Sometime between 17:00 and 17:30 on Saturday 11/21, sobo CSX oil train K038-18 with lead unit NS 1042 struck an unoccupied vehicle at Lake rd in Congers. From what I heard on the radio, I got the impression that the local police were already on the scene when the train struck the vehicle. What most likely happened is that the vehicle became stalled/stuck between the gauge at the crossing, and the train was too close to prevent the accident; otherwise, local cops would have contacted CSX and the train would have been stopped.
The vehicle was pushed clear of the rail by the locomotive, which suffered no apparent damage. The east gate arm was torn away, but the mechanical and electrical systems of the crossing were not damaged. The train was inspected, and after about 1-1/2 hours, the track was released back to the NI dispatcher, and the train was allowed to proceed at restricted speed south to CP26.
There was additional communication between the Albany Chief and the crew of train K038.
Another train, Q409-21 with CSX was issued two EC1's as a result of the accident.
EC1# 79351 on 11/21/15; location QR 33.3 C&E train id # Q409-21, engine CSXT 5008, employee <redacted>. Circle line 11: Do not exceed restricted speed between milepost QR 28.2 and milepost QR 28.4 on main track; account vehicle strike. EC1 # 79351 ok and effective 18:19 <redacted>.
EC1# 79354 on 11/21/15; location QR 33.3 C&E train id # Q409-21, engine CSXT 5008, employee <redacted>. Circle line 6A. Activation failure, account automatic grade crossing warning device malfunction at: Lake road road crossing at milepost QR 28.4 on main track; flagger no. <redacted> ok and effective 18:21 <redacted>.
The K038 went into emergency in Teaneck, on the middle siding. Again the train was inspected but no issues were found. The air was restored without any further issue. Because the K038 is a Hazmat train, no trains were allowed to pass on either track 1 or track 2 while an emergency condition existed.
After K038 was allowed to proceed south, the middle siding needed to be inspected. That inspection was done by one of the crew of the rail grinder, which had been working in the area, so there was not much delay before all three tracks between cp7 and cp10 were released for normal freight traffic at normal speed.
I was listening to CSX on my Yaesu FT-60r from West Mountain in Harriman state park in Rockland county NY. I had an excellent location to pick up trains from about CP69 to CP1.I was backpacking through the park, and happened to be up on the mountain when all of this occurred. I think that I may even have heard the horn blasts, ending in one continuous blast as the train struck the vehicle. It happened just south of the Haverstraw tunnel, and my location was only a few miles north of Haverstraw, and about 1,000 feet higher.
The dispatcher on duty was <redacted>.
This is a bit scary, considering that the train was carrying a full load of Baaken crude. Had the vehicle been large enough, a derailment could have occurred, and I don't like to think about what kind of scenario that might have produced.
CP
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