Los Angeles Metrolink - fatal derailment

I would have never thought one little one and half to two ton SUV could do so much damange to a train my God.
According to the news this morning there convicting the driver of the SUV for mansloter and merder. I'm sure this will be intresting to see what the out come will be on this case.

When one looks at the particular situation, it's not hard to see how the train derailed.

The car was *not* at a crossing, but parked on the tracks. This fact alone makes it more likely that the car would be pinned underneath the pilot as parts of the frame of the SUV would likely have been much lower in relation to the train than the more common collision at a grade crossing.

It also appears that the train pushed the SUV along in front of it until a switch was encountered, and it's at this point that some part of the SUV became wedged between the switch parts and the leading wheel(s) of the cab car, causing the cab car to pick the switch and derail.

Given that, it's virtually certain that that had a locomotive been leading, a derailment would also have resulted in this case.

When I wrote that having a cab control car in front might mean more injuries than a locomotive would have incurred I did not mean to end push-pull operations but to suggest that if there were a locomotive at each end you could still have such operations as there would be no need to turn the engines and you would still have more mass between crew and passengers in the impact.

Does Amtrak have any F40s left at Beech Grove that can be converted into Cab-Cars?

"I would have never thought one little one and half to two ton SUV could do so much damange to a train my God."

Apparently, neither did Sr. Alvarez. Apparently, niether do a lot of people. Maybe now at least a few more WILL think about it before doing something foolish. I hope so.

Cosmo wrote:"I would have never thought one little one and half to two ton SUV could do so much damange to a train my God."

Apparently, neither did Sr. Alvarez. Apparently, niether do a lot of people. Maybe now at least a few more WILL think about it before doing something foolish. I hope so.

I never thought a big commercial truck could derail an Amtrak Superliner set, but we learned that was possible with the wreck of the City of New Orleans.

I know that a big semi truck will do a lot of damage I've been to quite a few accdents befor. I have also had my fair share of mishaps and close calls as well befor I left the railroading seen for a safer job. Its just that I have never seen what a smaller car, pickup truck, or SUV do so much damage to a train.

The scary thought is that derailments with cab car lead on impacts are higher then locomotive lead. The pilots break away on impact. I worked at Metrolink for five years as a machinist and this has happened a few times. IIRC, the very first Metrolink grade crossing accident had a major derailment of the cab car (#625 I believe). One time, someone once placed big rocks on the track and we slammed into it on the ride into work. Took the pilot out (along with some frame braces). It wasn't untill the truck was removed for inspection when the car mechanic called me down to the car shop to show me that the car actually came off the air bags and slammed back down on them. The indexing pins were crushed becouse the bags rotated.
I never rode in the cab car again when it was in lead.

Acela Express is an example of trainset with locomotives at both ends.

I think there will be a lot of outraged people if this guy gets off because of his mental problems. In fact if you ask me this is almost bordering on terrorism, since he intentionally put the car on the tracks knowing the consequences. This guy came specifically to Glendale to commit suicide, its possible he had this figured out that two trains would pass at this point at the same time.

The outcome of this was just as bad as the City of New Orleans crash in 1999 but in that case the train hit a truck carrying huge steel beams.


Here's a very sad article about the victims, one of which was a big time railfan who was riding in the lead car to watch the engineer operate the train:
For Victims, a Deadly Last Ride

pdxstreetcar wrote: I think there will be a lot of outraged people if this guy gets off because of his mental problems. In fact if you ask me this is almost bordering on terrorism, since he intentionally put the car on the tracks knowing the consequences.

from google 'define Terrorism'

As defined by the FBI, "the unlawful use of force against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population or any segment thereof, in the furtherance of political or social objectives". This definition includes three elements: (1) Terrorist activities are illegal and involve the use of force. (2) The actions are intended to intimidate or coerce. (3) The actions are committed in support of political or social objectives. (FEMA-SS)

criminal yes, terrorism no (fails on 2 and 3)

I believe you, but that quote isn't found on the page that you linked to.

You are right, (I've edited my comment) must be a stale google cache, oh well the definition is still good.

I think he will be in Prison for a very long time. Yes the Cab Car was 625

Ron Newman wrote:from the latest AP article:

"Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley said prosecutors filed charges for 10 counts of murder with special circumstances of committing murder through a train derailment, making Alvarez eligible for the death penalty. "

Good. Hopefully that fruitcake is going to get a taste of his own medicine, if convicted.

I just heard this on the 5:00 news, they showed some footage of the accident, one of the locomotives that crashed was UP SD70M 4323, although I don't think that matters now... If he gets the death penalty, I hope they do it on a railroad theme, with Alvarez tied to the tracks.

Oh man, I just saw the pictures. I was out in the field with my unit since Monday. I'm just hearing about this now. I cannot believe those cars were smashed up the way they were. NJT and MN cars aren't that big at all and I can't imagine on what would happen if the same thing went on in Dover or Montclair because some idiot wanted to commit suicide or go around the gates.

Living in Dover for over 20 years I can tell you that I've seen too many near-misses with the NS/CR and NJT trains. I say that the driver who wanted to commit suicide should be locked up in jail for life with big Tyrone as his inmate in Pelican Bay or San Quentin Penitentiaries...Hard time. The drivers I see in the NJ, NY and now right here in the Kentucky and Tennesse areas while here with the US Army in Ft. Campbell should receive punishments equivalent to those caught drinking and driving.

The Rudy Giuliani (but tougher) approach should be taken, where your license and vehicle are confiscated and you are barred from driving for life.

I do not want to hear about violating some one's so-called civil rights. In case certain Americans forgot: DRIVING IS A PRIVILEGE AND NOT A RIGHT. It's even printed on the interior flaps of every state driving manual availabe at DMV offices all over the 50 states.

Here at Ft Campbell, if you are a US solider and you acted like that, a court-martial will be in order and your driving privileges on and off base are revoked beofre you can say the words "Fort Leavenworth". We have Military Police officers and officers along with senior NCOs deadlocking vehicles and punishign the drivers cosntantly becasue of the unacceptable behavior. I hope a zero-tolerance approach like the military will be used on the civilian world. Enough is enough and in this country it shouldn't have taken the deaths of innocent people on a train to prevent something like this.

My prayers and thougths go out to the families and friends invovled of the passengers and crew. I hope the death toll will not climb and that the familes of thsoe killed and injured will get justice in court. If this individual thinks his life is bad now, wait till he gets his day in court, especially when the families and friends of the deceased get a hold of him.