Defect in Weedsport found and fixed on 4/13/05

hay all, I'm sure that everyone heard all the chatter around 4:30p.m. last nite on 4/13/05 about problums at M.P. 308 in Weedsport, NY. Here are the details! I went for a short walk along the right of way and as it is do take note of the changes here and there. Well I found my self my first major Rail Defect in 5 years! and most likley prevented anouther lyons accdent. I did not see this till a west bound fraght clamered threw it the cars and locomotives did not sound right passing that one spot. So I walked up and took a look lone and behold the frog on track 2 had a 6" stip of steel about 3/25" deep missing in the frog on the track 2 side on the west bound approch. I called CSX made the report of what I saw. Trans on track 2 that Day were Q113 and Amtrak 261 both were ordered 2 halt befor M.P. 300 east bound trains were X-254 and B766. X-254 came along at restricted speed and nearley stoped long enough to tell the conductor where the bad spot was. 1 minuet later he confirmed the defect and told the dispatcher you had beter get a welder out here I would not recomend runing anything on track 2 and I would defininetley not use the crossover or someone will end up in the woods. The welders were on seen about 45min after the call was placed.

After all this happened the only thanks I got from preventing an accdent that could have caused houndrads of thousands maybe millions of dollars. Was from the road formen who came up to inspect the site befor work began was you'll have to leave this is private property! I think back on this and wonder was it worth doing a good deed only to be told to get out?
I'm not expecting a rewared or a trophy out of this I thought this was the right thing to do.

From what I saw from many of the engineers passing buy was a lot of thumbs up, smiles, extra toots on the horn a few thanks buddy over the scanner.

SRS- Don't wait around for thanks from CSX. You did the right thing, you made the report, and for that you get the untold thanks of all the crews who avoided injury that day.

A similar incident like yours happened to some friends of mine who were railfanning at Fairport Jct (CP 359) back in the summer of 1999 or so. They observed a rail defect and called it in to the railroad. Trains were routed around the defect, and the Rochester-area maintainer (I'm withholding his name here) responded to the site (he was NOT happy that he was called out on a SUNDAY). Confrimed the defect, then read my friends the riot act for trespassing on private property. After my friends left the property, the Foreman decided it would be a good idea to discredit my friends on the company radio by exaggerating the situation (said they were acting like "Chicken Little"), yet confirming the defect.

The point of the story is that is seems that these reports only seems to embarass and upset the maintainers. However, that should not discourage you from reporting potentially dangerous situations to the railroad. But don't wait around for "thanks" from the maintainers.

-otto-

SRS125; it was once said '' the road to hell is paved with good intentions".
While in your mind you did the Railroad a favor, you cannot save CSX
from it self. Trespassing on rr property is not often a good idea and you
further damage the railfan community at large by doing so. They simply
DO NOT want us or anyone else on their property. Having said that there
are times (but rare) when it my be nessesary to do so. Seeing someone in
immenet danger ie; a car stuck on the rails, a small child wandering along
and such where anyone would feel compelled to help. I once noticed some
bad rail near the platform at Utica Station and made mention of it to MOW
guy and recieved the same snide response. They do not want our help I
believe. Please refrain from "helping" and don't trespass.

STEAM ON
/--OOO--~-oo--oo-

0-6-0 is correct in regards to trespassing. You can make your report to the railroad, but don't be on site when the maintainers come to inspect the situation. They don't care why you're on their property- unless you're a railroad employee, you're just not supposed to be there.

-otto-

SRS125, as an engineer who generally runs through there alot, THANKYOU!!. I am currently in Miami enjoying a season on the FBU but I'll be back this fall. Your attention and actions are appreciatted. But as previously said, CSX property is private and the supervision won't allow you to stay, and it is for your safety as well with the equipment and men moving about. Report it and move away. Know it in your mind that you did the right thing and we thankyou.

Best bet is to stay away after you report it, keep your scanner on if you
have one but stay off the property, you will avoid any problems from
someone that way.
If it is in the daytime I would take a picture of the condition and then
report it and leave. Don't give them your name, just report it and then
let someone else worry about it.
As for thanks, don't expect it, maybe a smaller railroad would but not
likely CSX. They were probably upset for slowing the railroad down.
Problem is that you did not cause any harm and did not intend to cause
any harm but some other person might trip over something, get hurt and
the sue the railroad or some other person might be near the tracks when
a train goes by, claim that something fell off or out of a car and struck
them, hire an attorney and sue the railroad.
Can anyone blame the railroads for their "No Trespassing" policy with this
sort of stuff going on?
As for the person who told you to leave, if you got hurt on that property
with him/her around, he/she could lose their job for not telling you to
leave. Don't blame the individual, it is just the situation today.
Noel Weaver

when I saw the chunk missing I walked back to the car made the call and stayed there I do have a pic of the chucnk missing out of the frog as well!
In the process of no knowing what was going to happen next I did move the car on to a public road that follows along the tracks in an east-west direction keeping 20-25 feet between the tracks and car. I by all accounts
on a normal day park half on half off the service road faceing south so that I can back up if anyone happens to show up I can back the car out of the way.
The superviser told me to leave when he showed up. I my self know that they can't chase anyone off public property. They could try I'll just move to anouther location. I stayed and observed with a small telascope on occation and got some nice pics of the trains moveing about in the warmth of the sun set.

"Best bet is to stay away after you report it". WRONG! Best bet is NOT to be there in the first place. If you broke into my house, and in the process found some hazard in the place, I would not thank you, I'd have you arrested. Consider your self lucky you were not run in for trespassing.

You must have been about on your hands and knees on the middle of the track - 3/25" is about an eigth of an inch. Not something you'd see unless you were where you REALLY should not be. Do yourself and other railfans a favor and stay where you belong.

If you want to be a track inspector - then apply for a job with the railroad as a track gang laborer and move your way up the ladder. Like everyone else here said - you're trespassing... and in order to determine that a mere 3/25th's of an inch of steel was missing from a frog, you had to have been right on top of the tracks.

What may look like a defect to a railfan, could be completely acceptable to the railroad or FRA. Let the railroaders worry about the railroad.

SRS125, while I'm glad that you did report the defect (thereby preventing an accident), you did mention that you were walking along the ROW. Unfortunately, ROW is private property so the CSX officials can ask you to leave. Sad but true- it is the law. Some RR employees don't care if railfans walk along the edge but some do, so please (on behalf of the railfan community) respect their wishes. Good luck and happy 'fanning!

A frog with 3/25" out of it will not cause a derailment. A frog must have a piece 5/8" deep and 6" long to be considered a defect. With these specs it could be slow ordered to ten mph. You really cannot blame the supervisor for telling you to beat feet, its his job.

I knew what the defect was I once used to mark these. I vary rareley walk the right of way. Siting about the tracks is geting to dangerous just this past Thersday while helping a friend move I noticed a kink in the rails on Centerport Road when a train passed by there watch them and you'll see it on track 2. Also watch on track 1 same location the cars are bobing in a dip in the rail on the crossover.

With the way things look I don't plan to be wasteing any of my time
railfaning anytime. Summer is here time to move on to outher things.