GTW DErailment

[KenB]

I heard the GTW had a derailment at VINEWOOD in Detroit, Mich today. Lots of track and signal guys working on it.

[sd70accsxt700]

Yes this was confirmed, as the FRA guy was at Rouge, aperently another one in Flint also. I know I had Q131 last night and it was one train after another at Livernois, I must have see at least 8 trains a two hours, made Q304 die in the blocks.

[leo28150]

The train was a monster 385, who wasn't having a good night when they got to Detroit; they cut off from there train at Vinewood and went back to East yard to drop a unit, however, the train was too big and heavy to pull with only 2 units, soooo, back to the yard to get the unit they dropped and to try again to get moving---that's when I passed them in their ordeal. I heard later that they derailed around 2-230a. Train makeup was a disaster waiting to happen; a small block of bi-levels right in the middle of all them loads, evidently CN doesn't have restrictions on where bi and tri-levels can go on a mixed train.

[sd70accsxt700]

Sounds like Q305 last night, 30 or so "heavy" loads on both ends, with about 15 empty platforms in the middle (mostly 3 and 5 packs).

[GTWTD3]

Restrictions on equipment placement are only as good as the people put in charge of preventing the erroneous placement. God knows some of the yards I deal with don't follow the rules.

[mikekmac]

I'm betting that this was one of the bilevels that took a tumble in the Gibralter derailment. (Does anyone have IDs on the damaged/derailed cars?)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/railhead799/2270849735/

-Mike

[sd70accsxt700]

I believe you are getting the two derailments mixed up. The one with the auto racks was a CP Vinewood, near the old MC Depot, and Livernois yard. The one at Gibraltar Rd. Appeared to be coal cars.

[M.D.Bentley]

Just a little info on the Vinewood derailment. The engineer on the southbound CN train that was crossing over from the CN to the Conrail put his train in EMERGENCY when he came around the curve at SCOTTEN. It is reported that he wasn't sure what signal was his. If anyone knows this area, it has a lot of curves and there is a lot chances to derail if you don't keep your train under control. The derailments between VINEWOOD and WEST DETROIT, all involved blocks of empty ( light ) cars popping off the rail because of buff and draft forces. A couple of times, there was no track damage at all. That along with less experanced engineers and l-o-n-g trains is a recipe for disaster. It is not an easy job, credit goes out to them. For most of the time they make it, its only the times that they don't that we take notice of them. Happy Railroading

[GreatLakesRailfan]

I'm betting that this was one of the bilevels that took a tumble in the Gibralter derailment. (Does anyone have IDs on the damaged/derailed cars?)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/railhead799/2270849735/

-Mike

That came through South Bend yesterday on CN.

[Norm]

I may be a bit off topic here, but I can't help but wonder if the electronically controlled pneumatic brakes can prevent a lot of these problems. The old system take too long for braking action to reach the back end of the train, and lets the last cars slam into the others. Sorta like only having front wheel brakes on your car.

It's very old technology. Anything has to be an improvement.

My two cents.