Eastern Railroad Discussion > CSX Mountain Sub Derailment

I just received word that a loaded coal train ran away on the Mountain Sub at the bottom of 17 Mile Grade near Bloomington. 75 of 78 cars derailed and they left the track around 50 MPH but the crew survived. Reroutes should be coming, especially Q316 and Q317.

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Chris Tokarcik
Morgantown, WV

Where exactly is the Mountain Sub? Thank God the crew survived...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/13 08:33 by Forever-Railfan-45.

Forever-Railfan-45 Wrote:
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> Where exactly is the Mountain Sub?


Eastern WV and western MD.

Forever-Railfan-45 Wrote:
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> Where exactly is the Mountain Sub? Thank God the
> crew survived...


From Cumberland Maryland, through Keyser, Rowlesburg and into Grafton West Virginia.

God!!!!

Crew error or equipment malfunction? Glad the crew survived!!!

OMG....Deja Vu. On January 30, 2000, CSX V986-26 derailed 76 of 80 loaded coal hoppers on the Mountain Sub at Bloomington, MD. Here is the abstract of the NTSB accident report. The entire report available on-line is an interesting read.

http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/summary/RAR0202.html


NATIONAL
TRANSPORTATION
SAFETY BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20594
RAILROAD ACCIDENT REPORT
PB2002-916302
NTSB/RAR-02/02
Derailment of CSX Transportation Coal Train V986-26
at Bloomington, Maryland, January 30, 2000


National Transportation Safety Board. 2002. Derailment of CSX Transportation Coal Train V986-26
at Bloomington, Maryland, January 30, 2000. Railroad Accident Report NTSB/RAR-02/02.
Washington, DC.

Abstract: About 7:00 a.m. on January 30, 2000, eastbound loaded CSX Transportation coal train V986-26
lost effective braking while descending a section of track known as “17-mile grade” from Altamont to
Bloomington, Maryland, and derailed 76 of its 80 “bathtub” high-side gondola cars when the train failed to
negotiate curves at excessive speed. The derailed cars destroyed a nearby occupied residence, killing a 15-
year-old boy and seriously injuring his mother. Three other occupants of the residence escaped with little
or no injury. Track and equipment damages were estimated to be in excess of $3.2 million. There was no
resulting fire or hazardous materials release.

The safety issues addressed in the report include the determination and designation of maximum
authorized train speeds with sufficient safety margins to ensure that a train can be stopped by the air brake
system alone; locomotive engineer support and training; and engineer knowledge of the condition of the
dynamic braking system before and during use.

As a result of its investigation of this accident, the Safety Board makes safety recommendations to CSX
Transportation and all class I railroads.

As Yogi Berra might say, this may be deja vu all over again.

As has been the case in other runaways, I expect that the engines may not have derailed as they are bottom-heavy. This was the case on 2/6/2010 when 113 of 130 loaded hoppers derailed near Glencoe, PA on CSX's Keystone Sub. Strikingly similar circumstances in all three derailments.

Cold winter weather; loaded coal trains; steep grades.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,2119592



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/13 10:49 by cinder.

This is no joke...CSX yardmaster reports there's 75 cars derailed between MP 210 and MP 212. Reroutes beginning this afternoon via NS Loveridge / CSX Mon Sub then east. First reroute will be U813.

I wonder if they will reroute the freights up to Benwood and then over the W&LE to Connellsville?

where does U-813 load at?

twl


wag2200 Wrote:
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> This is no joke...CSX yardmaster reports there's
> 75 cars derailed between MP 210 and MP 212.
> Reroutes beginning this afternoon via NS Loveridge
> / CSX Mon Sub then east. First reroute will be
> U813.

Thanks Wag. The derailment happened 3 miles up from Bloomington. My source's source saw Hulcher trucks in and around Bloomington. It'll be interesting to see if Q316/Q317 go up the Loveridge. If so it would be the first actual symboled general merchandise train to run through Morgantown in years.

