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Getting "Kinky" With Restricted Speed At some point during your track side journeys, you have watched a train out on the mainline meander towards you at a very slow pace. Normally at this location, your favorite spot, you see trains race by at track speed. Since this is the first train you seen after parking over an hour ago, you quietly ponder what the problem may be. Why is this train not going faster? So to make things interesting and kill some time, you try to diagnose the problem. After all of the time you have spent watching trains, it shouldn't be too difficult. Your first inclination is to focus on the engines. Maybe the engineer is having some issues with the power. As the consist goes by, you look and listen to see and hear if all of the locomotives are pulling (loading amperage in railroad lingo) properly. With smoke bellowing from the turbos and the diesel engines revved up, you know that the locomotives seem healthy to the best of your knowledge. So you have ruled out engine problems. What could it be now? Aha, you think it might be train size. Maybe the train is too long and heavy for the engines to handle at high speed. But at that moment, you see the rear end of the train rounding a curve, making the train less than a mile or so in length. So much for that theory. But this next possibility, you believe, has to be correct. Maybe the train is approaching a stop signal and the engineer is just taking his or her time as there is no rush to simply stop. So you reach into your camera bag and grab the telephoto lens. You look down the tracks towards the engines and focus on the signal mast which displays the train's next governing signal. Seeing a bright green light, known as "clear," you know that is not the cause. Out of ideas, you are stumped. What is going on? For one of many reasons, this train is running on "restricted speed." Look in the rule book of any railroad and you will eventually find a section entitled Restricting Speed. Many of the railroads often refer to restricted speed as a method of operation. Although the definition may vary slightly from road to road, the meaning is still the same. Restricted speed is defined as: a speed which allows stopping within one half the range of vision short of a train, engine, on track equipment, roadway workers, obstruction, any signal requiring stop, derail set in the derail position, and switch improperly lined. When a train or engine is required to move at restricted speed, the crew should be on the look out for broken or misaligned rail while not exceeding a maximum speed of 20 mph outside of interlocking limits, 15 mph within interlocking limits. As you can guess, restricted speed can be one of the most critical situations for a train crew, demanding their utmost attention. Any time a crew is operating under the conditions of restricted speed, it is a very real possibility that there may be something either ahead of them or a problem with the track structure. If the crew is operating at a speed which does not allow them to stop safely within one half the range of vision, it could lead to a collision or derailment that could cause them serious injury or even death. For example, imagine being behind the throttle of an 18,000 ton coal train, which equates to 36,000,000 pounds. You have just passed a restricting signal and are approaching a stretch of track that has several curves. Your visibility of the track leading to the upcoming curves is masked by trees. It is the middle of the night, raining very hard, and the train is traveling downhill on a grade that reaches 0.5%. As the engineer, how fast would you go knowing you have to be able to stop within one half the range of vision?
Some time ago while working on a terminal yard job, we had one day on the job that was extremely busy. It was a beautiful sunny day, but miserably hot. The humidity was unbearable and the heat index was hovering near 100*. Our last move of the day was to take four loaded trash cars to a recycling center and bring back their eight empty cars. Getting there is difficult work for the conductor, as it requires him to ride an almost five mile backup move on the mainline over several busy road crossings. Access to the recycler is made by diverging off of the mainline at a hand operated switch and running just under a mile on an old Michigan Central Line industrial spur. The track on the spur is in marginal shape, considering it sees a train once or twice a week. Years ago, the M.C. laid the track on spent cinders from steam locomotives. Although now supported with splashes of ballast, there are still portions of the line that are pure cinder bed. Being a spur, this track is limited to Restricted Speed, not exceeding 10 mph. After passing over the last of the three grade crossings, we have maybe a quarter of a mile run before reaching the customer's facility. Prior to entering their property is a fairly tight curve that has the track turn from west to southeast. Due to the condition of the track, I keep the speed around 5 mph with light applications of the automatic brake to ensure a smooth ride for my coworker. As we get close to the customer's unloading platform, the conductor is giving me car counts to a stop. As I am listening to his radio transmissions and looking down the long hood of the engine, I feel the locomotive gently sway to the left and then back to the right. As I bring the train to a stop, I look ahead at the section of track we just passed over and could not believe my eyes. To my amazement, there was a sun kink! Changes in temperature can have devastating effects on railroad tracks. In the summer when the average temperature is 90 degrees or more, heat may cause the rail to expand. In some cases, this may be too much for the track to handle. The rail, anchors and ties slowly begin to buckle, taking the ballast along with it. When this occurs, the portion of the affected track completely shifts to one side or the other. And we successfully made it to the other side!
