Northeast Regional 188 - Accident In Philadelphia

Error in this post and could not delete. Sorry

the death toll is now at 6:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32716462

jmar896 wrote:From the New York Times:

Officials concluded that a hot journal box had burned off and caused an axle to snap, which sent the train catapulting off the track.

To be clear to others just starting to read the thread here, jmar is talking about the 1943 wreck at the same site.
JS

It was quite warm today in Philly and in NY, and suddenly, the temps began to drop as the sun went down. We already know what drastic temp changes can do to rails. What a horrifying scene. My thoughts and prayers to all of those involved and to those lives that were lost.

This is a potentially good point. I live in DC and it was so hot yesterday, but by the early evening -- as sun went down -- it became a lot more pleasant. Basically from about 90-ish to 60-ish.

pumpers wrote:

jmar896 wrote:From the New York Times:

Officials concluded that a hot journal box had burned off and caused an axle to snap, which sent the train catapulting off the track.

To be clear to others just starting to read the thread here, jmar is talking about the 1943 wreck at the same site.
JS

I did not realize this when I speed read the article. Thanks for the correction

bigshu82 wrote:Anybody know the maximum speed allowed at the Frankford Junction curve?

50MPH. Thoughts are with everyone involved. Very sad. Stay safe everyone.

Doesn't the NEC have automatic protection for curves with speed restrictions like this? I'm not familiar with all the terminology so I may be saying that all wrong. But I thought if you approached a curve such as this going to fast, it would automatically slow down. Seems like multiple layers of "that shouldn't happen" would prevent hitting a curve like this fast enough to derail. Or I could be all wrong.

It was a the hottest day of the year so far yesterday. Almost 90 degrees. It warmed up very fast during the day. And as soon as the sun went down, the temperature tanked really fast down to the 60s and 70s. Makes me wonder if a rail got out of whack, but not cracked/broken enough to break the track circuits. Does the NEC still have track circuits that would detect a completely cracked rail?

The witnesses also reported that it seemed the train braked very hard before the crash, sounds like he dumped the brakes before the wreck. Which tells me he saw something he didn't like, or realized at the last minute he was going too fast.

[/curiosity]

All sorts of photos here: http://www.philly.com

When I first heard the story on the local news last night I figured a car or two had derailed and bumped along the ties. When I saw the photos just now, I thought, good lord, those poor people.

In this photo you can see that one of the catenary support poles was struck, apparently by the car that suffered the most damage. Prayers going out to all that perished and their families, and those that are injured.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/05/ ... 573866.jpg

Someone asked earlier about service disruptions and alternate travel routes.
The following information is from local TV.

• Amtrak is not running between Philadelphia and New York
  SEPTA is not running its Trenton line

One alternative is to get to the PATCO line in Philadelphia (8th & Market connects with most SEPTA regional service), take PATCO to NJ's Walter Rand Transit Center. You can then transfer to NJT River Line LRT to Trenton and board NJT NE Corridor service there. NJT is cross-honoring tickets.

• NJT Atlantic City Line is not running between 30th Street and Cherry Hill NJ

NJT is running bus service from 30th Street to the Cherry Hill NJ station
ACY also has a transfer point to PATCO at the Lindenwold Station as an alternative to Philadelphia
I have not been able to confirm if the ACY is running to Delair Station in Pennsauken, where you would also have a transfer to the River Line LRT

The strength of the Amfleet car comes through again. Budd did an awesome job on these cars, design by good old engineering, the days before CAD. The tubular design is inherently strong, it proved so at the Chase incident and this one. The tight lock couplers again show their worth, keeping the consist together.

With that said, I am in disbelief at the sight of the Amfleet car that apparently was sheered apart. Those caternary poles must be solid.

I have been looking at alternatives since I will be traveling from Boston to Philly on Friday for the East Penn traction meet.

Besides the RiverLINE / PATCO alternative (by the way NJT is honoring Amtrak tickets on both the Northeast Corridor to Trenton and the RiverLINE).

You can also take NJT bus 608 from Trenton Transit Center to Ewing Twp. Girard Ave. where there is a stop near the SEPTA West Trenton station. This works for weekdays but on Sunday the bus only goes as far as Sulliivan Way and Edgewood, about a mile from the station. I suppose you could also get a cab.

Jon

PATCO is also cross honoring amtrak and ac line tickets and the river line is cross honoring amtrak. SEPTA always cross honors amtrak between 30th and jefferson.

The link to the Daily Mail showing a screen shoot of Good Morning America on New York City's Channel 7 WABC TV shows that the jackknifed rear cars are resting on 3 of the 4 Amtrak tracks, while the rest of the train and the damaged catenary poles are in the freight yard on the old line to Kensington.

Prayers to passengers, crews, and families.

My compliments on a mature discussion and to my moderators. Often, you don't get to see what the moderators have often already taken care of. They're that good.

I've made this a global topic so that it shows at the top of any page in any forum. I'll probably keep it like that for a few weeks, than just sticky the topic so that it's at the top of Amtrak.