Chris Tokarcik
Morgantown, WV

Keysubdiv are we going on a mission or what?

cinder Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OMG....Deja Vu. On January 30, 2000, CSX V986-26
> derailed 76 of 80 loaded coal hoppers on the
> Mountain Sub at Bloomington, MD. Here is the
> abstract of the NTSB accident report. The entire
> report available on-line is an interesting read.
>
> http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/summary/RAR0202
> .html
>
>
> NATIONAL
> TRANSPORTATION
> SAFETY BOARD
> WASHINGTON, D.C. 20594
> RAILROAD ACCIDENT REPORT
> PB2002-916302
> NTSB/RAR-02/02
> Derailment of CSX Transportation Coal Train
> V986-26
> at Bloomington, Maryland, January 30, 2000
>
>
> National Transportation Safety Board. 2002.
> Derailment of CSX Transportation Coal Train
> V986-26
> at Bloomington, Maryland, January 30, 2000.
> Railroad Accident Report NTSB/RAR-02/02.
> Washington, DC.
>
> Abstract: About 7:00 a.m. on January 30, 2000,
> eastbound loaded CSX Transportation coal train
> V986-26
> lost effective braking while descending a section
> of track known as “17-mile grade” from Altamont
> to
> Bloomington, Maryland, and derailed 76 of its 80
> “bathtub” high-side gondola cars when the train
> failed to
> negotiate curves at excessive speed. The derailed
> cars destroyed a nearby occupied residence,
> killing a 15-
> year-old boy and seriously injuring his mother.
> Three other occupants of the residence escaped
> with little
> or no injury. Track and equipment damages were
> estimated to be in excess of $3.2 million. There
> was no
> resulting fire or hazardous materials release.
>
> The safety issues addressed in the report include
> the determination and designation of maximum
> authorized train speeds with sufficient safety
> margins to ensure that a train can be stopped by
> the air brake
> system alone; locomotive engineer support and
> training; and engineer knowledge of the condition
> of the
> dynamic braking system before and during use.
>
> As a result of its investigation of this accident,
> the Safety Board makes safety recommendations to
> CSX
> Transportation and all class I railroads.
>
> As Yogi Berra might say, this may be deja vu all
> over again.
>
> As has been the case in other runaways, I expect
> that the engines may not have derailed as they are
> bottom-heavy. This was the case on 2/6/2010 when
> 113 of 130 loaded hoppers derailed near Glencoe,
> PA on CSX's Keystone Sub. Strikingly similar
> circumstances in all three derailments.
>
> Cold winter weather; loaded coal trains; steep
> grades.
>
> http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,2
> 119592


How do these grades compare to say...the western slope of NS??
RichS

going on a mission to work tomorrow.

twl



tchowee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Keysubdiv are we going on a mission or what?

richs Wrote:
> How do these grades compare to say...the western
> slope of NS??
> RichS

The area of the derailment is around 2.57 to 2.69%. If I remember right, the NS Pittsburgh Line's west slope is between 1% and 1.15%

Chris Tokarcik
Morgantown, WV

It`s 2.6% at Warnicks Curve which is the first automatic west of Bloomington. (Unless they have changed the signals).

twl


NSHorseheadSD70 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks Wag. The derailment happened 3 miles up
> from Bloomington. My source's source saw Hulcher
> trucks in and around Bloomington. It'll be
> interesting to see if Q316/Q317 go up the
> Loveridge. If so it would be the first actual
> symboled general merchandise train to run through
> Morgantown in years.

richs Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> How do these grades compare to say...the western
> slope of NS??
> RichS

As others have noted, the grades on the NS former PRR mainline are peanuts compared to the former B&O Mountain Sub...which aslo contends with curvature that is much more severe...back in steam days on 17 mile grade, there were towers at Strecker and Bond that both controlled runaway tracks. Hopefully the initial reports that no one was hurt are correct.

keysubdiv Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It`s 2.6% at Warnicks Curve which is the first
> automatic west of Bloomington. (Unless they have
> changed the signals).
>
> twl

WOW/ did not realize the grade was that steep compared to the western slope of NS. That's about half of the Saluda grade I think. Does CSX or NS have any mainline grades that drastic?
RichS

Dang. Maybe they should give up on this line and run around it like they are doing on their detour route. Heck, they gave up the thru route to St Louis by abandonment. Sounds like a dangerous line.

zzzzz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dang. Maybe they should give up on this line and
> run around it like they are doing on their detour
> route. Heck, they gave up the thru route to St
> Louis by abandonment. Sounds like a dangerous
> line.


Dangerous when you runs trains right on the edge. An extra unit or two might have been just enough to prevent losing control. Again, who knows until the facts come out.

Here's a chart of three runaways and a map of the location of this mornings coal spill.

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