Assuming my conductor had no clue as to how lucky we were to have not derailed, I called him up to the head end of the train. Pointing to the kink, I asked if he had noticed it as we shoved towards the recycling plant. He said that, like a lot of industrial track around town, it looked like the normal spaghetti shaped railroad that was not in the best of shape. It was only after I showed him how the entire track structure shifted to the outside curve, leaving gaps on the inside of the ties where ballast once was, did he understand what happened. Going over the kink without stopping was not his fault, as he has never experienced a sun kink in his limited career of 5 years on the railroad. With northwest Ohio by no means a mecca for sun kinks, he may never see another one. This was only the third kink I have seen, and that is in almost 23 years at the throttle!
Knowing that this is a major problem, I called for assistance from the track department to get their opinion. The inspector who arrived was very surprised to see the kink, mentioning it was one of the worst kinks he had seen in this area during his tenure. My conductor was intrigued by this phenomenon and asked the inspector his thoughts on possible causes. While measuring the kink and jotting down some numbers, he said in his opinion it was a combination of extreme heat and the inability of the decades old cinder bed to hold the track in place under such stress. We were amazed to learn that the track had shifted 11 inches to the north.
After snapping a few photos to send to his supervisor for evaluation, the inspector was asked by higher ups if we could back up several car lengths in order to provide enough room for the track to be replaced. Herein lies the problem: with eight empties still in the customer's facility, plus four loads for them with our engine, we were completely out of real estate. You can only guess as to what was our only option!
After a job briefing between the inspector and his supervisor, the decision was made to take the train forward over the kink at walking speed. Going barely one mile an hour, I gingerly modulated the throttle to coax my SD40-2 and four loaded cars over the the kink. Once clear of it, the inspector again measured the kink. It had moved an additional 3 inches! That was enough for the inspector. He immediately called the dispatcher and pulled the track out of service until repairs could be made the next day. To go over a sun kink once and safely make it across is one thing; twice is pushing your luck. Does my conductor now know what to look for on hot days when riding a shove move down industrial track? You betcha. And what about me? Did going 5 mph on a track authorized for 10 mph possibly avoid a derailment? Maybe. One thing is for sure though: all of my future job briefings on very hot days with less experienced conductors will definitely cover sun kinks and the importance of restricted speed!
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News And Photos From Our American CRO Contributors.
Progress Rail Update by Joe Ferguson
At the Progress Rail shops in Mayfield, KY on July 30th, Joe Fergusson shot the following units: BNSF 147, 118, CSX 4584, 4585, KCS 3901, BNSF 146, 127, 133 and BNSF 149. Here is Joe's story behind these roster shots:
It was about 90 degrees and humid as could be, so I was hoping for a quick jump out of the car and back in to the car. That was not the case. Progress Rail's shop facility is off limits. However, there is an area where "inbound" and work-in-process locos are kept that is right next to a small hill. The storage tracks were cut out from this hill and the dirt used elsewhere when Progress bought this facility from Ingersoll Rand back in 2007 and converted it to a locomotive shop. It is essentially near the end of track on the Paducah and Louisville Mayfield branch. At one time, this line continued on 20 more miles to Fulton, KY. ICG trimmed this long before the PAL took over, and now a 20 mile trip from Fulton to Mayfield by car takes about 60 miles by rail in a giant horseshoe-shaped loop.
On the southwest side of the property there is a lumber company and in between the lumber company and Progress is a long grassy strip. It is usually mowed, but the 20 inches of rain this area received in June has kept the mowers at bay. The reason it stays mowed is there is an underground gas line right here.
I've been hitting this location since the shops opened. Many times there is really nothing exciting to shoot. However, a recent influx of BNSF GP60M's and SD75's got my interest up enough to make the trip.
When I arrived, plenty of GP60M's in sight. These are my second favorite diesel locomotive (behind the SD40-2), and since they are assigned to California this Midwesterner gets only occasional glimpses of them. For those of you in California, this will be a "yawner."
On the GP60M's in addition to the looks on a short frame, I have a remote personal connection to the GP60M through ATSF 146, which as some of you recall was the locomotive specially painted for Maersk publicity photos. My middle name comes from a Maersk ship, and the reason for this was my father's friendship with the captain of said vessel. As you will see, the 146 was present on this day.
The GP60M's are here for an overhaul, and are getting completely stripped down to the frame. It also appears they are going to get paint while here, but I can't totally confirm that at this time so don't go spreading my rumor!
The SD75's are here as recent acquisitions by Progress Rail from BNSF's lessor, who had them returned earlier this year. Unfortunately, all of them had been pushed to the far back of the property, out of camera range.
In addition to the BNSF locomotives, there are CSXT SD70MACs here for "warranty" work, which involves a fix to their nasty habit of tearing up cranks or main generators. Included in the work are rebuilt trucks and new traction motors and wheels, if necessary.
