Passenger Trains > All Florida Service disrupted by CSX collision at Folkston

CSX had a headend or rear end collisioin in Folkston blocking the route of the Silver Service and Autotrain. Discussion, video and audio on Easter Board.
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,5848367

Bob

Thank You bh35226 - I learned more from you and nothing from Amtrak.com
No Service Bulletins or Alerts to be found. If they are there, then where?
Well, as you said, the ex-SAL via Thalman GA is needed now.

CPMorris Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thank You bh35226 - I learned more from you and
> nothing from Amtrak.com
> No Service Bulletins or Alerts to be found. If
> they are there, then where?
> Well, as you said, the ex-SAL via Thalman GA is
> needed now.

From Amtrak.com

AmtrakAlertsAs of 3:40pm ET, Auto Trains 52 and 53 have been canceled for 4/15 and 4/16 due to a freight derailment. Please call 1-800-USA-RAIL for more information.

Amtrak #91 (15) is heading into Petersburg, VA as I write this, but hopefully it will at least get to Savannah. No times listed after that for the train after Rocky Mount, NC. The Silver Star has a big turnover points at Southern Pines and Raleigh. It really could be broken into two corridor trains, but lets not go there. Savannah, Georgia could at least be the turning point for Train #92 (15), just like the Palmetto.

As a complete aside, every time I hear about the Silver Service trains in Georgia, I wish they could get the Palmetto stretched back to Jacksonville. Truncating the Palmetto at Savannah, GA makes train ops easier, but "all the way" to Jacksonville would make a BIG difference for this train's ridership. Course the RESTORATION of the Silver Palm as an overnight train all the way to Miami/Tampa would be nicer. I know - one can dream! 

Presume Train #98 (15) and Train #92 (15) will terminate at Jacksonville? 

Prayers and thoughts for those involved in the CSX freight collision........

No reasonable detour available. In theory a train could run Jacksonville-Valdosta on NS then Valdosta-Waycross on CSX. But it's not simple to get from the Jacksonville Amtrak station onto the NS main line, and it would be time-consuming at Valdosta as well, and you'd be adding 90 miles. Plus running on dark territory Valdosta-Waycross.

I assume 91 en route will be terminated at Raleigh or Savannah and turn as tomorrow's 92, but we shall see.

Interesting. PTC? Certainly  potential  for  this  to  have  been a  passenger  train  wreck!!

ctillnc Wrote:
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> No reasonable detour available. In theory a train
> could run Jacksonville-Valdosta on NS then
> Valdosta-Waycross on CSX. But it's not simple to
> get from the Jacksonville Amtrak station onto the
> NS main line, and it would be time-consuming at
> Valdosta as well, and you'd be adding 90 miles.
> Plus running on dark territory Valdosta-Waycross.
>
> I assume 91 en route will be terminated at Raleigh
> or Savannah and turn as tomorrow's 92, but we
> shall see.

AH! Yes, you are right.....To turn and run it back north as a semi-on-time train, then it's likely Raleigh where they would be turning the train. But we'll see. Health and safety first though, in context with the collision involved with the CSX freight though and truncations that would have to take place for Amtrak. Palmetto and Carolinian will be BUSY next two days! 

91 is turning at Savannah. At least today's train. If they could clear some of the cars, trains could run via Waycross. It looks like the worst of it is north of the Jct. Of course, then you have the problem of the crews not being qualified and CSX not having enough crews to pilot.

Bob

bh35226 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 91 is turning at Savannah. At least today's train.
> If they could clear some of the cars, trains could
> run via Waycross. It looks like the worst of it is
> north of the Jct. Of course, then you have the
> problem of the crews not being qualified and CSX
> not having enough crews to pilot.
>
> Bob

That's good of Amtrak to at least run it to Savannah, applause for that! And then they can run a late Silver Service train back north! It can be turned quickly in Savannah! It's not like the Amtrak LD trains are that long any more, and no Heritage cars - all brand new Viewliner II Sleepers and Diners. Amfleet II's were just refreshed, but only two to three coaches at most for the Silver Star's consist. 

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> As a complete aside, every time I hear about the
> Silver Service trains in Georgia, I wish they
> could get the Palmetto stretched back to
> Jacksonville. Truncating the Palmetto at Savannah,
> GA makes train ops easier, but "all the way" to
> Jacksonville would make a BIG difference for this
> train's ridership. Course the RESTORATION of the
> Silver Palm as an overnight train all the way to
> Miami/Tampa would be nicer. I know - one can
> dream! 
>
Thank You! Glad to know I am not the only one 
with that same thought. Exactly what is needed.

cutboy1958 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interesting. PTC? Certainly  potential  for
>  this  to  have  been a  passenger  train
>  wreck!!

Per other discussions, MoW had a signal suspension in effect in the junction and somebody left a switch misaligned.

