer are on one side of the crossing and the load plus the other half of the trailer are on the opposite side.  BNSF 4122 leader and two trailing units on the ground plus 7 empty hoppers well past the crossing.

There have been several derailments from tractor trailer strikes in the past year, even the past decade. It appears CDL's are being handed out like Halloween candy and derailing trains with trucks is turning into a national past time. 

Pictures
 

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NS19K Wrote:
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> There have been several derailments from tractor
> trailer strikes in the past year, even the past
> decade. It appears CDL's are being handed out like
> Halloween candy and derailing trains with trucks
> is turning into a national past time. 

Truck drivers have been very hard to come up with for trucking companies. One driver told me the outfit that hired him said "...if they can fog a mirror, we'll hire 'em!" Used to be if you wanted to learn to drive a class-8 truck, the training to get a CDL was quite extensive and not an easy test to pass. That has all apparently (obviously?) changed.

dash944cw Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NS19K Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > There have been several derailments from
> tractor
> > trailer strikes in the past year, even the past
> > decade. It appears CDL's are being handed out
> like
> > Halloween candy and derailing trains with
> trucks
> > is turning into a national past time. 
>
> Truck drivers have been very hard to come up with
> for trucking companies. One driver told me the
> outfit that hired him said "...if they can fog a
> mirror, we'll hire 'em!" Used to be if you wanted
> to learn to drive a class-8 truck, the training to
> get a CDL was quite extensive and not an easy test
> to pass. That has all apparently (obviously?)
> changed.

Hard to find quality people to drive truck. Low pay, long hours, compaines treat you poorly, and police treat you like a criminal.
When I was a driver trainer, I couldn't believe the people they hired. My boss told me the personnel office told him, if the person has a class a license, they can drive a truck.
A couple guy's I wouldn't let leave the yard. One person could not get the truck in gear for three light changes. Another tired to down shift and couldn't get it back in gear going down the grape vine.
Glad I'm retired.

I think a couple of your trainees passed me on the Grapevine more than once, and I was doing 70 in the #1 lane. I got my Class 1 (A) in 1979 when I worked for SP. I let it expire in 1995 and never looked back.

needles_sub Wrote:
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> dash944cw Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > NS19K Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > There have been several derailments from
> > tractor
> > > trailer strikes in the past year, even the
> past
> > > decade. It appears CDL's are being handed out
> > like
> > > Halloween candy and derailing trains with
> > trucks
> > > is turning into a national past time. 
> >
> > Truck drivers have been very hard to come up
> with
> > for trucking companies. One driver told me the
> > outfit that hired him said "...if they can fog
> a
> > mirror, we'll hire 'em!" Used to be if you
> wanted
> > to learn to drive a class-8 truck, the training
> to
> > get a CDL was quite extensive and not an easy
> test
> > to pass. That has all apparently (obviously?)
> > changed.
>
> Hard to find quality people to drive truck. Low
> pay, long hours, compaines treat you poorly, and
> police treat you like a criminal.
> When I was a driver trainer, I couldn't believe
> the people they hired. My boss told me the
> personnel office told him, if the person has a
> class a license, they can drive a truck.
> A couple guy's I wouldn't let leave the yard. One
> person could not get the truck in gear for three
> light changes. Another tired to down shift and
> couldn't get it back in gear going down the grape
> vine.
> Glad I'm retired.

Judging by that pic...the truck 100% got high-centered on the tracks and did not 'run into the train'.  Dumb dumb dumb...

sp8192 Wrote:
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> Judging by that pic...the truck 100% got
> high-centered on the tracks and did not 'run into
> the train'.  Dumb dumb dumb...

Phillips Rd. crossing looks pretty flat in StreetView, high center seems unlikely.

I also couldn't help noticing that there are STOP signs in front of the crossbucks at the Phillips Rd. crossing.  (at least as of Oct 2008 when street view went through)

SooGuy64 Wrote:
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> Photos from the Yakima County Sheriffs Office show
> the train hit the truck.  The semi cab and part
> of the trailer are on one side of the crossing and
> the load plus the other half of the trailer are on
> the opposite side.  BNSF 4122 leader and two
> trailing units on the ground plus 7 empty hoppers
> well past the crossing.

Ok take another look if the truck HIT the train then the cab would be destroyed it is NOT. In fact there is little damage to it as the pin probably broke off from the fifth wheel plate when the engine hit the trailer.  

BAB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SooGuy64 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Photos from the Yakima County Sheriffs Office
> show
> > the train hit the truck.  The semi cab and
> part
> > of the trailer are on one side of the crossing
> and
> > the load plus the other half of the trailer are
> on
> > the opposite side.  BNSF 4122 leader and two
> > trailing units on the ground plus 7 empty
> hoppers
> > well past the crossing.
>
> Ok take another look if the truck HIT the train
> then the cab would be destroyed it is NOT. In fact
> there is little damage to it as the pin probably
> broke off from the fifth wheel plate when the
> engine hit the trailer.  

Did you reply to the right post?

Knowing nothing myself, I would assume that very few trucking companies have the insurance to pay for putting three locomotives on the ground. Those of you who are more knowledgable about this sort of thing, please educate me.