Matt and I was at the Amsterdam station since 3am.. We were chatting with 2 other railfans.. and we were scratching our heads wondering whats the hell is going on. One railfan who is from Albany stated to me that he
saw Q167 parking on the main behind CP175. So, ok.. Matt asked me if
I wanted anything at Stewart's.. I said Sure, please (cawfee and
coffee cakes), gave him my money and told Matt get himself what he
wants with my money. So, off he goes.. Radio chatter was dead for the
last 20 minutes.. Marker signal keeps on "brraping and brraping" so
that figures me an possible eastbound or the same ol westbound that
was sitting at 175. Then, on the radio, "Q163, calling the Selkirk
hub" so Selkirk came on.. and Q163 wanted to know when they will
move... The dispatcher has not responded for some time...
(Backtrack it for a few/hours moments.. I was talking to Biff on mobile/laptop live on the scene AIM on that morning at 530, we were talking about the weather and theAmtrak 48.. 5 mins late out of the Buff, and Matt was saying thatthe DS is calling Q115 that the signals dropped to red in front oftheir train nearing St Johnsville and the train board in Little Falls went blank so it seems to me that we think it was a nasty
thunderstorm that tore out the signals as an power failure, so I went
oh well, Then the DS ordered an hi-railer to do a inspection from
CP169 to CP220 (Herkimer))
Then, Matt came over from Stewart's, gave me some cawfee and he saw
the crew jitney van came and picked up the crew from Stewarts and
they were just waiting for a bit. We thought it could be an outlaw at
first. Then all of the sudden, the Chief DS told every crew from
every train to report to Selkirk.. Matt and I were looking at each
other and so the other railfans.. So, Matt and other railfans
carefully listened to my radio, its more clearer... so it was
confirmed.. So tied down every train.. Phil came on AIM, (right on
the dot!) we were chatting on whats going on and told Phil to give us
his cell so Matt can talk with him.. so Phil, Matt and me were a kind
of baffled.. So, I told Matt, "Get on the phone and Trace Amtrak 48"
and told Phil that I had a gut feeling that speculated a derailment
someplace in Little Falls in which it was my "hint hint"... Then Matt
was making a wild "What??" and looked at me with a long face.. I knew
it.. Popeed out of my head.. "It 's a farking derailment.. Total
cluster fark..!!" Told Phil on AIM, "Confirmed Derailment , Amtrak
48 has been cancelled and annulled" and Phil hurriedly posted the
Confirmation to our SFPT group. so I had this long face.. saying
this to myself.. "Ohhhhh great... just what I need..." So Matt re-
called Amtrak Customer Service.. and asked them on why 48 has been
annulled? so Customer service said there was a derailment at Little
Falls, so that puts me to perspective why the circuit board in
Selkirk went blank. So, out of the whole day in perspective, we had a whirlwind ride to take photos of every parked train (nearly 20 of them between Selkirk to Herkimer)...
The point of the derailment is a sideswipe. Its not a "head on" or anything like that. Its just a simple sideswipe. One of the freight cars (possibly from S621)hit a switch and jumped off and landed onto Q366's path creating a mess. I have photos of it and it will be published on my web shortly.
Sigh..
Dave Edwards
Selkirk Foregin Power Team Owner