Wrecker and dozers missing from ED Yard

I just took a ride through the yard, and noticed the wrecker and dozers were not on the stand. This tells me there is a wreck somewhere. Does anyone know where? Thanks!

They went east to Waterville for a couple wrecks in the mid/late winter. They may not have returned yet.

Wreck train in Dover waiting at the west end of the yard, headed west/south towards MA at noon today. It looks like it's waiting for clearance to proceed, but I wouldn't know because I don't have a scanner.

Glad I caught it, I never get to see this thing and I'm rarely downtown at this time.

Instead of calling it the "wreck train", shouldn't they just call it the "standard operating procedure rolling stock-rail reintroduction train"? I think it would be cheaper for them if they simply ordered a bunch of those black HO scale re-railing segments in full scale and placed them randomly around their mainline.

Hmmm.. I know someone who has worked for them over 10 years and has only derailed 4 times, all minor and all in yards. Sure it happens but not any more than any other RR. How do you know that the Wrecker was not going to SLR or MMA, as it has often done in the past? Do you know the cause of all the derailments on the ST? Which ones were caused by sharp flanges or bearing failures or wheel failures or shifted loads or ice or vandalism, which ones were caused by the track or human error?

mick,I have to agree with you. All railroads have their "bad hair days" or should I say fair share of bad luck. I'd have to blame this one on both, poor switch frogs and human error. I know it's not Pan Am, but interesting to watch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Nq632eV6I

Youtube, start off watching videos of trains landing on the ground and end up watching F16's fly straight up into the air. All after a brief stop off on Australian trains...

Note though/the poster of the linked video should really remove the part with the guy on the ground. Thats how people get fired, because they improperly through a switch or failed to climb the locomotive steps properly. Especially because the train wound up on the ground!

KSmitty wrote:Note though/the poster of the linked video should really remove the part with the guy on the ground. Thats how people get fired, because they improperly through a switch or failed to climb the locomotive steps properly. Especially because the train wound up on the ground!

No, actually the poster should not edit his video to protect anyone. If the employee failed to do his job properly and such failure led to a derailment then he deserves to get fired. Railfans owe NOTHING to railroad employees, PERIOD. I have been filmed doing my job on numerous occasions and I would never think to ask someone to edit anything for any reason. By the way, the word is throw.

TPR37777 wrote:No, actually the poster should not edit his video to protect anyone. If the employee failed to do his job properly and such failure led to a derailment then he deserves to get fired. Railfans owe NOTHING to railroad employees, PERIOD. I have been filmed doing my job on numerous occasions and I would never think to ask someone to edit anything for any reason. By the way, the word is throw.

Before we start a pissing match, I'll speak my peace and leave it at that. Everything I've ever seen, read, heard or experienced says that it is NOT ok to put stuff of railroad employees up online. You don't cite them (industry insiders) when you have information from them, unless you know them personally (and even then, it depends on the subject matter.) and you don't post pictures or video unless they give you permission. And yes, we railfans do owe employees something, Respect. Simple rules of human interaction. If you respect them, they respect you. No calls to RRPD about suspicious people trackside, no hostile posts from railroaders on the forums here or anywhere else, no repercussions of any kind if you mind your business and show some common sense. It makes our lives easier trackside and their lives easier on the rails.
People have been fired because they improperly climb locomotive steps and get recorded. Such a tiny thing and someone winds up jobless, and you could prevent it by just removing 30 seconds of video. You really wouldn't edit it out? Come on! I'm just saying, its been discussed here before and the consensus is that you DO NOT post anything with railroad employees if they are on the ground.

I have the utmost respect for railroaders and would not dream of doing something that would get anyone in the workforce, railroading or otherwise, fired.

And thanks btw for the correction, its a bit hard to "through" a switch, then again "throwing" a switch could be tricky too, but to "set" a switch, thats the term the jargon creators should have used!

There's a good video of some clowns on the NECR doing some switching south of Palmer. Leaning over the knuckle to close angle cocks, running with the car holding the level for a kick, etc. Right on their mainline. Guess the FRA doesn't look there too often, lol.

FWIW

Today (5-22-11) @ E. Deerfield, the wrecker was called out, to go east. Assigned engine was heading the wrong way (ie west) so after making up the train, the wreck train was apparently to go around the "loop" to get it headed east. The train got as far as the west tower, when, oops, it appears that the front truck of the 3rd car derailed, taking with it the rear truck of the second car.

Better call a tow truck for the tow truck!heheheheh!

In all seriousness, why don't they leave the train in Maine?

With PAS in place and trackwork progressing, it would seem reasonable to expect fewer on the ground cars west of Rigby than east. That same logic would also say that it would be better to have the wreck recovery crew at a location more central to more derailments, Maine.

How come they can't use the Waterville wreck train?