(Volume 25, No. 6)
CSX Runaway
An Eyewitness Report
The following eyewitness report of the CSX runaway train was sent to me by e-mail by a friend. It was a third hand report, so I do not know the identity of the person involved.
The Editor
I was up north chasing the CSX Operation Lifesaver Special today, which operated on the former Conrail Toledo Branch between Columbus and Toledo. After getting my last northbound shot north of Bowling Green, I decided to grab some lunch. After lunch, I proceeded back north to Trombley to await the return southbound Operation Lifesaver train.
While on I-75, I heard some VERY UNUSUAL radio chatter, culminating in,"Well where is the engineer?" "Right here in the crew room!" A train had somehow gotten out of Stanley Yard in Toledo and was running southbound with no one aboard. I saw the train at North Trombley running at about 30mph. It was a solo SD40-2 #8888, an ex-Conrail unit with about 47 cars. It tripped the detector at North Trombley with dragging equipment, but none of the others further south. I then heard the CSX "IE" Dispatcher call the maintainers along the road that the train had run through the switches at CP 14 and were likely damaged. The pursuit by CSX employees, police, and myself began at this point. Folks, the Good Lord was watching over north central Ohio today!
Thankfully, due to the Operation Lifesaver Special, there was a very high police presence along the railroad. This was crucial! Almost every grade crossing was protected when the train passed. Keep in mind, nobody was aboard to sound the horn and bell. The headlights were not on either. I caught up with the train again at Mortimer (North Findlay). Here, a CSX maintainer had placed a derail on the track to derail the train. Everyone was out of the way, expecting a horrific wreck. Amazingly, the train RAN THROUGH the derail, kicking it out of the way! Now, the city of Findlay lay ahead. By this time, all police and emergency personnel along the line had been alerted. NS & other CSX dispatchers had been alerted to prevent any intersecting lines from passing traffic through railroad crossings at grade (Galatea, Mortimer, Findlay, etc.). They were going to attempt to put the train in the siding at Whirlpool, just north of Findlay, but the fear of the hazardous material cars on the train nixed that move.
It was then decided to put the train in the siding at Blanchard, south of Dunkirk. However, another idea arose. There was a northbound Q636 waiting at Dunkirk in the siding. Dunkirk has probably never seen so much excitement since the big wreck of some years ago. There was Q636 in the siding and an eastbound local on the PRR, waiting at the diamond with a clear signal. Thankfully the word had gotten out. The train accelerated going down the hill from the US 68 crossing to the diamond at Dunkirk. When the train passed, the great locomotive chase began.
The crew of Q636, in the siding at Dunkirk, had taken their lone SD40-2 off their train and through arrangement with the "IE" train dispatcher, prepared to pull out of the north end of the siding after the runaway had passed and begin a pursuit. The train got by at about 45 mph, the dispatcher immediately threw the switch and 636's power got out on the main. After a few tense seconds, the switch lined and the chase began! The crew on 636 were incredible. Gung ho, they WANTED to catch that train by the sounds of their voices on the radio. They caught up with the runaway just south of Blanchard. The city of Kenton, with its sharp curves laid ahead. The lone SD40-2, now coupled to the runaway, kicked the dynamic brakes on full and got immediate results, bringing the train down to a curve safe 20mph and less. The dispatcher then arranged for the Kenton local, with a lone GP38 and a covered hopper, to get in front of the runaway, if necessary, to pace, couple up, and buffer the train to a stop. The Q636's crew and Kenton local were placed in direct contact. Q636 gave the train speed every few seconds and the Kenton local got in a tangent where they could get a jump and engage the runaway as safely as possible under the circumstances.
Finally, the runaway was slowed to 12mph. At State Route 31, a CSX trainmaster heroically, swung aboard and shut the throttle off on the errant locomotive and train. The Kenton local was just ahead and did not have to couple to the runaway. The situation in the cab reported by the trainmaster: run 8 throttle, 20lb reduction on the automatic, and full application on the independent.
