RailRoadFan.com

https://www.foxnews.com/us/chicago-amtr ... k-missouri

The whole train is on the ground, and all of the cars are on their sides. Unfortunately, reports of fatalities are beginning to emerge.

This was triggered by hitting a dump truck at a grade crossing.

Amtrak train #4 had 2 fatalities on board & the dump truck driver also persished It was at crossing that doesn't have warning equipment on a gravel road. The train runs from L.A. to Chicago.

Another news outlet:
https://www.wndu.com/2022/06/27/amtrak- ... 9OGhX4uK3w

Ripped the truck right off of its frame

Saturnalia wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 27, 2022 5:43 pm

https://www.foxnews.com/us/chicago-amtr ... k-missouri

The whole train is on the ground, and all of the cars are on their sides. Unfortunately, reports of fatalities are beginning to emerge.

This was triggered by hitting a dump truck at a grade crossing.

The pictures almost looked like it was a semi tractor pulling a dump trailer. I feel like tractor trailers cause more of a derailment chance then straight trucks. Either way, not a good situation.

What matters more is if the truck is loaded or not.
I've seen one report that says it was loaded with rock.

It is really hard to tell because the 1st engine is the only piece of equipment still standing upright. Can't see to much of the engine crushed, but there aren't many pictures out there besides the cars on their sides. I just hope most of the people in the train are okay when its all said and done.

*Confirmed it was carrying rocks from a quarry for an Army Corps of Engineers project
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ntsb- ... f995493d43

NTSB posted a video yesterday that shows close-ups of the lead engine and the truck. I don't see any wreckage of a trailer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0AGaYsasvw

Mark F wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 30, 2022 11:23 am

NTSB posted a video yesterday that shows close-ups of the lead engine and the truck. I don't see any wreckage of a trailer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0AGaYsasvw

Sounds like it was a single or tandem axle dump truck.

Based on this up-close footage, I would hedge my bets that the collision, off-center on the lead locomotive, caused the leader and perhaps the second unit to derail, which began to tear up track, which left no track for the rest of the train. Basically, the two leaders sweep the track out from the rest of the train, and thus it all floats off, and rolls over when it finds the end of the shoulder.

It will be very, very interesting to see the head-end camera footage. It should tell us what we need to know about the truck's position at the time of impact, and hopefully more about its approach to the crossing: did he stop and look? Was he just struggling to get going, and thus the train caught up with him beyond what sight distance allows?

Ultimately the question is why the truck was on the crossing at train time, specifically whether it was driver error, and to what degree did the crossing's design (or lack thereof) factor into the incident. Based on these findings, it may become a watershed moment for thousands of thus far largely overlooked rural grade crossings in terms of design, especially getting active protection in and steep approaches out.

Sounds like the in-cab footage must be pretty damming...AMTK and BNSF have filed suit against the trucking company alleging that the truck did not stop with 15-50 feet of the crossing, and had an open view of the track. My presumption is that they would not simply claim that, if they didn't have video evidence.