Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF Employee Crushed by Two Trains in Orange County, California

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/railroad-death-bnsf-railway-employee-worker-crushed-la-mirada-buena-park-orange-county/2540618/
https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2021/03/03/one-killed-after-2-freight-trains-converge-in-buena-park/
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/bnsf-employee-dies-after-being-crushed-between-2-trains-at-la-mirada-rail-yard/


Happened at La Mirada Yard overnight down on the very east end closer to Buena Park.


Mr. MRL ~ bummer



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/21 11:54 by MrMRL.

---

It still is a dangerous business, isn’t it.
 

Condolences to the deceased and his family, and the crews involved.


Sam

There was a discussion that this train was setting out some cars with the conductor riding the point. Video seems to show the switch was lined for the locomotves. That leaves the question why the boxcars were so close to the switch.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

funnelfan Wrote:
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> There was a discussion that this train was setting
> out some cars with the conductor riding the point.
> Video seems to show the switch was lined for the
> locomotves. That leaves the question why the
> boxcars were so close to the switch.

The two units in the pic above were the rear DP for the train, setout was being made from the other end of the yard. Crew rode the shove down the adjacent track too far, impacting their fouling DP units.

~ Mr. MRL

Sad, condolences to the friends and families.

Posted from Android

The company has removed themselves from any liability when it comes to riding cars on a shove. They don't want you to, but you may do so if you feel safe about it.

Then again, they complain when the move takes longer because you are walking inside of riding. You can't win.

RIP 03. Your Brothers and Sisters are saddened by your loss.

Posted from Android

I didn't know that trains there passed so close to each other like that ...

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

pedrop Wrote:
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> I didn't know that trains there passed so close to
> each other like that ...

They are not suppossed to. As mentioned above, the locomotives were fouling the adjacent track. You can see the box car is actually tipping over, of they'd continued it would have derailed/fallen over. 

... now I see. In Brazil we use yellow balls to alert the men at the ground the limit to position a train near the switching machines. When that limit is surpassed we say the train "exceeded the mark"

Roadrailer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> pedrop Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I didn't know that trains there passed so close
> to
> > each other like that ...
>
> They are not suppossed to. As mentioned above, the
> locomotives were fouling the adjacent track. You
> can see the box car is actually tipping over, of
> they'd continued it would have derailed/fallen
> over. 

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

Paperwork says 6905 feet, head end pulls up 7205 feet and calls it good, which may or may not be true.

Out 

Those units that were struck are the DPU’s of the train making the set out. You would think the crew would have set the counter to know the rear DPU’s were in the clear before shoving back. It appears they backed into their own rear units. Crew was probably on duty the night before. So sad!

Valleyman

As I said Valleyman, check the paperwork, set the counter, give it a couple hundred feet and call it good, sometimes.

Out 

callum_out Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Paperwork says 6905 feet, head end pulls up 7205
> feet and calls it good, which may or may not be
> true.
>
> Out 

The issue here (gathered only from details in this thread) is not that the train didn't pull ahead far enough, it's that the crew shoved back too far.

I found the location of the incident. It appears the track they setout to can handle around 50ish cars. Wonder just how large of a setout they had?

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Also wonder if restrictions on getting off moving equipment played a role in Conductor's reluctance or inability to jump.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

< < < Paperwork says 6905 feet, head end pulls up 7205 feet and calls it good, which may or may not be true. > > >
How many feet were they setting out?  Were there other cars already occupying the setout track?

It's a good qiuestion, I cringe every time I hear a ground guy say "Bring'em back a hundred". There's just too much
disconnect between the ground (or the guy riding) and the head end. Most crews are really good but when the 3 cars
all of a sudden comes down to 20 feet, you wonder. Events like this are a tragedy and as been said it's still dangerous
business.

Out 

portlander Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> The issue here (gathered only from details in this
> thread) is not that the train didn't pull ahead
> far enough, it's that the crew shoved back too
> far.

(Warning, more semi-educated speculation below)

The issue here is actually both points above, if not more...

From the available video and photo evidence, plus personal local experience:
(1) The train was not pulled in to the yard far enough (DP left on the lead fowling an adjacent track). Why?
(2) Crew shoved beyond a marked clearance point on the adjacent track. Why? (All these tracks have marked clearance points, you can see the painted tie and rails on the next track over just below the yellow "2" in the image above)

Speculation then brings in the use, or mis-reliance, on a locomotive distance counter... Inadequate or incomplete radio communication during an extended shove move. Possible distractions or loss of situational awareness during the shove. Possible loss of control of the shove movement due to train handling anomalies, excessive power, weight, improper or inadequate braking action, excessive draw bar slack forces. Only the crew members directly involved and the locomotive data (tapes) can accurately provide those answers.

With the NTSB on scene for the investigation, hopefully a full and clear picture will eventually (publicly) emerge of what all happened or didn't happen to cause such a terrible end result. I've preached for years now, railroad rules are written in blood, this sad example is no exception.

~ Mr. MRL



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/21 01:29 by MrMRL.

funnelfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I found the location of the incident. It appears
> the track they setout to can handle around 50ish
> cars. Wonder just how large of a setout they had?

This particular manifest and it's reversed counterpart (LACBAR/BARLAC) can range between 80-100+ cars depending on the specific volume at the time. It is also very common for roughly half the train (if not more) to be set out at La Mirada Yard before the remainder is ferried the final 15 miles to the LAJ yard in Vernon, CA.

~ Mr. MRL