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hoborich wrote:http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/18/us/amtrak ... =permalink

Looks like the death toll may rise. The local officials say a couple of the cars are hanging and unsafe to enter, but there are no more people alive in them. Interesting that the lead loco remained upright and stopped within a couple hundred feet from 81 mph, and the trailing loco stopped before the overpass.

GreatLakesRailfan wrote:

Saturnalia wrote:Video screenshot from the WSJ showing the condition of the Charger. Can't quite tell if it rolled or not, but heavy (and I'd guess terminal) damage. It is upright, however, which I'd consider quite amazing. Promises to be interesting cab-camera footage. Does anybody know if these units had inward-facing cameras as well?

1402.jpg

I get that the damage to the IDTX units isn't nearly as bad as this, but...how many of the new charger locomotives are out of service now due to this type of damage as a percentage of delivered units?


Also, Saturnalia, one of the Seattle news stations (KOMO) was broadcasting helicopter views of the scene earlier, if you're looking for some aerial shots.

Jochs wrote:
2 of them were damaged on the Pere Marquette. 4619 and I believe 4617. Both were taken out of service after they were used to clear fallen trees from the rails.

Jetlink wrote:

Jochs wrote:
2 of them were damaged on the Pere Marquette. 4619 and I believe 4617. Both were taken out of service after they were used to clear fallen trees from the rails.

That's gold right there. Gold.

Saturnalia wrote:

9xs wrote:

J T wrote:

Screen Shot 2017-12-18 at 1.10.43 PM.jpg

Where's that at? Might be an advance sign though

That's a BNSF-style sign and they tilt the advance warning signs, and the actual begin restriction signs are perpendicular as shown here.

If that is leading into the curve, it just adds more to the speculation of overspeed. Saw another photo which looks like they look out a signal on their way, and the track looked to be in perfect condition, reducing the possibility of sabotage being a factor. This would also discount the possibility of a vehicle on the track, as there is no evidence of that, either.

Somebody needs to get a helicopter over that site. Once the overall layout it known it'll put the pieces into place real quickly.

As far as PTC goes, with this being a new line just seeing passenger trains and having just received upgrades to T&S I would have thought they might have PTC online and running, but I guess now.

I'll be honest, and this will be a surprise to many of you, but the trio of these overspeed wrecks in three years has converted me to a believer in PTC as a worthy safety appliance - at least on passenger-handling roads.

ns8401 wrote:I wonder how far back from the curve PTC would realize that 80 isnt 30 and act accordingly?

ns8401 wrote:I wonder how far back from the curve PTC would realize that 80 isnt 30 and act accordingly?

hoborich wrote:Something doesn't add up here. The NTSB says the train was going 81 mph in a 30 zone. The photo shows the rear unit upright and stopped before reaching the overpass. If the train was actually going 81 mph, how could it stop in such a short distance? And how could the lead unit stop in the middle of the road, just a couple hundred feet from where it left the rails, if it was going 81 mph? 200 tons moving 81 mph down a slope doesn't stop in a hundred feet or so.

~Z~ wrote:FYI, I-5 in Washington is still closed for west/southbound traffic.