Eastern Railroad Discussion > Stupid Prank

"BARTONVILLE, Ill. (WMBD) — Two men are in jail Tuesday after allegedly putting something on a railroad track, causing a train to derail Monday afternoon. Caleb Finley, 18, and Jimmy Johnson, III, 20, of Bartonville, were booked into the Peoria County Jail on Monday in connection with the incident on 100 Sanitation Road. Both are being held on charges of criminal damage to property, placing an object on railroad track, criminal trespass and reckless conduct."

This was in Illinois.  The two characters apparently flipped an existing derailer into position and then watched the oncoming train derail.  Apparently it was a slow speed derailment but damages are listed as over $80,000.   



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/24 04:10 by a737flyer.

Looks like it might have been a Tazewell and Peoria train. There’s a small yard at the east end of Sanitation Road.

Posted from iPhone

And that's why you always lock a derail even when it's off.

Posted from Android

I think a suitable punishment would be 60 days in the cooler and repay all damages at say.....credit card interest rates.

So, the derail was 'set' onto a 'running' track, and derailed an unexpecting
engineer & train?

Who picked that location for a derail site?

​W.

 

OHRY Wrote:
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> And that's why you always lock a derail even when
> it's off.
>
> Posted from Android

Not all derails lock in the off position.

Off-pending Wrote:
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> OHRY Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > And that's why you always lock a derail even
> when
> > it's off.
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> Not all derails lock in the off position.

That makes no sense to have a derail that can’t be locked in the off position. Maybe it’s time they start.

Posted from iPhone

CPCoyote Wrote:
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> That makes no sense to have a derail that can’t be locked in the off position. Maybe it’s time they start.

If the "normal" position of the derail is "on" it would be a situation where the derail could be opened for a train to pass and then would be closed and locked to protect from unplanned movements. I would expect such a derail to only be "off" (allowing a train to pass) when a crew was present. Usually when switching cars or a set out track.

The news story mentioned that the crew saw the two men near the derail. Perhaps they did not notice that the derail had been changed before they passed it.
 

Sounds to me like they were switching a customer on a private and protected siding, unlocked and flipped the derail open, and while in the site, the vandals flipped it back over as they were pulling back out.

I'm not so sure too many crews would catch that one if that's what happened.

Local Peoria list reported it was a UP local that was derailed on the way into or out of Collier Yard for interchange with either the Toledo, Peoria and Western or the Keokuk Junction.

Posted from iPhone