KCS has joined CSXT in shipping SD70MACs here, as well.
I snipped a couple CSXT SD70MACs as they were partly blocked by small trees that have grown on the hillside. Please remember that to get these photos required walking through waste-high grass and weeds with poison ivy intermingled in it and plenty of ticks and mosquitoes (to add to my enjoyment) during the high heat and humidity trek. It kind of felt like a railfan "Survivor" episode. However, for the one uncoupled roster of 147, it was worth it.
In late July Southern Peru Copper GP31ECO (Numbered PRLX 2018) was seen in transit to Houston, TX for export to South America. PRLX GP40 2018 was an acquisition from Helm back in 2007-2008 time frame. Part of a group of 14 units that were to be used as cores for PR22B sales. Of course, the PR22B never took off, so most of the cores sat in the back lot at Mayfield for 7 or 8 years. 2018 and 2021 were lucky to escape for rebuild. Five of this group were sold to Knoxville Locomotive Works and have been cut down to the frame (I've seen the frames), one survived as a "runner" and a resale (PRLX 2020), and the balance that did not sell were cut up last month in Mayfield as part of a great "purge" that included some SD40T-2's and the last of the SD90MAC-H's. Joe Ferguson guesses that the recent purchase of BNSF SD75M's by Progress and the needed space for storage got someone into action. Anyway, without a frame check to confirm positively, it appears Progress used the same ID for movement to keep it simple. When it gets to Peru the PRLX 2018 will come off and it will carry, most likely, a two digit number.
Joe Ferguson went to a lot of trouble to provide history and detail on the Southern Peru Copper GP31ECO (yes, it is a GP31, not GP33). A fan checked Tacoma Rail GP23ECOs plate and found it carried the serial number for PRLX 2018! Roster guru Randy Keller then compared photos of PRLX 2018, 2021, SPCC 72, and Tacoma Rail 2316 and found some spotting features that confirmed PRLX 2018 became Tacoma Rail 2316. This means that the "PRLX 2018" that moved through California was actually the PRLX 2021. I mentioned in my original post about assuming... and in this case it was wrong to do so! JF.
With my "busy" season getting behind me, and after completing a training session for our sales staff in Atlanta, I headed north. Rather than fight Chattanooga traffic at rush hour (which isn't that bad...but there's only one route through town and it can take a while to get through town during the 4 to 6 p.m. window), I made the decision to go through Rome, GA and then up to Wauhatchie, TN, which effectively got me to the other side of Chattanooga.
Rome is the site of a power plant and several industries, which warrants a set of GP's for switching. In the last year, the power went from regular GP's to an NS GP33ECO slug set. Knowing this, and knowing that the weather was supposed to be gloomy with thunderstorms, I went "off the beaten path" to go investigate.
Luck was with me on this day, as there was a set present. Even better, a small area of blue sky was coming in between showers (it would be the last one for the day).
The GP33ECO is about the same as the Southern Peru Copper we discussed (which someone has stated was actually a GP31ECO), with the main difference being NS's decision to put a new cab with a shorter nose. Behind it the RP-4MC slug looks similar to its original design, save for the blanked out radiators. I'm glad to at least get a set of these, as many sets are in the cities and in places you just can't access for "still" photos. (Joe Ferguson).
From there I drove on to Wauhatchie, TN. Wauhatchie was the site of a recent derailment where an NS train from Birmingham to Chattanooga happened to meet a semi-truck at a crossing (there is only one industry on the east side of the tracks, so traffic is infrequent at this crossing with no gates). The truck driver was fine, and the crew rode out the derailment in the cab. The leader actually derailed, landed on its side, and did a 180-degree turn, coming to rest about 1500 feet beyond the siding. Fortunately, the crew was able to crawl out of the locomotive and walk to the ambulance that arrived on the scene.
The first view shows the restored right-of-way with derailed and damaged hoppers off to the right. In the distance the leader can be seen resting next to the mainline after it was restored to the upright position.
The second view shows the locomotive, which happened to be one of NS's newest rebuilds. It is called a "D8.5-40CW" by NS. 8505 appears to have turned its last wheels after just a few revenue trips. This side doesn't look to bad, but the other side reveals a twisted frame. While a digital in this weather is no big deal, I would rarely take a slide of something like this because it was just too dark. However, I did with this one since it is probable there may be "no" slides of 8505 at all.
If not for this derailment, I would never have had a reason to come to this particular location. Proof that the good Lord is a Southern fan can only be proven by the last photos in this group. A MofW building with an old Southern sign on top and an old Southern trailer at this location made this look like a scene from 1980 and not 2016. From the repaired track just to the north of this site and the positioning and number of derailed hoppers, it appears that the last of the derailed cars could not have been more than 3 or 4 car lengths from the building and trailer. (All photos by Joe Ferguson).
