Western Railroad Discussion > UP Black Butte Sub Derailment

See below for best info regarding this. 

EDIT: Updated title. This will be MP327 on BLck Butte sub.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/26 09:25 by ross.

The GMP2OK-26 near MP 327 derailed 35 cars. 

.Radio reports derailed cars on the Cantara bridge but no cars or product in the river.
Three cars on their side, other cars leaning on the vertical hillside.
Train was 2+2.

Here's an example of a UP container train successfully traversing Cantara Loop. Note the two span bridge for the Sacramento River with the safety structure on the inside of the curve and the hillside as in the reports. Photo from 2013.

This is the Union Pacific Black Butte Subdivision, it's a 14 degree curve, the 1983 SP ETT shows the area is 1.8 to 2.0% grade. The bridge is basically at the bottom of a decent from Mott siding and the area of the town of Mt Shasta, then follows the Sacramento River south to Dunsmuir and then to Lake Shasta.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/26 09:07 by TCnR.

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Leaveofabsence Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The GMP2OK-26 near MP 327 derailed 35 cars. 

I'm not familiar with this code. Can you decode this please? The derailed train has been called the MRVHK elsewhere...

Thx, Rob

EDIT:
Found my special instructions-
GM = Grain Meal
P2 = Perishables deliver the 2nd?
OK = ?
26 = Origin date Feb 26

Thx, TCnR, was coming up empty looking for G until I found the instructions with GM revealing it is indeed a grain train. Wonder why they dont use U for Unit? Maybe Unit is lower priority when not perishable?

Just trying to learn here!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/26 10:58 by GoldenState.

Radio discussions described it as a loaded grain train, something about nut meg or similar. Pretty specific about a grain train and not other types of lading.

They should be pulling the rear section to Black Butte siding and the front section into Dunsmuir sometime soon. We'll get a better look.

btw the Dunsmuir Cam is off right now due to construction at the Depot.

+ should note the discussions are on the KF to Dunsmuir road channel, the Dispatcher side is sometimes heard in the Redding area as well. Perhaps there is more than one incident, let us know.

++ RR Radio Dunsmuir stream: http://www.railroadradio.net/content/view/191/231/



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/26 12:25 by TCnR.

Here's the text of an amtrak statement:

Train 11(01) North of Dunsmuir, CA Freight
Train Derailment

02MAR26: Train 11(01) with engines 361 and 363 and 8 cars with 115 passengers on board was stopped at MP 369.5, 47 miles north of Dunsmuir, CA on the UPRR Black Butte subdivision due to freight train GMP20K26 derailing at MP 327.8. UPRR reported that the freight train was a fully loaded grain train and 35 cars derailed with some being on a bridge. Train 11(01) wyed the train at Black Butte, OR and returned to Klamath Falls, OR. Train 14(01) was held in Sacramento.  Attempts were made to secure alternate transportation but were unsuccessful.
UP reported that the track will be closed for at least 24 hours. Train 11(01) and Train 14(01) were sent back to their respective points of origin due to a lack of alternate transportation and the estimated length of track closure. The equipment from train 11(01) departed Klamath Falls, OR as an on-time train 14(01) and the equipment from
train 14(01) departed Sacramento, CA as an on-time train 11(01).
Train 11(02) and train 14(02) were cancelled with no alternate transportation.

Train Delay Comment
11(01) Term KFSSAC
14(01) Term SACKFS
11(02) Cancelled
14(02) Cancelled

Isn't it like 10 mph around that curve? How in the world did thirty five cars derail unless some kind of runaway? Will be interesting to see photos.
JB

Guilty of stereotyping here.  

Thought for sure an empty center beam would be the culprit.  

Apologies to all center beams out there.  

Chuck 

I was thinking the same thing. Seems as though if there is a problem at the loop, it's going up hill and a stringline situation.It will be a real mess to clean up with derailed loaded grain hoppers. 

Grain loads going downhill. Those are 120 something ton cars.

Monitoring the radio last night the crew described it as just kinda stopping, nothing dramatic. They thought they had a unit shut down, after talking with the Dispatcher and Mechanical they realized no train line pressure and both head end and DPU were pumping air at a high rate. Conductor went to tie down so they could cycle circuit breakers and found the derailed cars.

Don't know the speed limit. Last time I was in there they had two guard rails inside the majority of the curve. Don't know current conditions.

It sounded like they had a rail inspection vehicle pass through a few days ago. There was discussion of something further down canyon.

There's a train parked in towm, suspect that's where the extra locomotives are from, that one is a NB with an 'HK' look to it. There are low boy trailers parked all over the Azealea area, even in the park and ride lot. Only one or two Hulcher emblems on the door's, quite a few 'construction Contractor' and similar markings.

Listening to dispatcher 57 out of Roseville, ca. He advised some track workers above Marysville to clear up. Said he had a wreck train that needed to get by. Watch the Redding camera to see what passed by northbound.

Valleyman

Was able to access the Depot without falling into one of the bore holes and set up the YT stream for the Depot Railcam, static video with nearby radio stream.

There is a train sitting in front of the Depot not related to the derailment. They may have borrowed a couple of locomotives... and the crew.

Good info about the panel track. Now they have to bend it to the 14 degree curve.

Dunsmuir Depot RailCam -  click on the red banner that says Live

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRvkX3LnS8vBBYq9FgQan-g

If it doesn't have the red banner that says Live then it's offline.

Valleyman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Listening to dispatcher 57 out of Roseville, ca.
> He advised some track workers above Marysville to
> clear up. Said he had a wreck train that needed to
> get by. Watch the Redding camera to see what
> passed by northbound.
>
> Valleyman

Redding cam at 17:13 has an SD70ACe, GE, 2 flats with about 13-15 track panels, followed by about 13 ballast hoppers. There are three additional ballast hoppers in Redding being switched by the local crew right now.

Rob

Train speed is 20 mph around the loop.

TCnR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Radio discussions described it as a loaded grain
> train, something about nut meg or similar. Pretty
> specific about a grain train and not other types
> of lading.
>
> They should be pulling the rear section to Black
> Butte siding and the front section into Dunsmuir
> sometime soon. We'll get a better look.
>
> btw the Dunsmuir Cam is off right now due to
> construction at the Depot.
>
> + should note the discussions are on the KF to
> Dunsmuir road channel, the Dispatcher side is
> sometimes heard in the Redding area as well.
> Perhaps there is more than one incident, let us
> know.
>
> ++ RR Radio Dunsmuir
> stream: http://www.railroadradio.net/content/view
> /191/231/

Load was canola meal from Canada, made into pellets. Animal feed.


Keith_Kevet

Posted from Android

check this out, its past the bridge.......Grain Train Derails at Cantara Loop Near Dunsmuir – SISKIYOU NEWS

Soo715 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A work train with a few flats of "snap track" and
> ballast went south through Black Butte a few hours
> ago. 34 cars on the ground. Also, a UP worker said
> off the record that crews reported a track defect
> in the area three times last week but nothing was
> done about it. 
>
> Appalling that Amtrak can't provide any
> alternative transportation for passengers and is
> returning them to where they started out from.
>
> Any chance the OP could change this thread name to
> UP Black Butte Sub/Cantara Loop Derailment?
>
>  

Title updated- Ross

Type in the train symbol on the Web and good explanation there, rather amazing.

Posted from iPhone

Wow, the cars started derailing immediately off the bridge at the loop.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR