Eastern Railroad Discussion > NS Conrail H/U - in an accident?

Just noticed that the last report on H/U.com on the 8098 has it in Alliance, Oh., leading train #546, has it stopped after, if I interpret that correctly, hitting a car; anybody know anything about this or am I reading it wrong?

No you are reading it correctly. I live in Alliance Ohio and heard the incident unfold on the radio. The car stalled or crashed onto the railroad and everyone was out of the car when it was hit. Sounds like no injuries and only minor damage to the locomotive.

MP_RD65 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No you are reading it correctly. I live in
> Alliance Ohio and heard the incident unfold on the
> radio. The car stalled or crashed onto the
> railroad and everyone was out of the car when it
> was hit. Sounds like no injuries and only minor
> damage to the locomotive.

"It's just a scratch...."

Probably a mortal wound for the auto, however.
 

Well FEC2000 caught it in Rootstown at 10:30AM, so the train got under way. I assume the crew were ok along with the people in the car. Eventually will find out what happened with the accident.

cornerfieldhobby Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well FEC2000 caught it in Rootstown at 10:30AM, so
> the train got under way. I assume the crew were ok
> along with the people in the car. Eventually will
> find out what happened with the accident.

When there's an accident involving a train, is the crew pulled from duty for pee testing and get time off?  Or do they push the wreckage off the track and continue with the same crew?

I thought most railroads pull you following an accident, and you get a day off.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> cornerfieldhobby Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Well FEC2000 caught it in Rootstown at 10:30AM,
> so
> > the train got under way. I assume the crew were
> ok
> > along with the people in the car. Eventually
> will
> > find out what happened with the accident.
>
> When there's an accident involving a train, is the
> crew pulled from duty for pee testing and get time
> off?  Or do they push the wreckage off the track
> and continue with the same crew?
>
> I thought most railroads pull you following an
> accident, and you get a day off.

For the crew, I assume probably there was a different drew to take place but they could be the same crew. But probably they check the crewman for any injuries. I do hope everyone is ok. 

I've yet to hear of a crew being physically injured when their train strikes a car, just as I've never injured myself stomping on an empty beer can. It's different with large trucks or vehicles carrying hazmats, but that doesn't apply here. Crews these days are typically offered to be relieved for mental stress if a crossing collision causes death or serious injury, but from what I've read that doesn't apply in this case, either.

From what I observed the 546 pulled up to a private corssing off of route 183. About three NS SUV'S were there as well as an adjuster. I did not see the crew get replaced while I was there. Regarding the NS 8098 locomotive it was "just a scratch" as Toledo patch eluded to. Train had 130 loads.

Posted from Android

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> When there's an accident involving a train, is the
> crew pulled from duty for pee testing and get time
> off?  Or do they push the wreckage off the track
> and continue with the same crew?
>
> I thought most railroads pull you following an
> accident, and you get a day off.

Post accident toxicology testing doesn't typically apply to incidents involving grade crossings or trespassers.  The RAILROAD can ask for it, if they feel there is probable cause to do so, but it doesn't happen in 99.9% of the cases.  FRA doesn't require it, as they do for serious rule violations or collisions.

Being recrewed is often at the discretion of the crew.  If the incident results in a fatality, more often than not a recrew is involved.  In any of the non-fatal incidents where I've struck vehicles (one car, one empty Renzenberger van, and one tractor-trailer), we continued on and only got recrewed down the road due to hours of service.

Conrail used to allow for three paid days off following a "Critical Incident."  That went away with the takeover.  NS may grant you time off on a case-by-case basis ... but unless you cash in personal days or vacation time it is uncompensated.

We had a guy in our terminal, who in the course of a week, hit an open switch with a loaded hazmat train and ended up inside a building.  Went out "on his rest" and subsequently struck and killed a trespasser on his return trip.  Finally decided to take a day or two off, and had to call his union rep to ask how to do it.  In the five years leading up to that bad week, he had never taken a day off from work ... except for scheduled vacation time!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/17 10:57 by bioyans.

Thanks for that background.  I thought I recollected a relatively generous Conrail program.  I didn't realize it was now in the distant past.

The train was parked in the siding at CP219 in Vermilion for a relief crew earlier this afternoon. I don't think there is any public access to that location, but it should be underway again by now with the Toledo recrew. The original crew was very short on time when they pulled in there.

bioyans Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Post accident toxicology testing doesn't typically
> apply to incidents involving grade crossings or
> trespassers.  The RAILROAD can ask for it, if
> they feel there is probable cause to do so, but it
> doesn't happen in 99.9% of the cases.  FRA
> doesn't require it, as they do for serious rule
> violations or collisions.

I remember reading a feature on a Pandrol Jackson rail grinding train in TRAINS several years ago, and when they hit a car at a grade crossing, (no serious injury) the engineer/operator?  was required to go get a urine test.  In fact, I believe the author drove him back to meet his train, which was now on down the line somewhere by the time he got back.   Would the urine test requirement have been a Pandrol Jackson employee thing, or perhaps the host railroad, CP in this case demanded it?  While I'm thinking about it, are there still rail grinding trains where the crew live on board the train?   I never see any pictures of them around here...