On August 1st, knowing well beforehand that this locomotive was coming North, George Manley caught EMD SD70ACe Tier 4 Demonstrator (EMDX 1502) as rear DPU on this UP northbound in Tacoma, WA. The locomotives were: UP 2611, 2658, 7823 were leading the 1st MWCRV with DPU's UP 2546 and EMDX 1502 on the tail end.
On August 7th George Manley Shot Amtrak train #6, running late, at Martinez, California pulling out of town with AMTK 67 and 10 and IDOT4604 and 10 cars. IDOT 4604 (Illinois Department of transportation) orders for the Siemens-built SC44 Charger passenger locomotives are being delivered by Amtrak, often going on Amtrak train #6.
Geoff Elliott caught Conrail Heritage NS 8098 eastbound at Bellevue Ohio on June 26th.
Fancy new paint for LTEX MP15DC 1524 as it arrived at Willard Ohio on July 21st with 5 other different LTEX units. (Tom Boylan photo).
LTEX GP15 1431 at Willard, Ohio July 21st (Photo by John Sponseller).
Here are four of 6 ex-BNSF GP35's (LTEX 2503, 2506, 2541, 2580) , that arrived at Willard, Ohio on July 21st. These may make it up to CADRAIL in Montreal at some point. (All photos are by Tom Boylan photos)
Lynn Powell was trackside for two-and-a-half hours on both July 25 and 26. Monday the 25th was another dead morning for BNSF freight traffic. The three freights that I saw had nothing to write home about motive power wise. However, parked at East Riverbank was a fantastic motive power lashup, showing BNSF 9880, 1443, 157, 701, and BNSF 4564.
On July 26th, it was hot and heavy with BNSF freights, but once again, most had the same old GE's in orange and green! At one point, Lynn has four westbound's in a row in about half-an-hour. He tried several "artsy-fartsy" shots, but none came out the way I wanted. The only shot worth showing you is Photo 2, with SD70 #8516 passing through a gap in parked track machines. Miserably hot by 10:30 it was time to go home when the slightest pause in the action occurred!
Former CN M420W living Stateside, SMMR 3518 at Ordway Colorado on July 20th, 2016. (John Black Photo)
John Added: She is a long way from the Manitoba prairies, all alone in Eastern Colorado. Scrap mongers, A&K Railroad Supplies brought her in to scrap the old Missouri Pacific mainline to Pueblo. They ran into one problem, they did not have permission to scrap the line, and it was brought to the authorities attention before any rail was lifted. Although A&K was able to remove spikes and joint bar hardware on over 25 miles of the Eastern most segment of the railroad. Unfortunately the government did not order A&K to put back what they had already taken! The rail cars were shipped out empty, leaving the M420 alone on the Prairie. At the moment, local farmers are trying to purchase the line from the State of Colorado, and are seeking funding to restore the line, and connect with another shortline on the Kansas end of the railroad. Looking back 25 years ago, this was a 60mph CTC railroad, until UP decided to truncate the secondary route to Kansas City. It was also in that same time frame, that the UP shut down the former D&RGW Tennessee Pass line. Regards, John Black.
Rock and Rail 201 and 401 using the old SOO LINE Paint scheme with pale yellow effectively at Portland, Colorado July 19th, 2016.
Eastbound BNSF 4895 was shot by John Black at NA Jct, in Colorado July 19th.
At Boone, CO the same day John clicked BNSF 4895 leading the General Merchandise train.
BNSF HEAD-ON IN TEXAS WAS HUMAN ERROR (TSB)
A train failed to heed a stop signal before it barreled head-on into another freight train on June 28th, in the Texas Panhandle, killing three, according to a preliminary federal report released on July 21st 2016. The eastbound BNSF train failed to reduce speed at a yellow (warning) signal on June 28th and then continued past the next red (stop) signal running at full track speed (60MPH), and colliding head on with an oncoming BNSF westbound train which was already slowing down in emergency braking, inspectors for the National Transportation Safety Board said in the report.
The eastbound train, bound for Chicago, was supposed to stop and allow the Los Angeles-bound train to pass. It was traveling just over 60 mph when it passed the yellow signal, though trains are not supposed to travel any faster than 40 mph at a yellow signal so that they can stop in time at a red signal. The train was traveling about 65 mph when it passed the stop signal. NTSB spokesman Terry Williams said it's not clear how far beyond the stop signal that the point of impact occurred. "We're still in the gathering phase of this investigation," he said, adding that a final NTSB report will be released at some point next year. He declined to comment further. A message left for BNSF spokesman Joe Faust by The Associated Press was not immediately returned.
The collision occurred outside the town of Panhandle, about 25 miles northeast of Amarillo. Each train was carrying two crew members. One jumped to safety, the other three died. Fort Worth-based BNSF estimates the damage at $16 million, according to the report. The eastbound train was pulling 56 loaded cars and the other train had 54 cars -- all carrying stacked containers of consumer goods, like paper products, clothing, televisions and computers, Faust has previously said.
The collision triggered a fireball and caused containers and cars to tumble onto one another in a pileup. Freight cars derailed and were strewn along with containers about 400 yards from the collision site. Authorities have previously said the eastbound train had stopped in Amarillo to refuel, and that diesel fuel contributed to a fire that burned for hours.
BNSF has pledged to meet a 2018 federal deadline to adopt positive train control (PTC) technology that relies on GPS, wireless radio and computers to monitor train positions and automatically slow or stop ones that are in danger of colliding, derailing due to excessive speed or about to enter track where crews are working or that is off limits.
A PTC system is scheduled to be operational by BNSF in the area where the collision occurred by the end of this year, the NTSB said in the report.
Last month's accident was at least the second in recent years involving BNSF trains striking one another. In September 2013, three were involved in a wreck near Amarillo that injured five crew members, according to a separate NTSB report. The federal agency in that incident faulted the crew in one train for improperly proceeding past a signal and striking the rear of a stationary train. (By David Warren, The Associated Press July 26th)
UNION PACIFIC DERAILMENT IN OREGON NTSB REPORT
How Inspectors Missed Broken Bolts That Caused An Oil Train Derailment
Oregon Public Broadcasting News
On April 27, Steve Holm and three other inspectors drove right over a set of broken railroad bolts that later would cause a massive oil train explosion.
Holm rode shotgun as Union Pacific Railroad's specially equipped pickup rolled along at 10 mph over its tracks through the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. He stared out the front windshield at the steel rails, the wood ties beneath and the plates and bolts that held them together.
Had Holm seen anything he suspected was out of alignment he would have stopped, hopped down from the truck and walked for a closer look. But he didn't. "It was a normal inspection," said Holm, a track inspector with the Oregon Department of Transportation. "There was nothing outstanding that stood out in my mind about it."
ODOT has concluded that several of the lag bolts fastening the rail lines to the ties had probably been sheared and rusted over for some time. Holm says he just missed them. Union Pacific said it followed federal laws, meaning in the five weeks that followed Holm's track survey, its own inspectors would've passed over those bolts at least 10 more times. On the afternoon of June 3, those bolts failed under the weight of a train hauling 94 cars of crude oil from the Bakken region of North Dakota. The rails spread apart. The train left the tracks. Oil spilled. Flames erupted. "When I got up there and I saw what had happened, I was very surprised," Holm said. Simple steps could have prevented the fiery derailment. Had inspectors from Union Pacific railroad or government regulators walked the stretch of track in the weeks or months prior, they might have spotted the broken bolts. But no one did.
Those unseen, broken bolts in Mosier expose a significant flaw in the current system for railroad inspections. Yet, federal and state regulators, as well as the railroads, all say current rules are adequate. Minimum federal requirements allow railroads considerable leeway for how they inspect their own track, while government checks are few and far between. As Mosier showed, the system can allow potentially dangerous defects to go unaddressed for months. "The fact is, it doesn't pick up all the defects," said Fred Millar, an independent consultant in hazardous materials transport who has been critical of a proposal for the country's largest oil-by-rail terminal in Vancouver. "Now, should that give you any pause about whether the inspections system, the inspection regime, is itself designed to be really rigorous and really work or not?" Millar said.
The Federal Railroad Administration, the country's rail safety regulator, blamed Union Pacific for the derailment. The agency is considering enforcement action against the railroad. "When it comes down to it, it's Union Pacific's failure to maintain its track led to this incident," FRA Administrator Sarah Feinberg told OPB's All Things Considered in June.
Union Pacific is to blame. But it isn't alone. In its initial report on Mosier, the FRA said broken lag bolts are more effectively caught if inspections are done by walking on the tracks instead of driving. Regulators and safety experts say walking curved sections of track is a good safety measure and sometimes railroad policy. But the FRA doesn't require it. And Union Pacific didn't do it. The railroad's inspections, done by vehicle as recently as four days before the derailment, identified no such flaws.
