Eastern Railroad Discussion > Sand Patch Runaway

The derailment of eastbound loaded coal train CSX U883-03 at 2:15am this morning (Feb 6) just west of Glencoe, PA appears to have been a "runaway" with 113 of 131 cars derailed......WOW! Four cleanup crews have been dispatched: two Hulcher and two Corman. CSX Keystone sub may be closed for at least 48 hours...reroutes probably underway. See thread below for more info.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,2119005

If this was a runaway, God was watching over the crew because the engines would probably have derailed on the very sharp left curve on the bridge over Wills Creek just east of the FO signals.....two miles east of the derailment site. It will be a "tale of the tape".



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/10 20:11 by cinder.

Sending a 130 car train and up and over Sand Patch on a normal day requires that all goes well from bottom to bottom, however, throw in a historical winter storm and it's a recipe for a potential disaster.

Thank God everyone was able to walk away, albeit a bit weak in the knees (at least I would have been).

CG Tower


cinder Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The derailment of eastbound loaded coal train CSX
> U883-03 at 2:15am this morning (Feb 6) just west
> of Glencoe, PA appears to have been a "runaway"
> with 113 of 131 cars derailed......WOW! Four
> cleanup crews have been dispatched: two Hulcher
> and two Corman. CSX Keystone sub may be closed
> for at least 48 hours...reroutes probably
> underway. See thread below for more info.
>
> http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,2
> 119005
>
> If this was a runaway, God was watching over the
> crew because the engines would probably have
> derailed on the very sharp left curve on the
> bridge over Wills Creek just east of the FO
> signals.....two miles east of the derailment site.
> It will be a "tale of the tape".



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/10 04:58 by CGTower.

Here is a link to a Somerset County newspaper article about this incident.

http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2010/02/06/news/local/news252.txt

BaltoJoey

Derailment Site pinpointed

---

Postcard view of the famous 1912 Glenco wreck (mentioned in the article).

> Here is a link to a Somerset County newspaper
> article about this incident.
>
> http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2010/02/06/n
> ews/local/news252.txt

---

Good morning,

Trying to get a clear idea of where this wreck happened. The newspaper article is very specific in pointing out that the wreck occurred on bridge 24 and some cars landed in Wills Creek. That makes sense. The bridge is about MP 120.5; close enough to be called Glencoe. Fairhope is three miles further east, but reports come in about the wreck at that location, but that seems doubtful. Between Glencoe and Fairhope are more sharp curves and Falls Cut tunnel. Think we would have heard more about the train wreck had it been in a tunnel. Bernie Beavers roadway maps list "Roddy's Curve" as just up hill from bridge 24 and that may have contributed to this wreck if the train was, indeed, a run away.

Anyone who has been to Sand Patch/Manilla knows how cautiously the crews start their trains down the hill. Apparently the diesels were not tuned over and the crew was not harmed; good for them.

Tim

Thank goodness that the train came apart and spilled where it did. I shudder to think about what might have occurred if it had made it the next mile or so into Glencoe proper. Its very likely there may have been a repeat of the tragedy that occurred almost exactly 10 years ago on Jan 30, 2000 at the base of 17 mile grade when coal train V986-26 ran away and took out a house in Bloomington, killing a 15 year old boy and seriously injuring his mother.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/10 19:43 by PittsburghMike.