Attica NS derailment 2/15/18

[ctclark1]

Just heard fire/rescue dispatched to a derailment on East Main in Attica for a derailment and fire. Reported by the engineer to dispatch of a broken leg and broken arm.

Cars off and on fire between east main and the Alexander Town line.

Update 4:24pm - bystander has removed the engineer and conductor to their home on Maplewood, away from the scene for ambulance access. All cars off the tracks appear to be car carriers but are reportedly down the embankment, and one engine is fully engulfed.

[BR&P]

Damn, sounds bad.

[oibu]

Glad to hear the crew got out and clear before the fire spread. Hope everyone involved stays safe throughout the rescue/fire control/scene stabilization/recovery processes.

[Otto Vondrak]

https://www.wkbw.com/news/reports-train ... -in-attica" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


http://www.thedailynewsonline.com/bdn01 ... a-20180215" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A responder calling into the Wyoming County dispatch around 4:15 p.m. reported there were “multiple cars off the embankment,” with the enflamed cars inaccessible. From his viewpoint, none were tankers — they appeared to be car carriers.

-otto-

[Otto Vondrak]

Photos posted here:

https://www.facebook.com/News10NBC/post ... 8693194215" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

-otto-

[ctclark1]

Just came back from trying to rubberneck around the scene (safely! no dangerous driving or trying to go where I didn't belong) I picked up a friend who lives right next to the high school and we made a big circle around to the topside of the hill and back down the other side of East Main.. all you could see was smoke coming down the hill, so we turned around and made the circle again... Ended up in the vet's parking lot right on the corner (walked across the street from his place)...
Photo I took

Wyoming County Fire Coordinator was polling as many departments as he could for foam, including into Genesee County. Genesee County just brought their Emergency Services Mobile Command out to the scene about 10 minutes ago.

I was also just sent some pictures (secondhand from a friend of the friend I was driving around with) from the other side of the wreckage, I don't know if I'm allowed to share them or if that's against the rules. The rails are completely destroyed here, one of the main's rails is whipped way out across the siding tracks and into the dingweeds on the east side.

[ctclark1]

Video News Service posting (photos in comments)

[charlie6017]

In one of the Facebook postings that ctclark linked, someone mentioned it looks like the ground might have washed
out. Given the warm temps and snow melting, it makes sense **IF** that's what it was.

Prayers for the crew.

Charlie

[Farmer Joe]

Charlie, if you look in the comments of that Video News Service article on Facebook, there's a close-up picture of ties with a crushed Jeep down in a hole. Looking at that hole, I don't think it was made by an autorack or locomotive. Looks like a sink hole to me. Just my guess though.....

[ctclark1]

Not to get too speculative, but seeing that picture and the comments, that was my thought too. There was another eyewitness comment somewhere, the person was allegedly on the east side of the East Main crossing at the time of the incident and said it looked like the engine "hopped to the other tracks" before the whole thing derailed... My guess if it hit the other side of the hole hard enough it very well could have appeared to jump off the rails... Had to be one hell of a ride for the crew, glad they made it out alright.

[clearblock]

When John Kucko broke the story on News8 at 5 he said his "railroad sources" told him it was a washout and the NS dispatcher first became aware of the accident when the derailment caused an "alert" (probably loss of the track circuit) and he was unable to contact the train crew. Kucko said both the engineer and conductor were injured and a witness to the accident assisted them from the burning loco and to a location accessible to medical help.

Unlike the typical reporter, he was aware of the general circumstances and emphasized the derailment was the loco and autoracks, there were no persons other than crew on board and there was no passenger service on that line.

[Matt Langworthy]

The conductor suffered a broken shoulder, while the engineer had a broken leg, head gash and other injuries. I hope both of them make a full recovery.

[charlie6017]

Charlie, if you look in the comments of that Video News Service article on Facebook, there's a close-up picture of ties with a crushed Jeep down in a hole. Looking at that hole, I don't think it was made by an autorack or locomotive. Looks like a sink hole to me. Just my guess though.....

I agree, and like ctclark said as well, it had to be a hell of a ride down for the crew. I'm just glad they are going to be
okay soon enough.

I imagine CSX is already rerouting some of NS' trains. Makes me wonder if NS would consider routing some of the traffic
from the west via Meadville to Hornell on WNYP?

Charlie

[charlie6017]

Drew Guild reporting via Facebook said it looks like trains 309, 287 and 23K are going south on the former
D&H via Sunbury. Assuming they would head west on the Pittsburgh Line.

Charlie

[Farmer Joe]

"I imagine CSX is already rerouting some of NS' trains. Makes me wonder if NS would consider routing some of the traffic
from the west via Meadville to Hornell on WNYP?"

Edit.....
Posted too late! Oh well, fun to type......

I wouldn't be surprised if they get one track open tomorrow. Is the traffic on the tier "hot" enough for detours? If so, CSX to the Susquehanna? CSX all the way to Albany? Too bad the north end of the Corning Secondary is OOS. CSX has the capacity right now. Or, NS could just run their own detours on the D&H Sunbury line to the Pennsy if they had to. Anything could happen. We can only speculate!