Tuesday accident

NW Mailing List nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Thu Jul 16 20:54:47 EDT 2015



NS has had some signal issues system wide with the new signals being installed and functioning with the dispatch system and the trackwork.
A couple of weeks back here is Buford, Ga, the mainline goes from double track to single track as you head north from ATL to washington DC. A NB IM came through the intermediate signal at Sugar Hill, GA (Piedmont Div. ~MP602) at track speed and called the signal clear. As they creted the hill at Walters approaching the NB Signal at MP599.8, it had turned red against them, as was the turnout. Since yhey were only 0.2 miles from the signal when they saw it the crew obviously ran the signal and the turnout. Track speed for IM trains is 50+ mph through the area.
I'm not sure I'd blame the crew on this, or what signal protocol should be, I'd look at a signal failure first and deepest.
We've also seen trains take the siding in locations where there is no meet only to exit the other end of the siding on a green signal at road speed, no meet, no slow down, nothing. The new computer system isn't working right....
RegardsRuss GoodwinBuford, GA

Happy Connecting. Sent from my Sprint Samsung Galaxy S® 5

-------- Original message --------
From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Date: 16/07/2015  19:27  (GMT-05:00)
To: NWHS <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: Re: Tuesday accident

It was stated on a railroader forum that has several NS Roanoke employees
on there, that the signal that was passed in this accident has had other
incidents in which crews went by it 'claiming' it displayed a proceed
signal...

That said if even if it was displaying the correct signal (restricting), it
add fuel to my argument that the Stop and Proceed signal needs brought
back. With a restricting signal you can pass it prepared to stop within
half the range of vision at a speed not to exceed 20mph. Well if the rear
of a train is just hundreds of yards past it and you come in the leat bit
hot your in a pickle. With a Stop and Proceed you HAVE to stop before
passing the signal once you stop you can then start and pass the signal at
restricted speed... Anyhoo that's my signal rant for the day...

Nate
Galaxy
On Jul 16, 2015 1:07 PM, "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:

> Unless there were signal malfunctions or some unusual issue with the
> locomotives it would most likely be pure human error.  Approach (amber) and
> stop (red) signal indications protect a train ahead from a train behind if
> properly observed.  Where was the rear end of the proceeding train located
> relative to the nearest signal and turnout when the collision occurred?
>
> There was an instance in Sewickley, PA a while back where the engineer
> didn't properly follow the signal indication and rear ended the train ahead
> of him.
>
>
> http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/6609767-74/train-engineer-company#axzz3g4sC1BF4
>
> NS took an interesting approach to dealing with the engineers failure to
> control his train.
>
> Ed Painter - Narrows,VA living in North Georgia
>
>
> On Jul 16, 2015, at 9:36 AM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
> wrote:
>
> On Thu, Jul 16, 2015 at 8:35 AM, Mike wrote:
>
> Using Street View there seems to be a signal for westbounds shortly before
>> the accident site. Can anyone add details of what went wrong.
>>
>
> No details known yet (that anyone is talking about). From a 2003 track
> chart, that section of track is single track, a seven mile block between
> sections of double track. There is a home signal at JC at the Radford end
> of the bridge over the New River (MP 302) and a home signal at Wysor, just
> past Dublin (MP 309.2, can be seen from the VA 100 overpass). There are
> automatic signals for both directions at MP 304.7 and 306.9 that give the
> advance indication for the home signals. Track speed is 30 MPH as the line
> climbs up from New River, then it changes to 40 MPH when the track comes
> out of Morgan's Cut (about where the old U.S. 11 bridge crosses the track).
> The grade averages 1% from the end of the bridge until it tops out a little
> ways into the Wysor siding; there is a series of 6-degree left and right
> curves between the river and Morgan's Cut, then the line is relatively
> straight to Wysor (there are some short curves sprinkled throughout,
> nothing that would impair forward vision though).
>
> Bruce in Blacksburg
>
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