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  • Head-on collision in Amarillo, TX

  • Discussion related to BNSF operations. Official site: BNSF.COM
Discussion related to BNSF operations. Official site: BNSF.COM

Moderator: Komachi

 #1392729  by Gilbert B Norman
 
While far away from any US jurisdiction, the Italian incident occurring today is just one more nail in the platform that PTC will move forth. I think it is time for the industry to accept the facts of life, stop dragging feet, and get with the program.
 #1392843  by ExCon90
 
The irritating thing is that much simpler technology than PTC that would have prevented not only Amarillo but countless other head-ons has been in use in various territories for 70+ years but hasn't been installed at many locations--they just don't make the cut at budget time even though the costs resulting from one collision overwhelm any savings.
 #1392844  by ExCon90
 
Backshophoss wrote:The dispatcher controls signals at Control Points, that might be done via microwave signal commands.
As far as regular radio,the DS picks the closest repeater tower to the train to send verbal orders to the train crew.
The routine of a verbal order requires 1 of the crew repeat the order sent by the DS exactly the same as the DS said it.
If needed the order is repeated till the crew repeats it correctly.
And I believe that under NORAC rules the train must be stopped during that process; is that the rule elsewhere?
 #1392852  by JayBee
 
ExCon90 wrote:The irritating thing is that much simpler technology than PTC that would have prevented not only Amarillo but countless other head-ons has been in use in various territories for 70+ years but hasn't been installed at many locations--they just don't make the cut at budget time even though the costs resulting from one collision overwhelm any savings.
Point of Impact is 9 tenths of a mile east of the East Siding Switch at Panhandle, TX. Speed of the EB at impact is reported to be 66 mph and 42 mph for the Westbound. Now the EB Control Signal at ESS Panhandle will be a bit further west than the switch, and if it had been equipped with ATS the Inductor would also, but how would the ATS triggering a Penalty application get the EB train stopped in less than a mile? Remember too that the WB whose Engineer jumped will progress further west.
 #1392857  by scoostraw
 
JayBee wrote:
ExCon90 wrote:Remember too that the WB whose Engineer jumped...
So it was the engineer of the westbound who jumped then?
 #1392870  by Backshophoss
 
The inductors were at every signal,if the signal was other than clear,the engineer had to acknowage the change
and slow down or get the penalty brake.
Inert inductors are used on the Glorieta and Raton Subs to inforce speed restrictions on curves in Glorieta and Raton Passes.
 #1392981  by scoostraw
 
Thanks Dutch.

So it was the engineer of the westbound who jumped and survived. I would have guessed that it would have been a member of the westbound crew.

No idea what happened of course, but it does fit the scenario that the eastbound crew were both not responsive for some reason. I hope they are able to determine what happened. It's possible tho that they may not be able to.

Re. the 4th crew member, I read or heard somewhere that they were presumed 'cremated' at the scene as a result of the ensuing fire.
 #1392995  by ExCon90
 
scoostraw wrote:
JayBee wrote:
ExCon90 wrote:Remember too that the WB whose Engineer jumped...
So it was the engineer of the westbound who jumped then?
It was JayBee who posted that.
 #1392997  by ExCon90
 
JayBee wrote:
ExCon90 wrote:The irritating thing is that much simpler technology than PTC that would have prevented not only Amarillo but countless other head-ons has been in use in various territories for 70+ years but hasn't been installed at many locations--they just don't make the cut at budget time even though the costs resulting from one collision overwhelm any savings.
Now the EB Control Signal at ESS Panhandle will be a bit further west than the switch, and if it had been equipped with ATS the Inductor would also, but how would the ATS triggering a Penalty application get the EB train stopped in less than a mile? Remember too that the WB whose Engineer jumped will progress further west.
Just to clarify, and to expand on Backshophoss's post, the next eastward signal west of the signal at East Siding Switch would have been displaying a solid yellow Approach aspect as mentioned in Dutch's posted link--thanks, Dutch--and would have required acknowledgment. Failure to acknowledge would have initiated a penalty application which would have brought the train to a stop before reaching the ESS signal.
 #1393001  by scoostraw
 
ExCon90 wrote:
scoostraw wrote:
JayBee wrote:
ExCon90 wrote:Remember too that the WB whose Engineer jumped...
So it was the engineer of the westbound who jumped then?
It was JayBee who posted that.
Without citing any source.

Dutch's post had the link to the NTSB report which confirmed this information.
 #1393015  by butts260
 
Might someone help me out by giving the latitude and longitude of the east switch (points or frog) of the Panhandle control point siding?
 #1393069  by Jeff Smith
 
It appears there were two missed signals: Dallas News
BNSF train ignored stop signal before deadly Texas Panhandle collision

A train failed to heed a stop signal before it barreled head-on into another freight train last month in the Texas Panhandle, killing three, according to a preliminary federal report released Thursday.

An eastbound BNSF Railway train failed to slow at a yellow warning signal on June 28 and then continued past a red stop signal before striking an oncoming BNSF train, inspectors for the National Transportation Safety Board said in the report.

The eastbound train, bound for Chicago, was supposed to stop and allow the Los Angeles-bound train to pass. It was traveling just over 60 mph when it passed the yellow signal, though trains are not supposed to travel any faster than 40 mph at a yellow signal so that they can stop in time at a red signal. The train was traveling about 65 mph when it passed the stop signal.

NTSB spokesman Terry Williams said it's not clear how far beyond the stop signal that the point of impact occurred.
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