Eastern Railroad Discussion > NS 35A possible derailment

NS 35A went in to emergency just East of the Horseshoe Curve on track 3, heard the dispatcher ask how many cars were on the ground. Trains getting by on track 1. You can just see the headlight on the HC cam. Can anyone verify?

Posted from iPhone

2 cars on the ground tracks 2 & 3 are closed with track 1 still open.

Posted from Android

train is 32X158. 12,018ft.

twl

globalethanol Wrote:
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> train is 32X158. 12,018ft.
>
> twl
Any helper assigned?

onblock Wrote:
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> globalethanol Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > train is 32X158. 12,018ft.
> >
> > twl
> Any helper assigned?

From what I was told, there was a 3 unit helper pushing including an SD70ACU and 2 SD40E units. They pushed 2 flatcars out of the train. Those flats were 15 cars from the rear. Someone more in the know may shine some additional light on the subject.

SantaFeRuss

2 of the 3 units on the rear were online.

twl

Posted from Android

With the webcam we hear about these derailments faster and perhaps more widely spread that previously. Is it a case of better information or have the changes in longer trains made derailments at the curve more common recently?

Posted from iPhone

The limits of train handling was learned many decades ago but there always are new manager who want to try and learn it all over again.  The flange size is the same so there is no reason to keep pushing or pulling them off.  That is called being dumb as most have already learned it. 

howeld Wrote:
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> With the webcam we hear about these derailments
> faster and perhaps more widely spread that
> previously. Is it a case of better information or
> have the changes in longer trains made derailments
> at the curve more common recently?

Interesting question.  In the early '90's, before internet and cellphones, I was on the eastbound Broadway or Capital Limited leaving Pittsburgh in the morning and saw some empty TTX spine cars in the ditch next to a sharp curve, only about 1 mile from the Pittsburgh station.  This is a busy location within a major city but I never saw a report of this derailment in the railfan press.  Also came upon a Conrail derailment near Duncannon PA in 1987 blocking all four tracks, but again, I never saw a report in the railfan press.  Both of these would be major events if Trainorders had existed then.

 

PSR: Physics Still Rules

PlyWoody Wrote:
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> The limits of train handling was learned many
> decades ago but there always are new manager who
> want to try and learn it all over again.  The
> flange size is the same so there is no reason to
> keep pushing or pulling them off.  That is called
> being dumb as most have already learned it. 

Posted from Android

Don't think we had all the 24 hour "news" people back then.

PlyWoody Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The limits of train handling was learned many
> decades ago but there always are new manager who
> want to try and learn it all over again.  The
> flange size is the same so there is no reason to
> keep pushing or pulling them off.  That is called
> being dumb as most have already learned it. 

Yes. Something about those who won't learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

There was a thread on TO a few years ago about Conrail special rules about empty flats etc on the rear of trains.  NS decided not to adopt them when it took over, if I recall the thread correctly.