Passenger Trains > ITM Polar Bear Express Derails TWO Times

It was widely reported last night in media that the Indiana Transportation Museum's Polar Bear Express derailed leaving two hundred stranded. See link: http://www.wthr.com/story/27675095/200-stuck-when-polar-bear-express-leaves-tracks-in-noblesville

What isn't widely known is the same train derailed again this morning at the same location prior to loading passengers. According to the ITM Facebook page, they give no explanation noting the first train will not run today. I found one picture on the web from the accident this morning, it's attached.

Has anyone heard if it's equipment or track that is causing the problem?

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If it's the same spot I would suspect track issues. Is there a switch at this location?

amtrakwolverine Wrote:
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> If it's the same spot I would suspect track
> issues. Is there a switch at this location?

if it's the same spot supv frm and inspector all need discipline and retraining

Posted from Android

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
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> amtrakwolverine Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If it's the same spot I would suspect track
> > issues. Is there a switch at this location?
>
> if it's the same spot supv frm and inspector all
> need discipline and retraining
>
> Posted from Android

Disciplining a volunteer, that should be interesting.

amtrakwolverine Wrote:
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> If it's the same spot I would suspect track
> issues. Is there a switch at this location?

No switch near this location. This section of track hasn't seen new ties, ballast or a tamper in decades. I would guess to say the last time that work was done was probably in the nickel plate days.

Posted from iPhone

Any one know which car is in the photo. One of the cars they have belonged to a Friend of mine until his death. The power car Silver Salon ex CB&Q. I hope it's still named that as the was Steve's wishes.
Steve

wpjones Wrote:
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> Any one know which car is in the photo. One of the
> cars they have belonged to a Friend of mine until
> his death. The power car Silver Salon ex CB&Q. I
> hope it's still named that as the was Steve's
> wishes.
> Steve


The Silver Salon is still in use by the ITM and is their only power car. It is in good shape.

PHall Wrote:
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> Out_Of_Service Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > amtrakwolverine Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > If it's the same spot I would suspect track
> > > issues. Is there a switch at this location?
> >
> > if it's the same spot supv frm and inspector
> all
> > need discipline and retraining
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> Disciplining a volunteer, that should be
> interesting.

no one should be involved with movement of revenue passengers if they can't be held accountabe ... so if there was an incident with injuries or fatalities due to a continuing track issue the answer to who is responsible is NO ONE they're volunteers ... yeah ... any bets on that ...

I can say FOR SURE that the volunteers at Illinois Railway Museum that are engaged in the operation and maintenance of the railroad are subject to discipline. You get by a red signal, you're on the ground for thirty days, just like the big boys.

The key to discipline in a volunteer organization is to always keep it fair and try to make it a teachable moment.

IMHO I can't say much about the first derailment, you can't always predict these things, but to have a SECOND derailment in the same spot....why was the train even allowed to traverse that piece of track a second time?

My $.02,

NZ

Get by a red board on a Class One and its good bye see if the labor board will let you have your job back.


NebraskaZephyr Wrote:
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> I can say FOR SURE that the volunteers at Illinois
> Railway Museum that are engaged in the operation
> and maintenance of the railroad are subject to
> discipline. You get by a red signal, you're on the
> ground for thirty days, just like the big boys.
>
> The key to discipline in a volunteer organization
> is to always keep it fair and try to make it a
> teachable moment.
>
> IMHO I can't say much about the first derailment,
> you can't always predict these things, but to have
> a SECOND derailment in the same spot....why was
> the train even allowed to traverse that piece of
> track a second time?
>
> My $.02,
>
> NZ

Posted from Android

Those ties were crap a couple years ago when I visited. Surprised they run trains over it.

We had a black guy that got by two red signals and once out of his track warrant limits. All in six months. He used to brag they can't fire him. They did. He wasn't much integrity oriented. Let a student run 260 miles while he slept in the second motor.......

NSDTK Wrote:
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> Get by a red board on a Class One and its good bye
> see if the labor board will let you have your job
> back.

I'm sure more than a few common-carriers are just as you describe. I doubt many tourist or museum railways would be in business long if they adopted a "one and done" attitude toward their volunteers.

The thirty days is the minimum specified by the FRA for a first-time de-certifiable offense. If you are a repeat offender within a certain time frame, the penalties increase rather dramatically.

As an aside, most tourist and museum operations operating on their own track (and not over a common-carrier railroad) are not subject to certain portions of the 49CFR, such as mandatory de-certification, but many of the larger organizations adopt similar policies when it makes sense to do so.

NZ