Western Railroad Discussion > UP Derailment West of Kelso

Hearing that a UP train with no engineer on board left the rails about 3 miles west of Kelso.  Runaway?

Hearing it was laoaded ore train and derailed at 80 MPH. Unconfirmed of course.

Posted from Android

From San Bernardino County Fire Protection District Twitter feed:

KELSO: #SBCoFD enroute to RAILCAR INCIDENT near KelbakerRd and KelsoCimaRd. Reported multi-car derailment, all cargo, NO passengers. Engine and HazMat companies responding. ^eas

https://twitter.com/SBCOUNTYFIRE/status/1640403601121247237?cxt=HHwWioDU0cmY8cMtAAAA

Matthew

 

If it was an ore train, the only one running is the Utah iron ore train which derailed and spilled a short
time ago near Victorville. Company is becoming quite profitable without ever loading any ore in a ship!

Out 

Length would confirm it's the O-UTS1

Out 

Isn't KELSO at the base of the long, steep Cima grade?  If so, UP has had run-a-way trains there before.  After one involveing MOW cars that barely had any brakes, and the UP engine which did not have an operating dynamic brake, the Feds wrote a scathing report against the UP.  That train ended up plowing into a train ahead of it.  The train ahead was doing 80 mph, but the runaway was doing 120 mph, and killed several crewman when it hit the caboose at effectively 40 mph difference in speed.

3 miles west of Kelso are the broad S-curves at Flynn...

~ Mr. MRL

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There's one, unconfirmed report that it was a runaway, and that the crew jumped off an hour before the wreck occured.  It's being described as an iron ore train.

Someone said that the crew is OK and was found by the CHP.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

https://www.fox5vegas.com/2023/03/27/train-derails-near-barstow-california/

Nice, a "railcar" derailed:

https://news3lv.com/news/local/railcar-carrying-iron-ore-derails-near-baker-california-according-to-local-authorities-baker-kelso-cima-california-kelbaker-road-nevada-state-line-san-bernardino-county-fire#

Matthew

 

It's bad. Reports are that the train was 180 cars long and reached a speed of 149mph before leaving the tracks on a curve. Just a sea of scrap metal now. Good thing the crew jump, doesn't look survivable.

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/hazmat-crews-respond-to-train-derailment-near-baker/amp/

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Looks like compressed iron ore pellets that have been coated with
clay for shipping and later smelting at the steel mill.

 

Cima Hill, on the west slope, has always been a dangerous grade. My late grandfather worked steam helpers out of Kelso and UP had all kinds of restrictions and requirements. Today most of those rules are long gone. Running a 25,000 ton iron ore train down that grade was a disaster waiting to happen. UP just has to split that train up into 2 sections or this will happen again.

Allen

Posted from Android

Photos by Stu Mundel, SkyFox11

 

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55 cars 2 engines, safty cabs  saved them perhaps, you can see the crew module stayed in tact if they stayed there

118 mph screenshot



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/27/23 16:06 by dan.

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They jumped. CHP found them, probably up near Cima. 

dan Wrote:
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> 55 cars 2 engines, safty cabs  saved them perhaps

How? Reportedly the crew jumped off well in advance of the wreck.

That second photo of the last 3 confirms that the train was going extremely fast when it derailed.  It's amazing how far the wreckage is from the right of way.

What was it, 2 months ago, when the same train (same symbol) derailed around Frost? The cars are aged, the
train is heavy and as Allen said it was only a matter of time. Thing is though, if the tons per made it up the hill
there should have been enough dynamics to hold it down the hill. Sure be interested to hear from the crew as
far as their power and the uphill climb.

Out 

Rumor mill: 180 cars long train
News media: 55 cars + two locomotives

Does UP run 180 car *loaded* iron ore trains through there?