Amazingly, NOBODY WAS INJURED in this! The CSX folks deserve a tremendous pat on the back and congratulations for their handling of this extraordinary situation. I was there for almost the entire pursuit, never being more than 6 miles away and always in radio range. No one lost their cool and everyone was on the same page. There was some great crisis railroading being performed by the men out there today!
A few THANK GOD things worth mentioning:
The train had its brakes applied and was dragging along, preventing higher speeds from being achieved.
The derail at Mortimer did not work. A hazmat disaster would have likely resulted in a semi populated area, right next to I-75.
No one was involved in a collision with the train. Remember, nobody was aboard to sound the horn and bell.
The cities of Findlay and Kenton have some significant curves. The train did not derail!
There were ample personnel along the line thanks to the OLS special today.
As to how all of this got started, that is up for the investigators and I cannot speculate as I have no idea what happened in Toledo. What is typed above is my own account and any errors are mine alone. I have a recording of the radio traffic during the entire locomotive chase. I will make an mp3 tonight and post it someplace for all to hear. Will advise when it is complete.
Area Scheduled Events
Thanks to Alan Udy, we have a schedule of events for the rest of the year here in the intermountain area> This is the list of upcoming events (including our own) in the Northern Utah Area:
Roundhouse Days Aug 18-19
Fairgrounds
Evanston, Wyoming
Peach Days Sept 8-9
Brigham City (Utah) Train Depot
Railroad Daze Sept 8-9
Yes, the same days as above.
Heber Valley Railroad Station
(This is a new station, to be opened in June)
Heber City, Utah
Utah Train Collectors Association Train Show
Ogden Union Station Sept 22-23
RailShow 2001 Oct 13-14
Idaho Falls Recreation Center
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Wasatch Rails Nov 2-4
Utah Division NMRA
Utah State Fair Park
Salt Lake City, Utah
Timetable
June 7..................... Business Meeting
June 14................... Work Session
June 21................... Work Session
June 28................... Operating Session
July 4...................... Settler's Fair
July 5...................... Business Meeting
Union Pacific History (Continued)
Alphabetic list and narrative of some of UP's predecessor roads:
Omaha, Niobrara & Black Hills Railroad Incorporated in September 1879 to built agricultural branches for UP. Construction began in 1879. Operated by UP without lease or agreement, from December 1879 to June 1886. Columbus to Norfolk (Norfolk Branch, 50.1 mi.) was completed 1881 and 1886 Oconee to Albion (Albion Branch, 33.7 mi.) was completed July 1880. Genoa to Cedar Rapids (part of Cedar Rapids Branch, 30.3 mi.) was completed November 1884. Merged with Omaha & Republican Valley Railway on June 26, 1886.
Omaha & Republican Valley Railroad (later Railway). Incorporated in August 1876 to build agricultural branches for UP. Construction began in October 1877. Operated by UP without lease or agreement, from January 1877 to October 1898. Valley to Rising (part of Stromberg Branch) was completed in October 1877. Rising to Stromberg (part of Stromberg Branch) was completed in December 1879. Valparaiso to the Nebraska-Kansas line (connection with M&BV) was completed in January 1884 Beatrice to Neb/Kan line (25.3 mi., connection with M&BV) was completed in January 1880. Valparaiso to Lincoln (21.2 mi.) was completed in April 1880. Lincoln to Beatrice (38.2 mi.) was completed in January 1884. Grand Island to St. Paul (part of Ord Branch, 22 mi.) was completed in May 1880. St. Paul to North Loup (part of Ord Branch, 27 mi.) was completed in October 1882. St. Paul to Loup City (Loup City Branch, 39 mi.) was completed in May 1886. Final construction was completed in May 1886. Consolidated with Omaha, Niobrara & Black Hills Railroad in June 1886. Consolidated with Marysville & Blue Valley Railroad in January 1887. Sold to UP on October 4, 1898.
Oregon Short Line Railroad. Oregon Short Line Railroad (OSL) owned by Union Pacific Railroad as reorganization of Oregon Short Line & Utah Northern Railway. Incorporated on February 9, 1897.
UP Business Car Pocatello
From the Union Pacific Railroad Web page - the locos on the back are also from there. They have a lot of really nice photos there.