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UP-CP derailment in Mankato, MN

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Posted by edblysard on Monday, December 1, 2014 5:47 PM

petitnj

Happened at 2:30 AM. Engineer sound asleep until he realized his mistake. Guess the wakeup buzzer wasn't loud enough. 

 

 

 

You guys were in the cab and saw this happen?

Wow, why didn't you wake him up?

23 17 46 11

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Posted by sandiego on Saturday, November 29, 2014 11:29 PM

"So did one train sideswipe the other?"

Yes—EB (timetable NB; still can't get used to UP change on this) UP train ran into side of CP train going through junction. Don't think the news story mentioned direction of CP train.

Kurt Hayek

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Posted by Boyd on Saturday, November 29, 2014 9:56 PM

So did one train sideswipe the other?

Modeling the "Fargo Area Rapid Transit" in O scale 3 rail.

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Posted by sandiego on Saturday, November 29, 2014 6:42 PM

"Happened at 2:30 AM. Engineer sound asleep until he realized his mistake. Guess the wakeup buzzer wasn't loud enough."

Pretty bad considering crew went on duty at St. James, only 35 miles to the west.

Kurt Hayek

 
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Posted by petitnj on Saturday, November 29, 2014 5:14 PM

Happened at 2:30 AM. Engineer sound asleep until he realized his mistake. Guess the wakeup buzzer wasn't loud enough. 

 

 

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Posted by sandiego on Saturday, November 29, 2014 12:20 PM

This accident occurred where the the UP and CP lines join west of the Blue Earth River bridge. At one time both the CNW and Omaha Road had side-by-side mainlines through Mankato, with each having a bridge across the Blue Earth River. CNW was on the north and CMO on the south. There was a crossover west of the bridges where WB trains on the old CNW main (called Main 1 when I was working for the CNW in the 1970s and 80s) could cross over to the old CMO and continue west up the hill toward St. James and Su City. Main 2 was used as a switching lead and car storage for the Honeymead (now CHS) plant on the east side of the Blue Earth River. This crossover was normally lined for crossover movements but was also set up with a spring switch so EB trains on the Huron line could trail through the switch without lining it.

In the 1980s the two Blue Earth river bridges were replaced with a new, higher elevation bridge north of the existing bridges as part of the Corps of Engineer's Mankato Flood Control Project. The crossover where the two mains parted company was replaced with a single turnout, but still as a spring switch normally lined for the Omaha.

 There is a 1% grade coming down toward the junction switch on the UP track (ex-CMO), while the CP (ex-CNW) track is pretty much level. Appears as if the UP engineer didn't have control of his train coming down the hill and couldn't stop in time. (Not complying with Restricted Speed as this is Yard Limits territory)

 

Kurt Hayek

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Posted by K. P. Harrier on Friday, November 28, 2014 11:34 PM

I see a GE C45, an EMD SD70M, and a newer EMD SD70ACe.

http://www.kare11.com/story/news/local/2014/11/27/train-derails-near-mankato-union-pacific/19582195/

Click small photo in the link to make it bigger.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.

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Posted by jrbernier on Friday, November 28, 2014 9:08 PM

Ed,

  There is no 'diamond' in place.  The ex-Rapid City line(CP) joins just West of town and leaves the UP north of town on the old CGW alignment.  The collision appears to be on the SW edge of town.  The local news indicated that one tran crossed over in front of the other(cross-over not aligned?).  Most of the pictures show what appears to be 3 UP SD70ACe's in the ditch....

Jim

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UP-CP derailment in Mankato, MN
Posted by NP Eddie on Friday, November 28, 2014 7:56 PM

ALL:

Does anyone have information on a UP-CP derailment in Mankato, MN? Was this a diamond type accident? The paper is not very clear.

Ed Burns

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