Before the derailment, the FRA's own inspectors hadn't laid eyes on the tracks in Mosier or reviewed the railroad's inspection records for its tracks through the Columbia River Gorge since early this year. After the derailment, the Oregon Department of Transportation was so concerned its inspector missed the defects that it requested a halt on oil train traffic - a request federal officials have indicated they're not likely to grant. Union Pacific surpassed the bare minimums for inspection frequencies in the gorge. "We were adhering - meeting or exceeding - the FRA standards for inspections prior to the derailment," Union Pacific spokesman Justin Jacobs said.
Union Pacific said twice a week it had an inspector look for defects while traveling in a truck that is equipped to operate on railroad tracks. The railroad's policy before Mosier included no walking inspections of curves or spot checks for these so-called hi-rail inspections. Union Pacific also used special equipment four times per year to test for internal flaws and problems with track geometry that visual inspections cannot detect. Some experts have said a proper inspection should have caught a series of broken lag bolts regardless of whether they were walking or driving. Once every 18 months Union Pacific used a device called a Gage Restraint Measurement System to measure rail strength. The railroad and other safety experts have said that test likely would have caught the broken bolts that caused the Mosier derailment. The FRA has no requirement for those inspections, which means railroads are under no obligation to run them more frequently in the hopes of catching these defects. Union Pacific voluntarily increased inspections after the derailment.
BNSF DEARILMENT IN WASHINGTON NTSB REPORT
Across the Columbia River on the Washington side of the gorge, BNSF Railway inspects its track every day, spokesman Gus Melonas said. Its policy mandates walking inspections of curves a minimum of once per year.
Like Union Pacific, it runs automated inspections of track geometry four times per year. It tests track strength and movement at least once per year.
"Walking inspections fluctuate. Tonnage, wear, age of rail, weather (numerous conditions) all dictate frequency," Melonas said in an email. "Inspectors are over the track daily and may call for a detailed look on occasion." The FRA encourages - and expects - railroads to exceed its requirements to ensure track safety. The federal agency's compliance manual for track and rail infrastructure states that its track safety standards "are minimum safety requirements and are not appropriate for track maintenance purposes."
"Look, railroads can always and they should go above and beyond our minimum maintenance requirements and our minimum inspections requirements," Feinberg said. "But the reality is we have to move dangerous products in this country all the time." Despite this latest oil train explosion, FRA data show overall derailments are on the decline and have been for years. However, the costliest derailments, with damages exceeding $1 million, are not.
The railroad industry says more than 99 percent of hazardous material shipments reach their destination safely. That slim failure rate has included more than two dozen crude by rail incidents in recent years. Bad track has caused the majority of them. Experts say the weight and movement of oil trains puts a new burden on the nation's rail infrastructure. Meanwhile, railroads have little oversight from the government when it comes to inspections and track maintenance. The FRA has fewer than 100 track inspectors for 140,000 miles of track across the country. Ten FRA track inspectors in the Northwest region are responsible for eight states, including Alaska. In state government, Oregon has three track inspectors. Washington has two. Together the two states have more than 5,000 miles of track.
The FRA guidelines for track infrastructure take up more than 180 pages, but they still leave many decisions to railroads on how they conduct inspections. For instance, there is no maximum speed at which inspections should be done, leaving it to the "sole discretion of the inspector, based on track conditions and inspection requirements." Current rules allow one person to inspect two tracks at once. The FRA has requirements for railroad track inspectors, but the agency itself does not certify them. That's left to the railroads. Through their union, railroad track inspectors have complained of having large territories, too little track time and pressure to complete inspections quickly. "They are self-regulated to a degree. The regulations that are in place - they're the bare minimum," said Mike Elliott, a Seattle train engineer and former union safety official. In 2015, Elliott won a court case against BSNF Railway after the railroad fired him for flagging safety issues. "They have a lot of leeway," Elliott said of railroads. "And they have favorable laws on their side." Why Feds Chose Not To Investigate Oil Train Derailment In Columbia Gorge. (Report by Tony Schick Oregon Public Broadcasting - July 8, 2016
The National Transportation Safety Board has responded to a letter from Oregon's senators about why it did not investigate last month's oil train derailment in the Columbia River Gorge, saying its limited staff likely would not have gleaned any new safety recommendations from examining the incident. The federal agency provided a 50-page response to Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, saying it "recognizes the impact of this accident on your constituents and understands the concerns of those affected." The NTSB said it did not send a team to Mosier because the incident involved no injuries or fatalities and because early information gathered from Union Pacific Railroad, first responders and the Federal Railroad Administration "indicated that the circumstances of this accident did not pose any new significant safety issues." Specifically, federal investigators have seen tank cars rupture before when carrying flammable liquids. Their response to the Oregon senators included a list of 23 known incidents in North America involving crude oil, ethanol or other flammable liquids.
