Railroad Forums 

  • 12/13/46 - COLUMBUS, OHIO

  • Discussion relating to the NYC and subsidiaries, up to 1968. Visit the NYCS Historical Society for more information.
Discussion relating to the NYC and subsidiaries, up to 1968. Visit the NYCS Historical Society for more information.

Moderator: Otto Vondrak

 #1453194  by shlustig
 
Extra 1699 East (F-3A, F3-B, GP-7 & 33 cars) going from Sharonville to Columbus at night derailed one truck of the 20th head car at Linden Ave. in Springfield while moving at 10mph. This was observed by the Springfield Yard operator who tried to signal the rear-end crew that brakes were sticking and who notified the operator at Carney Tower who observed the train, saw no deficient condition, and hi-balled the caboose. The Yard operator noted a bad signal circuit indication on his panel and called out the signal maintainer who later reported that there had been a car derailed which rerailed at the wye switch. This was reported to the train dispatcher.

In the meantime, Extra 1699 went into the siding at London for lunch, but departed before the Dispatcher contacted the operator at London Tower (PRR Xg).
En route at about 45 mph, the train derailed 15 cars at the east siding switch (Galloway) and 2 tank cars of ethylene oxide ruptured and ignited. Columbus and Franklin Twsp. FD's responded, and 45 personnel were injured when one of the tanks exploded.

Original derailment was caused by improper track profile on an 8@ curve at Linden Ave, and the general derailment was caused by a broken journal due to overheating from damage in the initial derailment.
 #1453621  by NKP1155
 
How much employee experience was missing on this incident? A derailment spotted, train at 10 mph. Employee A can't get attention of rear end crew, but does not think to open angle cock on slow moving caboose to stop train. Employee A reports to employee B who "doesn't see anything" so he highballs the move despite a serious need for some inspection. Employee B reports to DS who does not take immediate action to keep train from getting car knockers to walk consist.
 #1453693  by Allen Hazen
 
Typo in heading? GP-7 was introduced in 1949, so couldn't have been one of the units on a train in 1946.
 #1454178  by BR&P
 
NKP1155 wrote:How much employee experience was missing on this incident? A derailment spotted, train at 10 mph. Employee A can't get attention of rear end crew, but does not think to open angle cock on slow moving caboose to stop train. Employee A reports to employee B who "doesn't see anything" so he highballs the move despite a serious need for some inspection. Employee B reports to DS who does not take immediate action to keep train from getting car knockers to walk consist.
So a guy in the office or tower, after the train is past him, is supposed to put on his coat, run outside, chase down the track and catch up to the caboose to dump the air? It just does not work that way in real life.

From the way OP is written, the guy at Springfield did not know they were on the ground. He probably saw sparks, thus the report he made of sticking brakes. That's not unusual, especially in those days. So he notified a tower operator who DID inspect the train and saw nothing. A logical assumption is some car was a bit slow to pump off, but had cured itself. And if the train was X miles down the track, it would have been train crew and not car knockers who would walk it IF there had been reason to do so. Even then - not knowing the distance involved - the journal may not yet have heated up enough that it would have been obvious while stopped at London. It would seem - speculating on info above - that by the time the signal maintainer had arrived, walked the track, found the problem, and reported to the DS, the train had departed from the siding.

It may be that somebody dropped the ball, but I can't see it from what is given in this thread.