I find reports that the I032 was traveling at 30+ to be highly suspect with a signal suspension, but from what I've read they did plug the air before impact.

I have a friend who drive from northeast Ohio to Lorton for #53.  He is NOT a happy camper.  Driving all night to Florida I guess.  

toledopatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I find reports that the I032 was traveling at 30+
> to be highly suspect with a signal suspension, but
> from what I've read they did plug the air before
> impact.

Look at the second video on the first thread linked in in the first post on this thread.

Judge for yourself the speed at impact. You can't see the headend, but the sound of impact can be heard.

ts1457 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> toledopatch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I find reports that the I032 was traveling at
> 30+
> > to be highly suspect with a signal suspension,
> but
> > from what I've read they did plug the air
> before
> > impact.
>
> Look at the second video on the first thread
> linked in in the first post on this thread.
>
> Judge for yourself the speed at impact. You can't
> see the headend, but the sound of impact can be
> heard.

I guess I'm just surprised that anything faster than restricted speed would be authorized with signals suspended. Then again, somebody on the ground assured I032 their route was properly lined, and they probably didn't have much time to reach to the fact it wasn't.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/24 17:04 by toledopatch.

toledopatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> cutboy1958 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Interesting. PTC? Certainly  potential  for
> >  this  to  have  been a  passenger  train
> >  wreck!!
>
> Per other discussions, MoW had a signal suspension
> in effect in the junction and somebody left a
> switch misaligned.
>
> I find reports that the I032 was traveling at 30+
> to be highly suspect with a signal suspension, but
> from what I've read they did plug the air before
> impact.


The first thing that came to my mind in reading that was the Silver Star wreck a few years ago on CSX.

Posted from Android

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> toledopatch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > cutboy1958 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Interesting. PTC? Certainly  potential  for
> > >  this  to  have  been a  passenger
>  train
> > >  wreck!!
> >
> > Per other discussions, MoW had a signal
> suspension
> > in effect in the junction and somebody left a
> > switch misaligned.
> >
> > I find reports that the I032 was traveling at
> 30+
> > to be highly suspect with a signal suspension,
> but
> > from what I've read they did plug the air
> before
> > impact.
>
>
> The first thing that came to my mind in reading
> that was the Silver Star wreck a few years ago on
> CSX.

Me too. Couldn't remember which Amtrak train was involved, but the circumstances were chillingly similar.
 

toledopatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ts1457 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > toledopatch Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I find reports that the I032 was traveling at
> > 30+
> > > to be highly suspect with a signal
> suspension,
> > but
> > > from what I've read they did plug the air
> > before
> > > impact.
> >
> > Look at the second video on the first thread
> > linked in in the first post on this thread.
> >
> > Judge for yourself the speed at impact. You
> can't
> > see the headend, but the sound of impact can be
> > heard.
>
> I guess I'm just surprised that anything faster
> than restricted speed would be authorized with
> signals suspended. Then again, somebody on the
> ground assured I032 their route was properly
> lined, and they probably didn't have much time to
> reach to the fact it wasn't.
>  

Trains operate on other lines all the time that don't even have signals. Theoretically, operating during a signal suspension should be no different.

MattW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> toledopatch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ts1457 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > toledopatch Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > I find reports that the I032 was traveling
> at
> > > 30+
> > > > to be highly suspect with a signal
> > suspension,
> > > but
> > > > from what I've read they did plug the air
> > > before
> > > > impact.
> > >
> > > Look at the second video on the first thread
> > > linked in in the first post on this thread.
> > >
> > > Judge for yourself the speed at impact. You
> > can't
> > > see the headend, but the sound of impact can
> be
> > > heard.
> >
> > I guess I'm just surprised that anything faster
> > than restricted speed would be authorized with
> > signals suspended. Then again, somebody on the
> > ground assured I032 their route was properly
> > lined, and they probably didn't have much time
> to
> > reach to the fact it wasn't.
> >  
>
> Trains operate on other lines all the time that
> don't even have signals. Theoretically, operating
> during a signal suspension should be no different.

Valid point.

Prayers for the injured crew members.

Could have been even worse...

Posted from Android

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> toledopatch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > cutboy1958 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Interesting. PTC? Certainly  potential  for
> > >  this  to  have  been a  passenger
>  train
> > >  wreck!!
> >
> > Per other discussions, MoW had a signal
> suspension
> > in effect in the junction and somebody left a
> > switch misaligned.
> >
> > I find reports that the I032 was traveling at
> 30+
> > to be highly suspect with a signal suspension,
> but
> > from what I've read they did plug the air
> before
> > impact.
>
>
> The first thing that came to my mind in reading
> that was the Silver Star wreck a few years ago on
> CSX.
>
> Posted from Android

Thought the same!