The NTSB opened an investigation into only nine of those and has not yet closed any, according to data released in the response. Wyden said he will be scrutinizing whether the agency needs to increase the size of its investigative staff. "As I keep working to build support in Congress for my bill, I will also continue to look at ways to improve oil-by-rail safety," Wyden said. "I find it very disturbing that the NTSB did not appear to have enough resources to send an investigative team to Oregon to more closely examine the Mosier accident." Feds propose railroads have plans to deal with oil spills (JOAN LOWY Associated Press - July 13, 2016)
Railroads hauling crude oil would be required to develop comprehensive plans for dealing with a significant oil spill, including providing detailed information to state and tribal authorities, under a rule proposed in late July by the Department of Transportation. The proposal also includes a new testing method for shippers to determine the volatility of oil shipments.
Oil is often transported in trains with as many as 100 tank cars at a time. At least 27 oil trains have derailed in the US and Canada in the last decade, often leading to fiery explosions and extensive environmental damage. Local authorities have complained in the past that they've been unable to obtain information or there have been delays in obtaining information from railroads.
Last month, a Union Pacific Railroad oil train derailed in the scenic Columbia River Gorge along the Oregon-Washington border. The derailment released 42,000 gallons of crude oil and sparked a massive fire that burned for 14 hours. The proposed rule would "hold industry accountable to plan and prepare for the worst-case scenario," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. The Association of American Railroads said in a statement that it is reviewing the 217-page proposal, and that railroads already have response plans in place. The rule would require railroads to position teams that can respond with equipment and manpower within 12 hours to an oil train derailment. But the department also asks for industry and public comments on whether a maximum 6 hours to respond would be more appropriate in areas where there is high volume of oil train traffic or that are environmentally sensitive. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-OR, praised the proposal, saying it would "ensure that personnel are trained and available, that equipment is in place to respond to a spill, and that procedures are established before a spill occurs." He said he will urge the department to include ethanol shipments in addition to crude oil in the proposal. Like crude oil, ethanol is also sometimes shipped in trains with large numbers of tank cars that, if derailed, can spill their contents and ignite fierce fires that spread to other cars.
In a 91* degrees hot humid July 20th afternoon at the busy and legendary Blue Island Crossing at Broadway Ave Richard Elleby captured Iowa Interstates SIBI (Silvia, IL to Blue Island Manifest) shoving his Train East and crossing B.I. Junction and Broadway Ave on the Indiana Harbor Belts Main line. The train has the IAIS Anniversary unit #516 leading painted in a Former Rock Island livery. SIBI is shoving towards the Harbor's Blue Island hump yard. This one, along with IAIS 513 are two of Richard's favorite locomotives. He also caught a few Former Rock Island Grain cars and a classic Chessie System CSX Grainer in SIBI's consist. (Richard Elleby)
Repainted ex-SOO Line SD60 (CITX 6016) was shot by Tom Boylan on August 5th, stopped at Attica, OH and was the ninth engine of an NS 9 lite engine move to Bellevue Ohio. She is in fresh blue paint and has a new air conditioner on the roof.
CSX REBUILD NEWS
CSXT have designated 10 GE C40-8W's for remanufacturing and installation of CCA at GE Erie PA. . The first two (CSX 7771 and 7779), have already been stripped and are in the rebuild process.
SEIMEN'S CHARGER LOCOMOTIVES:
Siemens' new higher-speed Charger diesel-electric passenger locomotive is undergoing a comprehensive testing program at the Transportation Technology Center Inc. (TTCI) in Pueblo, Colo., prior to entry into revenue service in various U.S. locations. Several tests and validation exercises including maximum speed runs, acceleration and braking and the overall performance capabilities of the locomotive are being conducted to ensure the Charger "is operating and performing as designed and that the locomotive is ready to provide reliable service for passengers," Siemens said. The Charger is powered by a high-performance, environmentally friendly, 4400 HP rated Cummins QSK95 diesel engine. Designed to operate at speeds up to 125 mph, it is the first higher-speed passenger locomotive to receive Tier 4 emissions certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It obtains an emission reduction of approximately 90% compared to locomotives powered by Tier 0 power plants. An electronically controlled regenerative braking system use energy from the traction motors during dynamic braking to feed the auxiliary and HEP (head-end power) systems to reduce fuel consumption. The locomotives also meet the latest FRA safety regulations, including enhanced carbody structural safety with CEM (crash energy management) All main components are produced in Siemens plants in the U.S.—traction motors and gearboxes in Norwood, Ohio and propulsion containers in Alpharetta, Ga. The diesel engines are manufactured by Cummins in its Seymour, Ind., plant.
