Derailment in Baltimore County, MD (5/28/2013)

News media in Raleigh has a bad habit of referring to the conductor as the guy who is operating the train. Drives my wife crazy!

Haven't heard anything about the engineer? Or his statement? I was in MD that day and saw the immediate coverage of the crash but there was nothing about the crew. And unless I was blind... I did NOT see an engine or engines in any of the footage. Did this dump truck run into the train?

I just watched a video of it as it happened on the site firehouse.com. Video came from a camera mounted on the side of a warehouse.

Freddy wrote:I just watched a video of it as it happened on the site firehouse.com. Video came from a camera mounted on the side of a warehouse.

Sorry, looks like it's been posted.

Hey guys,

Here are the links to the actual surv-cam footage taken at the trucking Co.
Link-1= the collision. Watch for the flash from explosion at 5:31.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKyuaGbAYFY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Link-2= angle from 2nd cam. Notice the camera shake at .55 the impact. Explosion is at 6:20.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2hkO2XD7dQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Link-3= Cell phone vid taken by a worker at the trucking Co of the wreckage of the truck that was hit. Driver is still trapped in the wreckage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P3uf5SVOlg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jim

IS the NTSB working this mess as well? This might be "cut and dry" with the videos!

Another word on the crew of this accident? This was a grade crossing accident and subsequent derailment? The engines derailed along with the ensuing train consist? I think that train was Conrail's old SECS starting out of Selkirk. A few major freight derailments/ collisions as of late including MO wreck UP/BNSF. However it seems PTC would of done nothing to prevent the CSX derailment.

The train was the Q-409.. Waycross, Ga.----Selkirk, NY. The engines were not derailed (as is obvious in link 2 of the above vids). The yellow flat car (a few cars behind the power) seems to be derailed, as evident from dust cloud its kicking up. A very light weight car (empty), easily derailed by debris under its wheels. I believe the total cars derailed was 17, but I am not 100% sure on that.

Jim

The trucking Co. involved in this wreck was in the Bottom 10 of safety/complinace ratings(per FEDDOT) in the 1st youtube video,
note the MdDOT trailer on the left side of the shot(black trailer),that Waste Hauler will be/as been shut down by now.

The plot thickens:

NTSB: Stop signs faded, displaced at crossing where train, truck crashed outside Baltimore


A brief fair use quote:
http://www.startribune.com/politics/nat ... 99151.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BALTIMORE — Stop signs at a rail crossing where a train and trash truck crashed in a Baltimore suburb were faded and one was hung upside down and facing away from the road, according to a preliminary report on last month's derailment and explosion.

The National Transportation Safety Board released the report on the May 28 derailment in Rosedale on Wednesday.

It says the two-track highway grade crossing where the crash occurred has no active warning lights or crossing gates. It is marked with crossbuck signs and yellow, nonstandard stop signs. The paint on both signs had faded significantly. The signs were also displaced from their mountings.

Was this crossing Private or Public? CSX might be on the hook for the condition of the "bucks" and signs.
The Driver did not stop at the stop sign as required by law.
This is the almost perfect video to use for basic driver's education classes.
This video will show up on "Worst Drivers" onTV in a year or so.

Backshophoss wrote:Was this crossing Private or Public? CSX might be on the hook for the condition of the "bucks" and signs.
The Driver did not stop at the stop sign as required by law.
This is the almost perfect video to use for basic driver's education classes.
This video will show up on "Worst Drivers" onTV in a year or so.

I'm not so sure it is that cut and dry. A yellow, non standard stop sign with one facing the wrong way and hanging upside down along with faded crossbucks? he may easily be able to claim he didn't see the signs due to poor maintenance of the crossing.

Anyone know the answers to these questions?
Is it a private crossing?
If so, what are the requirements for signs, etc., at a private crossing?

Crash occurred at 66th st grade crossing just off Lake Dr.
Looks like public roads from local areal views.

Jim

Here is the crossing on Street View. It clearly has crossbucks, and one of the "yellow stop signs" (old circular RxR sign) can be seen laying down next to them. As to public vs. private, it appears as if it's a private crossing, but either way it doesn't seem as if it was unmarked unless those crossbucks were severely damaged since the streetview photo was taken.