This Just In...

[Flintlock76]

Norfolk-Southern train derailment and wreck in Allegheny County PA.

https://dailyvoice.com/pennsylvania/montgomery/news/crude-oil-carrying-train-cars-derail-fall-off-bridge-into-allegheny-river-authorities/833549/

[mudchicken]

Since this appeared this morning, the question going around in railroad MOW/ Engineering circles is:

(1) IF this was a planned haul road for a nearby heavy civil project (railroad or otherwise), why wasn't there a flagman (NS or Railpros) at the site of the private crossing? Contractor being ignorant and cheap?

(2) Did the lessee of the private crossing know about this and consent to the use of the crossing? (Edit) These big articulated pan construction dump trucks are not legal on most public roads and would have required extra cribbing around and over the crossing to prevent damage to the crossing and track structure.

 

(3) Did any level of the railroad know about this project in the precede-ing days leading up to the accident?

 

Construction/Trucking operation has a big cleanup bill plus damages 

(and I suspect there was no RRPP insurance policy in place- so their regular insurance policy is not going to pony-up for this. They are SCREWED. IF this was a city/county/state project, I would expect that there won't be any work around railroads involving public funds after FRA and OSHA declare a moritorium/ shut-down in the state for at least a year.)

 

It will be interesting to see the NTSB accident report, newspaper accounts and FRA/OSHA reports in the coming weeks and months. 

 

Pittsburgh train derailment: Several injuries reported after Harmar derailment (wtae.com)

 

NS Conemaugh Line MP 65     DOT#510 978T   (Harmar, PA)

(The crossing was protected by x-bucks and stop signs on both sides leading into a sewage treatment/ water plant)

[BaltACD]

More PSR.

[mudchicken]

BaltACD

More PSR. 

?????

[BaltACD]

mudchicken

 

BaltACD

More PSR.  

?????

Cheap in every way possible from all parties involved.  Reguiations be damned.

[mudchicken]

OK - gotcha now (and that's PSR with a capital stoopid)

...and I'm amazed the NS locomotives got over the bridge at all.

[Flintlock76]

mudchicken

...and I'm amazed the NS locomotives got over the bridge at all.

Inertia's an amazing thing.

[[e-mail]]

I noticed that the tracks ties and all just slid off the bridge.Arnt the ties somehow bolted or glued to the bridge in some way. And yes most railroad bridges have 4 inner rails as antiderailment measure 

[mudchicken]

Cleaned the open deck bridge ties right off the deck girder bridge , no guardrail and last time I looked, 180-200 ton locomotives don't swim. 

Suspect that NS won't put the bridge back together until the top web and flanges have been magnafluxed/x-rayed/scanned etc... Something else the contractor/ trucker will be billed for. And if there were rivets (as opposed to welds).....

[Erik_Mag]

mudchicken

Something else the contractor/ trucker will be billed for.

I would assume that the contractor/trucker's client/customer is starting to sweat as well. One of the things I remember when the company I used to work for was owned by GE was that GE was very particular about shipping companies, contractors, etc being properly vetted before they could be used. Reason given was that GE had very deep pockets. Similar to "if the state of PA were to be involved" hypothetical that you mentioned.

[mudchicken]

I sincerely doubt the railroad will collect, but the contractor/trucker will not resume business as usual after the incident and they will not re-incorporate under another name and resume business. Attorneys and the state SOS officials will be watching (along with the insurance companies) to blacklist any vestage of the offending firm(s) and employee...