Siemens has also established a large base of U.S. suppliers to support production. Transformers and alternators are supplied out of Florida, brake components out of Maryland, HVAC systems out of Nebraska, and steel and fabrication parts out of California and Oregon. Final assembly of the Buy America-compliant Charger takes place at Siemens' Sacramento, Calif., plant, which is powered in part by solar. The first Chargers were ordered under a $225 million contract awarded in 2014 by a multi-state coalition led by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). Since then, options have been exercised by six states including Illinois, California, Michigan, Washington, Maryland and Missouri. In addition, the first Siemens-built trainsets for the new Brightline passenger service in Florida, each powered by two Chargers, will ship this fall. IDOT will receive its first Charger later this year, with additional customers to follow throughout 2017. "Cummins' QSK95 is the first locomotive prime mover for single-engine installations to be certified to the EPA's ultra-low Tier 4 emissions regulations," said Melina Kennedy, General Manager, Cummins Global Rail and Defense Business. "Not only is it the cleanest diesel engine for locomotives, it also offers large gains in fuel efficiency over non-certified engines currently used in many passenger rail applications." "These diesel-electric locomotives truly represent the next generation of clean and efficient rail travel in the United States, and the testing being done in Pueblo is a crucial step in bringing this advanced rail technology to states across the country," said Michael Cahill, President of Siemens Rolling Stock. "The Siemens Charger not only is the first diesel-electric locomotive to meet the EPA's strict Tier 4 emissions standards, but it is also a powerful example of what can be accomplished through American manufacturing." "These locomotives mark a new era in Pacific Northwest train travel," said Ron Pate, director of Rail, Freight and Ports for the Washington State Department of Transportation, who traveled to Colorado for the testing. "They will help provide more frequent, reliable and faster service to our Amtrak Cascades customers and also advance our agency's commitment to offering alternative and sustainable transportation choices." "The Charger will provide California's intercity passenger rail services with a fleet of locomotives that meet very stringent Tier 4 emission standards and that help promote CALTRANS' mission of a safe, sustainable, integrated and efficient transportation system," said CALTRANS Division of Rail Chief Bruce Roberts. "The new locomotives are capable of quicker acceleration, higher top-end speeds and will provide passengers with the safety of PTC." "TTCI is honored to assist Siemens in qualifying the new Charger locomotive," said TTCI President Lisa Stabler. "We are happy to be able to provide a testing facility that enables our customers to evaluate their product's performance in a real-world environment." (William Ventura report SEIMENS).
Walter Pfefferle CRO Web Guy
Spotted the Flagg Coal Co 0-4-0 sitting at the Mad River Museum in Bellevue Ohio. It was used in their Railway Days event and was a huge success.
Also at the museum was this Norfolk and Western SD9 2349 showing off its new paint job. Well done guys.
BNSF 8061 leads BNSF 6912 on a westbound train as it rolls by the Mad River Railpark in Bellevue Ohio.
As I was leaving Bellevue Wheeling and Lake Erie were just leaving and I caught W&LE 6382 bringing up the tail end. They use a push pull arrangement on the run to Toledo as there is nowhere to wye the engines.
In Willard Ohio I caught this pair of BNSF units, 3826 and 7382 sliding across the new high speed diamond. Its design now allows high speeds in both directions.
Heading home through Oak Harbor this priority intermodal blew through with NS 2751 NS 9214 and UP 7293.
I will be heading back to Ohio and new places to visit so will have more photos next month. Remember no photo is worth your life s Be safe Out There.
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New Haven
This is a great era to be a New Haven HO gauge fan. Nothing more symbolized the early 1960 period than the GP9. Incredible as well, Athearn has a very close to prototype for around $30.00. This picture shows BN-1 waiting out a meet with a northbound passenger. This shot is by my friend Ken. He and I were riding in the cab all the way to new Haven in the spring of 1964. Notice the three maker set, EMD, Alco and FM. What a great train this was. It was also the last run for engineer Corcoran. BTW, the man leaning out of the cab is Mr. Haskel himself!
Penn Central
PC U25C 6501 was photographed by Stephan M. Geisler back in June 1976, as it moved in the Yard in East Conway, Pennsylvania. The ALCO influence 'off center' lead wheel sets on the U25C trucks looked terrific in your CRO Editors opinion.
Southern Pacific
On November 16th 1974, brand new Southern Pacific Alco C628 3128 (a former ALCO Demonstrator waits at the east end of West Colton Yard to depart Los Angeles as an inbound freight rolls past them.
Rob Sarberenyi photographed this view of the EMD-built motive power at Southern Pacific's West Oakland Diesel Facility in June 1995.
In West Oakland, CA in April 1994, Rob clicked SSW 8043 with Conrail SD40 6291 third in the consist and far from her home rails! CR SD40 6291 is ex-CNJ 3067, nee-B&O 3067.
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Copyright CRO September 2016