Western Railroad Discussion > UP-BNSF Collision in Texas

There is a report of a UP-BNSF collision south of Houston, TX, but not sure of the exact location. Reportedly the UP train got past a signal and a BNSF train with two NS leaders went into the side of the UP train. PTC on the BNSF train kicked into too late to get the train stopped in time. BNSF crew rode it out and only had some bumps and scrapes.

PS Update; Appears to be between LaWard and Lolita, TX. Where the busy spur from the Formosa Plastics plant joins the UP line between Houston and Corpus Christi.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/23/21 03:43 by funnelfan.

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Thanks for the images and mishap info, Ted.  Close call for the crew.  Glad they're OK.

No PTC on the UP job or was it a restricted speed thing? Be interesting to find out. Glad the crews are OK.

M.P. 247.5 Angleton Sub.

Glad no one was seriously hurt.

No UP train involved. Plant switch crew ran out onto UP main.

Posted from iPhone

Bad timing.  PTC wouldn't help there, as it was undoubtedly not setup while on plant trackage.  On BNSF, a fair number of new control points for industries have power derails to help prevent incidents like this.

RCO pull back that went badly?? I've seen it a bunch of times.

Formosa used to be served in the beginning off the Alco Point comfort and Northen Railroad and after a few years Fromsa did a build out to the UP of there own of about 10 or so miles of track to the UP Brownsville Sub.  This was some time around 1989 or into early 1990s

wharfrat Wrote:
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> RCO pull back that went badly?? I've seen it a
> bunch of times.

I’m thinking something like this, or otherwise a movement or cut that got away.

Having been to this area a bunch of times I can attest that this is a heavy-duty spur that leads to multiple yards and plants, plus the connection to the main itself is a control point. Someone on the Formosa spur (quite literally) fouled up.

Posted from iPhone

Any idea what number the leader was?

Eng.Shadetree

Wow.

Somebody has some explaining to do.

When did it happen? Any link to the news?

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

If you look at the are via Google Satellite Maps, you ll see two covered hoppers discarded along side the northern N/S yard, one of which is badly damaged, acordian style. 

Roadrailer Wrote:
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> If you look at the are via Google Satellite Maps,
> you ll see two covered hoppers discarded along
> side the northern N/S yard, one of which is badly
> damaged, acordian style. 

Really?  Fresh pix from Google earth?  Most are not new.

BAB Wrote:
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> Roadrailer Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If you look at the are via Google Satellite
> Maps,
> > you ll see two covered hoppers discarded along
> > side the northern N/S yard, one of which is
> badly
> > damaged, acordian style. 
>
> Really?  Fresh pix from Google earth?  Most are
> not new.

Those hoppers look like there were involved in a VERY hard joint in the yard, unrelated to this incident.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

pedrop Wrote:
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> When did it happen? Any link to the news?

From what I heard on FB. It was a low speed collision and wasnt news worthy for media heads.
Had it been high speed + explosions + mass chaos. Then it would be news worthy.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/24/21 12:50 by KB5WK.

KB5WK Wrote:
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> pedrop Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > When did it happen? Any link to the news?
>
> From what I heard on FB. It was a low speed
> collision and wasnt news worthy for media heads.
> Had it been high speed + explosions + mass chaos.
> Then it would be news worthy.

That also depends upon where it happens. It's the If a tree falls in the forest and there is nobody to hear it, does it make a noise thing. I had a one wheel (a little wide gauge problem) derailment on the waterfront in Seattle one night. There was a line of calls from news people (because the BN media guy was never available and just lef the Chief Dispatcher's number for all the media folks) demanding details on the train wreck. I finally told one of the local celebraties to go find a semi with a flat tire, the story is about the same.

TAW

KB5WK Wrote:
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> pedrop Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > When did it happen? Any link to the news?
>
> From what I heard on FB. It was a low speed
> collision and wasnt news worthy for media heads.
> Had it been high speed + explosions + mass chaos.
> Then it would be news worthy.

Probably because it occurred in the middle-of-nowhere on a lightly travelled 2 lane road. (Apologies to the dozen of homes in LaWard and Lolita).

https://www.facebook.com/137182870879/photos/a.397861360879/10157622198900880