Back in May, we were called from Wichita Falls to go to Quanah Tx to get a loaded grain train. In Quanah is where a northern track comes down to meet our main line which run east and west. The Oklahoma main is what we call that track that heads north out of Quanah. Its a 10 mph track but we call it a main anyways??.. Anyhow the Oklahoma main and out main line is separated by a small 5 track yard. The load was tied down on the Oklahoma main just north of the yard. We got authority to come out from Quanah yard to our main line. So I pulled the load through the yard to the south end and stopped at the derail so the brakeman could flop the derail and get the main line switch. When started to pull on them, it just felt like alot of slack on the rear of the train. I had 3 dash-9's on the head and and 53 loads, so I gave it another notch and it when tugged really hard then. So I knew then something wasnt right and had the conductor go back and check it out and this is what he found.
The road master and his gang determined that the third car from the end had a sharp wheel flange and just so happen when I stopped at out main line switch, that car was right on top of the switch on the top end of the yard. The sharp flange cause it to split the switch and caused those cars to go up the yard lead and therefore it caused them to turn over. It was just defectived equipment. I had already got the 3 motors and 50 cars over that switch before that happened. Whats funny is the train NEVER went into emergency!!
Wow, pictures like that make me glad I did not persue a RR career. In my career, if that happens, I just pick it back up and set on the rails.
