NYC runaway - Syracuse area 1963

Back in early 1963 there was an article in the old Life magazine about a New York Central set of light power that had run away. The story related that the power set (I believe four GP30 units) was being worked on at the Syracuse engine service area. Suddenly, and for no known reason (but one can suspect foul play), the set powered up and departed the service area. Several workers jumped clear, but one man, I believe a laborer, stayed with the units which gained the MT and headed west towards Rochester at an incredible speed. The person on the power set finally managed to kill all the units which ground to a halt on the eastern edge of Rochester. After the gent who had been trapped on the runaway stepped off, the units began to roll west. He thereupon placed chunks of ballast under the wheels to stop the units.

Given the years since the article appeared, many specifics have slipped from the memory. Anyone familiar with this episode?

There was a thread on that incident on this site long ago, and I suspect it may have been in one of the previous "incarnations" and no longer available for viewing. There was a lot about that whole incident which did not add up but who knows.......

Try a search and maybe it's still here.

http://railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.ph ... 2455#p2455

One of the earliest topics in the latest incarnation of railroad.net (although this thread does not have much more info than TB Diamond has already posted)

JR

That "RUNAWAY" incident took place as the ROAD LOCO crew was leaving the ready traks at DEWITT engine house, enroute to their train. When the engineer had backed off the ready trk, he had the fireman go to the opposite end of the consist and "CHANGE-ENDS" as normally done. Later investigation disclosed that the fireman hadn't properly set the double-heading cock, nor had he setup the controller etc. Result was that both the engineer and fireman baled off just before CLARK ST....and the OPR seeing the headlite approach, lined the consist up for the M.T......advising the DS. DS after ack the msge was advised that there was no crew onboard....and he alerted a yard job working at BELLE ISLE to 'catch' the consist. The yd job couldn't accelerate fast enuff to catch the consist, and off down the Syracuse DIV Mainline the consist went. The guy onboard was a mechanical employee, who'd gone to sleep while the engs were being serviced. Anyhoo, the DS at ROCHESTER planned to dump the consist at EAST ROCHESTER SHOP assuming it got that far acct they surmised the loco's wouldn't negotiate the curve over the GENESEE RIVER, and wanted to avoid resultant messy affair. I wasn't assigned there to ROCHESTER at the time but every one knew all about the incident.......I recall that EMD & the NYCRR mechanical guru's made several modifications to the locos to preclude any further atrocities....LARRY BAGGERLY

Thanks Larry!

The failure to properly position the brake cocks when changing ends explains why neither man could apply the brakes. But what made the units throttle up? And it would be expected that when either of those 2 guys found the unit was not stopping properly with the independent, he would dump the automatic. Regardless of whether a brake stand is cut in or cut out, the emergency position still works, which should in theory trip the power cut-off. Did those guys have total brain failure, or was there some other issue ("the REST of the story") ?

Reason for the 'THROTTLE UP" was acct the DISPATCHERS at RO told him by radio to "...TRY ANYTHING.....and he did. The GMgr at SYRACUSE, after the event, wanted him fired---but cooler heads awarded him a US SAVINGS BOND!!!EMD & NYCRR mechanical dept installed a FUEL-CUTOFF link inside the carbody after this. regds LARRY BAGGERLY