M8 Collision in Bridgeport

The cars involved in collision will probably sit untouched for years in storage to protect against litigation.
Taking parts or taking cars apart would probably just fuel the sharks we call lawyers.

The word I hear is the M8s that are scrapped will most likely not be replaced. But that does not mean more cars will not be ordered, if that make any sense!!!

DutchRailnut wrote:The cars involved in collision will probably sit untouched for years in storage to protect against litigation.
Taking parts or taking cars apart would probably just fuel the sharks we call lawyers.

All 16?? (or should i say 13-14 since AFAIK 2-3 are goners at this point) I find it hard to believe that equipment that is repairable would be held up like that, but then again I guess this is the age of "lawyers win and take all" or else i'm sure the taxpayers will be happy about that..

Clean Cab wrote:The word I hear is the M8s that are scrapped will most likely not be replaced. But that does not mean more cars will not be ordered, if that make any sense!!!

Well if what Dutch says does indeed play out that rumor of an increased contract with Kawasaki for additional (68 or so) cars would satisfy that *albeit, temporary* void, the scrapped cars, and THEN some in spades.

NH2060 wrote:

DutchRailnut wrote:The cars involved in collision will probably sit untouched for years in storage to protect against litigation.
Taking parts or taking cars apart would probably just fuel the sharks we call lawyers.

All 16?? (or should i say 13-14 since AFAIK 2-3 are goners at this point) I find it hard to believe that equipment that is repairable would be held up like that, but then again I guess this is the age of "lawyers win and take all" or else i'm sure the taxpayers will be happy about that..

Clean Cab wrote:The word I hear is the M8s that are scrapped will most likely not be replaced. But that does not mean more cars will not be ordered, if that make any sense!!!

Well if what Dutch says does indeed play out that rumor of an increased contract with Kawasaki for additional (68 or so) cars would satisfy that *albeit, temporary* void, the scrapped cars, and THEN some in spades.

I think he meant there would be no cars numbered in their place.. As in a car built with the same number as those wrecked.

It's unknown if the NTSB still has a "Hold" on the wreck remains,believe the undamaged cars have been released by now,
Then the Legal beagles at MN will require the remains be stored somewhere for the "follow-up"law suits.
Will be 3-5 years(or longer) before the remains get savlaged/scrapped.

beanbag: Ah. Thanks for pointing that out.

Backshophoss: By undamaged do you mean the cars that weren't technically "totalled" or only the cars that never derailed to begin with? (i.e. the first 2 cars on the EB train and the trailing 6 cars or so on the WB train)

Any car that was not derailed/damaged in any way and OKed for service

Everyone: I was thinking about the M8 cars involved in this accident and from reading the posts in this topic
it looks like MNCR will hold these cars aside during the investigation and coming litigations being filed concerning
this accident and then either send them back to Kawasaki for them to be rebuilt or write them off...
If these cars end up being scrapped could they be cannibalized for re-useable parts?

Recently a veteran railroader that I deal with mentioned that the damaged cars would have to be written off for
scrap if their underframes were bent or buckled substantially in this accident - Would Kawasaki replace the cars
in question with new M8s using those same car numbers?

I want to bring up an example of something similar that happened on the LIRR during the M1 car order back in
1970 or 1971: M1 car pair 9175-9176 was destroyed in a fire and during the 150 car add-on order in 1972 Budd
built a replacement pair carrying those numbers which would have been the equivalent of cars 9771-9772 at the
end of the M1 car order...The LIRR M1 car order was for 620 cars (9001-9620) with the option for a add-on order
of 150 cars that was also exercised (9621-9770) during 1972 for the record...

In closing as mentioned these cars held up well despite what had happened and today's strict crash standards
definitely were a factor here - as we all know this accident could have been far worse...

MACTRAXX

I went by East Bridgeport Yard on Thursday and I saw the 9193 with its front truck sitting in front of the car. I saw two other cars, but I couldn't see their numbers as they were way in the back. This is Gregory Grice's picture of 9193:
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9 M8s remain out of service and are being evaluated. Most likely 3 of them will not be repaired and just written off.

Clean Cab wrote:9 M8s remain out of service and are being evaluated. Most likely 3 of them will not be repaired and just written off.

So of those 9 you lose 1/3 exactly.... that doesn't seem too bad compared to having to write off more outright.

MACTRAXX wrote:... If these cars end up being scrapped could they be cannibalized for re-useable parts?

I'm no expert, but I don't see why it isn't physically be done - certainly would save money too - getting perfectly usable parts from a car being written off/scrapped instead of buying new, etc.

Travelsonic wrote:

Clean Cab wrote:9 M8s remain out of service and are being evaluated. Most likely 3 of them will not be repaired and just written off.

So of those 9 you lose 1/3 exactly.... that doesn't seem too bad compared to having to write off more outright.

MACTRAXX wrote:... If these cars end up being scrapped could they be cannibalized for re-useable parts?

I'm no expert, but I don't see why it isn't physically be done - certainly would save money too - getting perfectly usable parts from a car being written off/scrapped instead of buying new, etc.

The NTSB investigation and lawsuits are likely going to keep the wrecks mothballed for a long time. It's not uncommon for accident casualties to be held for years on end while the legalities work out.

After that...sure, strip 'em for usable parts. But it'll be awhile for an accident as bad and as high-profile as this.


Still have the un-exercised option orders if CDOT is up for exhausting the full contract. The NHL is car-hungry enough that it makes good sense to front-load instead of figuring out later they need a supplemental order to feed Penn service. There's par odds of replacements coming.

The NTSB has finished their evaluation of the M8s and now they are only waiting for Kawasaki, MN & CDOT to decide if they will be picked clean for parts, rebuilt or scrapped. I think you'll see those cars sitting in East Bridgeport Yard for a long time to come.

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The NTSB hearing concerning this accident has been rescheduled to November 6 and 7 at 9 a.m. The hearing will also receive testimony about a track foreman being struck and killed by a train on May 28. The hearing will be streamed live on the NTSB's website.