Passenger Trains > Amtrak Derails at Woodland, WA Monday

Around 1:30pm a northbound Amtrak train with a charger derailed at around 15mph on a switch south of Woodland, WA. Photo shows it off the rails on a switch. The crossroads given in the article is near the crossovers south of Woodland, WA. No injuries reported, and the passengers were to be put on a southbound train to Vancouver and then bused north to their destinations.

https://tdn.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/amtrak-train-suffers-minor-derailment-near-woodland-monday/article_88804f3d-bbdf-5250-afc6-6925a4687755.html

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/11/21 18:14 by funnelfan.

Someone mentioned the train was hand lining through the crossovers and forgot to line the movable point frog.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

funnelfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Someone mentioned the train was hand lining
> through the crossovers and forgot to line the
> movable point frog.

Oh gawd, we just went through a torturous training module on "swing nose" turnouts and movable point frogs on BNSF. Guess it wasn't shared with the Amtrak folks?

hahahahahahaha you made me laugh so hard at that

trainjunkie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> funnelfan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Someone mentioned the train was hand lining
> > through the crossovers and forgot to line the
> > movable point frog.
>
> Oh gawd, we just went through a torturous training
> module on "swing nose" turnouts and movable point
> frogs on BNSF. Guess it wasn't shared with the
> Amtrak folks?

Posted from iPhone

Pix
 

---

If they were going through a turnout that they just aligned by hand how did they get up to 15 MPH?

The "sandhouse" talk between crews will now begin to do more education than all the classed management might come up with.
And of course you may expect to see a new sign on the switch point dual control switche machine reminding folks that there is one more machine to throw.

When UP 1st installed these they put warning signs at the switch's and near the  movebale frog switch machine to alert the crews on the moveable frogs 

          I imagine the train was 'being hand lined' through the crossover, not that it was lining itself through.

PTC...Safe2 Safer...more money thrown at them each year and... Amtrak is still derailing!

rantoul Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What Is A Railroad Frog | Movable Point Frogs
> (railroadrails.com)
>
>  

Thanks, still clear as mud but interesting.

Bob

funnelfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Someone mentioned the train was hand lining
> through the crossovers and forgot to line the
> movable point frog.

"...that allows stopping...Derail or switch lined improperly..."

Uh oh.

TAW

Note that there are no guard rails for a Movable Point Frog.
For comparison here is a non-movable frog.

---

Thanks, makes it clearer now and the article talked about longevity.

OK, questions,  hand operated, is it usually operated by dispatcher but needed to hand operated because dispatcher could not??
Also, wouldn't this be wired into signalling system, how can you just line a switch and derail a train.  How about PTC.

Bob

robj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks, makes it clearer now and the article
> talked about longevity.
>
> OK, questions,  hand operated, is it usually
> operated by dispatcher but needed to hand operated
> because dispatcher could not??
> Also, wouldn't this be wired into signalling
> system, how can you just line a switch and derail
> a train.  How about PTC.


Right. For some reason, the dispatcher could not line the switch or the dispatcher could line the switch but it would not electrically lock for the route and allow the signal to clear. The dispatcher instructs the conductor or engineer to line the switch for a specified route (in this case through the crossover or straight). and pass the stop signal at Restricted Speed. Restricted Speed is (among other things) a speed prepared to stop short of switch not properly lined and not exceeding 20 mph. The instruction to proceed at Restricted Speed is effectively an override of the signal system, including PTC.

TAW

Thanks for the pics, makes sense now

Posted from Android

What's the reason for a moveable frog anyway!

ProAmtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What's the reason for a moveable frog anyway!

Higher speed turnouts/crossovers (50 to 60+MPH) require a movable point frog due to the very long angle through the frog.

I work a nearly 300mi territory, and the cross-overs are timetabled for 50mph.  None of them have movable point frogs.   Is the requirement for new turnouts/crossovers, or is the statement not correct?


HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ProAmtrak Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > What's the reason for a moveable frog anyway!
>
> Higher speed turnouts/crossovers (50 to 60+MPH)
> require a movable point frog due to the very long
> angle through the frog.

zchcsse Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> > -----
> > > What's the reason for a moveable frog anyway!
> >
> > Higher speed turnouts/crossovers (50 to 60+MPH)
> > require a movable point frog due to the very
> long
> > angle through the frog.

It's a matter of maintenance. There is less maintenance for the track department...and more for the signal department.

TAW