Passenger Trains > AutoTrain wrecked

Amtrak AutoTrain 52(26) has wrecked near Deland FL.

Photo shows auto carriers laid over on their sides.

Happened less than an hour ago.  Fortunately, NO PASSENGER CARS INVOLVED...auto carriers only...
and no passenger injuries.  So it's bad, but not as bad as it could have been.

ADDENDUM: News story with helicopter video:
https://www.wesh.com/article/train-derails-deland/31946583#

 



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/20 23:40 by GenePoon.

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The auto carriers have a high center of gravity, but even so, thats a lot of cars to tip over.  I see the power is still on the rails.
Obviously, it could have been caused by a lot of things, but from what I see so far, it looks like a spread/turned rail.  That would put a half dozen  cars in the ditch.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/20 18:05 by pdt.

Not too far from the god awful wreck in 2002 that was caused by a sun kink. Thankfully no casualties in this derailment. 

ETA: Based off Amtrak's train tracker and google traffic, this appears to be the location of the derailment (near a private crosing): https://www.google.com/maps/@29.0029875,-81.3474413,278m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e1

The 2002 derailment was about 20 miles north in Crescent City. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/20 15:02 by chrsjrcj.

It didn't get very far. 

How much fell over.... seams like the helicopter only showed 5 cars.guess those folks all get new cars out of this lol

Posted from Android

It's just south of the DeLand Amtrak station

Posted from Android

8 auto carriers on their sides in the helicopter video.  Didn't show the rest of the train.

Not so sure about that exact location on the map. 

Track-A-Train and Transitdocs seem to put it at South Beresford Rd at West Beresford AVENUE.  The prior map is centered at South Beresford Rd at West Beresford ROAD.

In the map attached, note that there is a south leg of a wye at or near the location.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/20 15:33 by GenePoon.

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The image in the original post appears to be here - https://www.google.com/maps/@29.0035488,-81.3472299,3a,60y,332.75h,84.72t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1spQbTSbtXbxeLhiFw78rFWA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1

 

Looks like a perfect match to where the Ford Taurus sheriff car is sitting in the first photo.  That would put the wreck site at the location 
noted by chrsjrcj; the other location that I mapped out would be where the head end, with its GPS tracking, was stopped. 

This information would appear to remove that wye in the map from being a possible cause.   



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/20 15:41 by GenePoon.

Amtrak says ten auto carriers derailed, eight overturned.

How and who pays the passenger claims for their vehicles in this case? Do Autotrain customers sign a waiver beforehand to limit Amtrak liability?

Derailed cars are just north of curve at Lake Beresford

autos maybe secured enough to prevent visable damage

Railpax71 Wrote:
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> How and who pays the passenger claims for their
> vehicles in this case? Do Autotrain customers sign
> a waiver beforehand to limit Amtrak liability?

"...In the unlikely event of damage to your vehicle in transit or during loading or unloading, Amtrak
will accept responsibility only if you report the damage to an authorized Amtrak representative before
leaving the terminal; the Amtrak representative must determine that the damage occurred while the
vehicle was in Amtrak custody."

Probably this includes damage incurred in a train wreck, too...definitely while in Amtrak custody.

dan Wrote:
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> autos maybe secured enough to prevent visable
> damage...

Unlikely if the auto carriers overturned!!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/20 16:26 by GenePoon.

I wonder what happens now  to #92 The Silver Star.  Should be at about Orlando right now, but I don't see it at all on the Amtrak Tracker.  I know of no reasonable detour unless they send it up the S-line through Wildwood and Ocala.  Easy to do after leaving Tampa, and straight shot to JAX, but I don't know where it is currently.

92(26) is returning to Miami and terminating due to "a disabled train ahead."  Amtrak, of course, doesn't admit that it's an Amtrak train.

Anderson didn't get enough virus bailout money. Now this? Which trains heads are on the block this evening? I remember years ago they stole the Supers off the Red Bird after an AutoTrain wreck. Converted the Red Bird to single level equipment. Who's gonna help out the snow birds this time??? HA

GenePoon Wrote:
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> 92(26) is returning to Miami and terminating due
> to "a disabled train ahead."  Amtrak, of course,
> doesn't admit that it's an Amtrak train.

Just ruin's your evening huh...

dan Wrote:
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> autos maybe secured enough to prevent visable
> damage

Generally speaking, no they are not. They are secured for movement front/back and to some extent side/side. But the tie downs used are not strong enough to hold the vehicles in position in an overturn.