Derailment - Springfield, Ohio 3/4/2023

The unions, all of them, tried to tell everyone what was going on during the contract negations. Dispatchers, signal, car, track, engine house, and obviously T&E.

I remember the time when the railroads were striving for the E.H. Harriman award for safety. All that went out the window under the PSR focus on the operating ratio.

Another media nightmare confronting Topper:

https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/vi ... 4518981657

Lead story this evening.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 9:17 pm Another media nightmare confronting Topper:

https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/vi ... 4518981657

Lead story this evening.

Heard that. NS is now saying there were hazardous chemical cars on the train but they didn't derail.

How many more derailments do we need until Congress starts thinking about nationalizing it...

How many more derailments accidents do we need before WE the employees who have screamed and warned this is what is going to happen. How about we worry more about safety and less about profit margins. Why would you want Congress to step in, anytime a lawyer writes a rule the railroad looses more brain cells.

The chickens are finally coming home to roost.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/2nd-norfolk-s ... d=97644240

This article has a video of the train derailing.

The earlier video posted by Mike show the start of this derailment when a short car (hopper?) stumbled at the grade crossing. this makes me wounder if the buffing forces of a long train, in conjunction with a much shorter car at the right spot didn't cause this derailment. because of the length of the train it took a while for the trains momentum to stop even with brake application and the actual pile up was several thousand feet to the right of the dash-cam. obviously not a track defect as trailing cars initially stayed on the track thru the grade crossing.

The NBC News video shows the derailing car, which to me appears to be a Coiled Steel railcar.

A S.W.A.G. with a touch of knowledge. coiled steel cars when loaded are very heavy lets say they were. The scrap gon in front of them looks empty and they always look kinda sketchy, don't know how the rest of the train is set up. Loads vs. empties. Was there a DPU in the mix? NS has had issues in the past with DPUs. My guess after the air dumps and the slacks runs in the weight of those coil cars is a bit much on that scrap gon and bingo, bango, boingo, there went Topper yet again.

A report in The Times stated the train originated at Bellevue (NKP) and was destined for Birmingham. Photos of the scene show single track, but beyond that, I'm at a loss to note on what former road the train was on.

It's the South Charleston Pk. grade crossing at the Springfield Corp. Limits, approximately 39 degrees, 54 minutes North, 83 degrees, 44 minutes West.
After the coil cars derail on the crossing, many cars stay on the track past the crossing and out of camera view until Railbox cars start derailing just past the crossing.

The video showing the start of the derailment is worth watching several times. It certainly appears the 2 coil cars went UP as the first sign of trouble. I can't see that they were on the ground before. I have not watched it with sound but one comment said you could hear the air dump before the derailment. IF that's correct, the run-in could have lifted those two up and off, and it's game on from there.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 1:24 pm A report in The Times stated the train originated at Bellevue (NKP) and was destined for Birmingham. Photos of the scene show single track, but beyond that, I'm at a loss to note on what former road the train was on.

The location was in my original post and then removed by moderator nomis. The road is the former PRR Cincinnati line from Columbus OH (Buckeye Yard) to Springfield OH.

JimBoylan wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 1:56 pm It's the South Charleston Pk. grade crossing at the Springfield Corp. Limits, approximately 39 degrees, 54 minutes North, 83 degrees, 44 minutes West.
After the coil cars derail on the crossing, many cars stay on the track past the crossing and out of camera view until Railbox cars start derailing just past the crossing.

Following up JB - Google Maps Streetview Address: 4198-4164 Charleston Pike, Springfield, OH 45502
The posted video looks east with the "Springfield Corp. Limit" sign visible. On the other side of the track is a
relay box with signal 178W. Charleston Pike is Ohio Route 41 in this area east of the center of Springfield.

These are becoming tough times for NS with any significant incident getting plenty of attention...MACTRAXX

The derailment happened just around the corner from the Ohio State Highway Patrol post and the EPA which are on Gateway Blvd to the northeast. About 1100 feet away.