Passenger Trains > Amtrak 714 strikes auto, catches fire

Amtrak 714 struck a car on the tracks and caught fire today near Stockton. No injuries reported.

KCRA has the story: http://www.kcra.com/news/local-news/news-stockton/train-hits-car-on-tracks-in-stockton-catches-on-fire/37858220



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/16 16:25 by walstib.

intentially left on the tracks with an excellerant inside the vehicle ??? ...

does Amtrak California have ther own repair facility or does everything still have to go to Beech Grove ??? ...

Looks unbelievable the engineers did not get smoke inhalation or burn injuries.

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
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> intentially left on the tracks with an excellerant
> inside the vehicle ??? ...
>
> does Amtrak California have ther own repair
> facility or does everything still have to go to
> Beech Grove ??? ...

I do not know think Amtrak California has their own Facility.
This cabcar might go to an Alstom Facility. Maybe at Mule Island?

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
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> does Amtrak California have ther own repair
> facility or does everything still have to go to
> Beech Grove ??? ...

CalTrans contracts with Alstom for heay maintenance.  Look for that car to make its way to Mare Island soon...

http://www.alstom.com/Global/US/Resources/Documents/Download%20Centre/Site%20Brochure%20-%20Mare%20Island,%20CA.pdf?epslanguage=en-GB

Perhaps the impact, tied with static electricity, friction or even a tear in the HEP cable caused ignition.  I've seen other cases where the cars explode, or ignite from the gas upon or just after impact.

Haven't had the pleasure, so I'm just speculating on what may have caused ignition, doesn't always happen though as one time when I was a trainman our train hit a Jeep left on the tracks by inmates who escaped from a nearby prison.



Out_Of_Service Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> intentially left on the tracks with an excellerant
> inside the vehicle ??? ...
>
> does Amtrak California have ther own repair
> facility or does everything still have to go to
> Beech Grove ??? ...

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> Looks unbelievable the engineers did not get smoke
> inhalation or burn injuries.

One would think that the crew would have vacated the cab upon impact or just before.  Not sure that they would stick around.

4489 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Looks unbelievable the engineers did not get
> smoke
> > inhalation or burn injuries.
>
> One would think that the crew would have vacated
> the cab upon impact or just before.  Not sure
> that they would stick around.

As soon as I saw flames I'd cut out the air valve and vacate the cab.  If I weren't first able to talk to the DS, since the flames were on one side I might linger long enough to call the DS from the fireman's seat.  Then I'd run back to the other end ASAP and be in the cab at that end as the point of contact for the DS, and if possible/necessary in place to cut in the air up there and pull the train away from the vehicle or the cab car.

Similar case in Omaha Sunday night #5:

http://www.omaha.com/money/stuck-car-fallen-tree-delay-amtrak-train-for-hours-just/article_3543bb3e-ce82-11e5-8b7f-8f102e92837b.html



Out_Of_Service Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> intentially left on the tracks with an excellerant
> inside the vehicle ??? ...
>
> does Amtrak California have ther own repair
> facility or does everything still have to go to
> Beech Grove ??? ...