Lower Saucon (Bethlehem), PA Derailment, 3/2/24

Today, NS has a derailment in Lower Saucon Twp, PA near Bethlehem. Pictures show at least two engines partially in the Lehigh River. One posting said that three trains were involved, but has not been confirmed. Cleanup crews were in the river and on the river bank cleaning up fuel and plastic pellets. Not much other info.

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/03/02/norfolk ... vania.html

Rebecca Picciotto wrote: A Norfolk Southern freight train derailed Saturday morning in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, spilling diesel and plastic pellets into the nearby river, according to local authorities.

No injuries were reported upon a preliminary assessment of the scene, according to police and fire rescue departments in the Lower Saucon Township where the derailment took place......

....."There currently are no evacuations or hazardous material threat to the community," the Lower Saucon Township Police Department said in a statement at 11 a.m. ET, hours after first responders were dispatched. "We request that everyone stay out of the area so first responders and Norfolk Southern personnel can continue to assess and work at the scene."

Emergency responders deployed "containment booms," barriers used to control the spread of oil, in the Lehigh River where there was a diesel fuel spill from one of the train cars, police said. One of the train cars also released a heap of polypropylene plastic pellets.

Comments elsewhere indicate 268 hit 24X (both intermodal), and then 19G (mixed freight) hit that mess and ended up in the river.

I was able to get a pretty good view from the D&L trail on the north bank of the Lehigh. Rained pretty hard the whole time.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/03/02/us/e ... index.html

...
“Preliminary information indicates that an eastbound NS train struck a stopped NS train on the same track,” Sulick said in the an NTSB statement. “The wreckage from the striking train spilled onto an adjacent track and was struck by a westbound NS train. The collision led to the derailment of an unknown number of cars.”
...

This "Lower Saucon Township" (whatever that is suppose to mean or cover) I looked it up in Google Earth which pointed me to a area well south of that Lehigh River which runs thru Bethlehem PA. That didn't narrow down the area much.
I now see in the police report mention of this village "Steel City" and the derailment location east of that.

I guess there aren't many/any railfans in or around Bethlehem; a serious "rear ended" with a 3rd train involved and no local reports, not even in the PA sub-forum??

If you look at the right side of the pic, to the left of that large green area, there is a scrap yard conventionally located.

Here are the most recent updates today.

From the AP;
https://www.kltv.com/2024/03/03/three-t ... -reported/
Note the 1st pic that shows a highway thru the trees with fire trucks . Also the last pic with those two engines down the embankment. At least one of those black tank cars had a hazmat placard.

From a local paper;
https://www.lehighvalleynews.com/bethle ... lment-site
"Riverside Drive will remain closed east of Steel City while the wreckage is cleared"

Updated location guess, based on the above (one person interviewed stated he heard it. There are homes to the far left of this pic);


Anyone know what trains were involved?

The three trains I mentioned above; 268 hit 24X (both intermodal), and then 19G (mixed freight) hit that mess and ended up in the river.

Missed that below the quote.
The 24x, is that a extra train, I don't know the confusing NS numbering system?

Regular IM from Inman Yard in Atlanta to Croxton, NJ, NS likes to toss in letters amongst the 3 digit numbered trains.

I thought PTC was supposed to make collisions like this impossible

Drone video of Cranemasters pulling NS 8157 from the Lehigh River...

jonnhrr wrote: ↑Sun Mar 03, 2024 9:54 pm I thought PTC was supposed to make collisions like this impossible

Typical capitalist lie! Wait until they get their one man crew.

Nice video, where is the other unit(s)? Weren't there three down the embankment? Of course if there were "Steam Cranes" still in use (w/o the steam), two would of done the job of those 6 or 7 'tow trucks'.

Line is back open as of this morning. A westbound just cleared PU Tower before I typed this.