Passenger Trains > NTSB Cimarron, KS Accident Brief Issued

https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RAB1710.pdf

On March 13, 2016, about 9:30 a.m. central daylight time, an unattended two-axle
agricultural truck loaded with cattle feed rolled away from the Cimarron Crossing Feeders feedlot,
in Cimarron, Kansas. The truck rolled down a hill, across a highway, and collided with the BNSF
Railway (BNSF) railroad tracks. The collision caused a lateral shift in the tracks at
milepost (MP) 372.09. At 12:02 a.m. the next day, an eastbound Amtrak (National Railroad
Passenger Corporation) passenger train derailed while crossing the misaligned tracks.

The Los Angeles-to-Chicago train, which had two locomotives and 10 cars, was operating
on the La Junta Subdivision. The last four cars derailed on their sides, and two other cars derailed
upright. Of the 130 passengers and 14 Amtrak employees on board, 28 were injured.
Amtrak and the BNSF estimated the damages to be more than $1.4 million.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the
derailment was the agriculture truck driver’s failure to properly secure his unattended truck, which
rolled downhill and struck the BNSF railroad tracks causing them to misalign. Contributing to the
accident was the failure of the truck’s driver and his supervisor to report the incident to the local
authorities.

15 hours passed between the runaway truck striking BNSF track and the derailment? How many other trains passed that section of track during that time without a problem?

Posted from iPhone

PE-717 Wrote:
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> 15 hours passed between the runaway truck striking BNSF track and the derailment? How many other trains passed that section of track during that time without a problem?

ZERO



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/17 09:12 by SandHouseTalk.

That would be the same for #3 and #4 passing through NM. You could have an accident at the Wig-Wag and it could go unreported until the Chief rolls through the next day. I have ridden on these trains at a half a dozen times. Do cell phones even work out there?

So is Amtrak and/or BNSF suing the feedlot or going after their insurance? Seems like it should be an easy claim to win.

Amtrak suing Cimarron cattle company regarding train derailment
KWCH
April 9, 2016

CIMARRON, Kan. - Amtrak is suing a Cimarron cattle company for damaging railroad tracks that it said led to a train derailment in March that hurt 28 people.

Amtrak, listed as National Railroad Passenger Corporation as well as BNSF Railway Company are suing Cimarron Crossing Feeders, LLC for negligence regarding what happened prior to the derailment.The National Transportation Safety Board's report said investigators found fresh tire tracks near the abnormal track and traced them back to a feed truck.

The report said the tread for the truck's tires matched the tracks located near the derailment scene.

Court documents show Amtrak is alleging Cimarron Crossing Feeders employees left a feed truck unattended, out of gear and without the brakes on. It said that truck rolled downhill and hit the track causing damage "that resulted in a displacement of the railroad tracks of over one foot."

Amtrak is accusing the employees of removing the truck from the track area without telling anyone about the damage the truck caused to the tracks.

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,4004982,4421980#msg-4421980



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/17 11:57 by SandHouseTalk.

No trains were able to run until the tracks were repaired.

March 13 was a Sunday, so likely no local trains or track inspectors would normally work that day.

On the Chicago-Milwaukee line, Sunday "is" the day for the track inspector!