NS 238 derailed this morning shortly after departing Columbia, SC enroute to Charleston, SC. Two locomotives are on their sides and the one seen here is askew. Engineer and Conductor are hospitalized. No hazmat, just spilled diesel fuel. 238 carries stacks, but is primarily a manifest. News is now being released that a plant switcher somehow entered the main line and caused the crash. There's merely a spur here, so the plant switcher had no reason to be at this location. There must be a plant derail that was unlocked and moved, and that opens a host of questions. No other details are being released at this time. This is an unsignaled mainline. This photo appeared on a local TV news site and was taken by the Columbia Fire Department. I'm staying home, having no want to make my way anywhere near. My prayers are with the crew and the cleanup people for safety as they work through the night.
Cant click like on this, I too hope the crew turns out OK. Thats always a concern with industrial power getting loose and running thru switches and stuff fowling the MT. Looks like a GEEP 50 or prolly 60 sitting there huh. Is it me, or does it seem there have been a lot of high profile derailments lately?
The "like" reflects that the post is appreciated, not that a viewer necessarily likes the situation in the post. Hence, me clicking on "like". Doug
These images were released as well. It was reported that the two crewmembers are in satisfactory condition. You can see the industry switcher (and some covered hoppers it was coupled to) to the right in this Columbia Fire Department photo. I think it's downgrade from the industry to the main, so it's possible that the switcher rolled away. That nobody at the industry phoned NS might indicate that they didn't yet know about it at the time. What we don't know is if the switcher derailed upon entering the NS main or if the derailer was in place and it derailed on that. If the derailer did its job, seems like it was located too close to the mainline. Another Columbia Fire Department photo:
Yikes. Hoping the crew is going to be OK. Someone is going to have a nasty bill after the cleanup. And if it was caused by the plant, NS will be having some ugly conversation with them....
I wonder if the derail was of the simple traditional type or a no-nonsense type like this one? If it was located too close to the main, it wouldn't matter, but generally some good thought goes in to where they are placed.
Holy moly!! That's a fun clean-up. The company that owns the switcher is gonna have a bill in the mail soon....
A derail would never be placed close enough to the mainline to foul it if equipment rolled through it and notice how the one in the last picture derails away from the mainline. Something else happened. Sabotage or somebody forgot to set the derail. Doug
Some people, when installing derails, have no idea what the purpose of the derail is. It is not all that unusual for a industry's motive power and/or equipment to be set in motion by parties unknown. The carrier's Main Track MUST be protected by a derail that will PREVENT equipment challenging the derail from EVER getting to the Main.
It's been a day and a half and I'll bet that inspectors already know what happened by now. We'll see what we're told. I have to give the local newspaper credit for accurate reporting. Unlike the TV stations, The State newspaper has worked to seek out NS spokespeople. I was impressed to read excerpts like this: The head end of a Norfolk Southern train heading from Atlanta to Charleston derailed at about 8:20 a.m., and three locomotives and three cars were involved, company spokesman Connor Spielmaker told The State. The Norfolk Southern train hit “an already derailed industry locomotive on an industry track that was fouling our mainline,” Spielmaker said. When's the last time any of us of saw mainstream media quote railroad terms like "head end" and "fouling"? Good work.
Just because there is a derail there doesn't mean that when wheels hit the ground, the movement stops immediately. There could very well have been just enough momentum to allow movement to continue following the track towards the main enough to foul. I read somewhere that this is non-signaled track, which means the crew had no warning.
I am wondering have far in advance of the NS train arriving at that point the switcher derailed? Did the industry people have any opportunity to try flagging? Or even think of doing so, I would hope...
These are good questions. I'm wondering if the errant locomotive wasn't tied down and rolled away during the night. You'd think that by 8AM someone at the pasta plant would have noticed the switcher was gone, found it and phoned NS immediately. But, who knows. No new updates from the local media this morning. Crew released from hospital, wreck is mostly cleaned up. Not sure if the two locomotives have been righted and removed or if the line is open again.
Yes! Unintended things can happen at derails. In 1958, a CNJ engineman had a heart attack as his commuter train approached the open Newark Bay lift bridge. The train was moving at a speed which limited the effectiveness of the derail and a terrible crash ensued, killing 48, including the engineer and fireman. It was never determined why the fireman didn't take action to stop the train when it passed multiple stop signals.
Y'all aren't going to believe this. The industry that caused NS 238's wreck ran through a switch this morning and derailed a car, which then went askew to block three tracks. I'm uncertain whether it's fouling the NS main, but NS has been alerted. I am speechless.
Wow. Thats incredible, they would royally screw up like that again so quick. Hopefully sooner than later, someone can get their attention, as to the gravity of this.
FRA or STB or whoever, better starts looking into they're operating practices, before someone is killed!!
Good grief. Unreal. I quickly begin wondering about the people operating their equipment. Something would seem to be seriously wrong there.
