Western Railroad Discussion > H-NTWPAS derailed near Babb, WA

Yesterday afternoon BNSF's H-NTWPAS derailed on the Lakeside Sub between Babb and Fishtrap, WA. Some empty centerbeams were involved. Will try to get some more details.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

---

Not empty centerbeams?! No way! LOLOLOL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/22 13:09 by wpdude.

I wonder if Hulcher ever gets tired of answering the phone?

Out 

Backyard has been very quiet since yesterday evening. Only train today has been an EB Snow bus train at 1223pm.

Larry



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/22 23:20 by Ritzville.

BN's decision to abandon the SP&S line looks  a little worse now.
Redundancy and unforseen events are hard to explain to corporate shareholders because they want shareholder value, and right now.  Arguments without statistics about just such things as this carry no weight to them.
Within their world of valuse they are being entirely rational.  Capitalism works this way.  It is generally an excellent economic system because of the competition it engenders.
However in the broader pictiure of maintaining the economic viability of the company, region, and nation through the decades the practicioners of corporate stock investment optimization wreak terrible damage.
This happened long before Warren Buffett's ownership.   IIRC Norton Simon led one aggresive shareholder group back then but he was not alone.
I wish all the BNSF and contractor employees the best here and all along the line.  

When are the railroads going to wise up and make empty centerbeams REAR END ONLY.?

DHF

Different world then. If they still had it they probably would have axed it when it came time to install PTC.
RB

callum_out Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wonder if Hulcher ever gets tired of answering
> the phone?
>
> Out 

No, because they make money every time it rings!

railstiesballast Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Capitalism works this way. 
> It is generally an excellent economic system
> because of the competition it engenders.

Hummm, the US must have a different form of "Capitalism" since we seem to strive to get rid of competition in favor of Oligopolies and Monopolies....

The derailment was right about one mile west of the switch at Babb. I heard the cause was a steel load that shifted on a car. Not sure of the total number of cars involved, but but I believe it was low (around 5) Hulcher only brought in two side boom cats for the clean up work. Thirs train through the derailment zone was the Eastbound Z-PTLCHC right about 4pm. So mainline down for about 26 hours.
 

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

wyeth Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> railstiesballast Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Capitalism works this way. 
> > It is generally an excellent economic system
> > because of the competition it engenders.
>
> Hummm, the US must have a different form of
> "Capitalism" since we seem to strive to get rid of
> competition in favor of Oligopolies and
> Monopolies....

That's been going on for eons!

>>  BN's decision to abandon the SP&S line looks  a little worse now.

A high-level BN officer, since deceased, is quoted as saying that was the single worst decision he was part of in his career.

Bob W.

Ted,
Thank you as always for the firsthand information, images, and updates.
—Mac