CSX S&C Branch Notes - SD40-2 & Derailment

[bbrant]

I made a trip along the CSX S&C Branch from Somerset to Rockwood and thought I'd pass along these notes.

At Rockwood a former Conrail SD40-2, #8822, was sitting along the "west" leg of the wye. Unit was idling. Not sure if it had mechanical problems and was set off from a train on the Keystone Sub or if it would be used on a train to Johnstown. My guess (and it's only a guess) is that the unit had some type of mechanical problem as trains to & from J-town normally are GP38-2 or GP40-2s. This is the first time I can recall, at least in recent memory, seeing a 6-axel diesel on the S&C.

There's a derailed Staley tank car in the siding at Rockwood. No word on what caused the derailment, when exactly it happened or when the car will be re-railed.

There were 10 cars in the Somerset yard. 7 gons with scrap metal and 3 covered hoppers for the Agway plant.

Regards,
Brian

[bbrant]

Here's a link to some pictures from the derailment. There were actually 2 cars off the track, one worse than the other.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/archivethumbs.aspx?id=3375

[Modelcar]

....Checked out all your photos Brian....and always glad to read your report on S&C activity....Looks like the railroad will have to bring in some equipment to rerail those tank cars. They tore up the track rather nasty. Wonder how that happened there on the siding away from any switch...Maybe simply a broken rail gave way....Hope you might catch the rerailing with some photos...but might be hard to do.

[csxengineer98]

brant... odds are it was set thier by a helper to be turned.... with the turn table in connellsville out of service for some time..and the wye in glenwood now under new managment... power that comes into mckesport on emtpy coke trains that isnt faceing the right direction to be used for a west bound coke trains....now has to go to rockwood to be turned around...and they normaly have the helper crews out of connellsville turn the power on the wye at rockwood befor heading back into the barn at connellsville
csx engineer

[csxengineer98]

looks like pepsi is going to be a car short for a little while..lol
csx engineer

[Modelcar]

....They will be several cars short. Wonder how long it will take for the crews to get to correcting this mess.

[bbrant]

Don't know when they'll get the cars re-railed. It would be great to be there when they did it....would imagine it would be hard to get good close-up pictures since it's a tight area that would have to be used by the crews.

My daughter, who just turned 4, looked at the pictures and asked if I put the train back on the track. I had to laugh. Guess at 4 years old it's difficult to tell the difference between a real derailment and the ones that I have on my layout. Gotta love the innocents of kids!

Brian

[bbrant]

csxengineer -

Thanks for the info on the SD40-2. Wasn't sure how it got there but turning it sounds like that's probably the case. Think CSX would mind if I took it for a "test drive" down the S&C? LOL

Brian

[Modelcar]

...Wonder if the tank cars are loaded....? If so, that end one is sure on an acute angle and dug in pretty good.

[csxengineer98]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bbrant

csxengineer -

Thanks for the info on the SD40-2. Wasn't sure how it got there but turning it sounds like that's probably the case. Think CSX would mind if I took it for a "test drive" down the S&C? LOL

Brian

i heard a story some time ago that someone did take the power that the local used for a "test drive" down the S&C....and then brought it back .....the crew came back the next day...and the engineer notices they wherent right where the parked them the day befor..and all the brake shoes where almost all burnt off...lol
csx engineer

[ericsp]

Someone tell CSXT to send a SD40-2 out here.

[kenneo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bbrant

Here's a link to some pictures from the derailment. There were actually 2 cars off the track, one worse than the other.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/archivethumbs.aspx?id=3375

Well, Brian, it does appear that the rail next to the embankment turned over. Park a car on the main just short of where the cars are on the ground, dynamite it and attach real strong heavy-duty crane cables between the two, and then pull the cut that is on the ground away from its anchor. Will slew the one tank car back up on the ties and then both cars can be frogged on. A little more complicated than that, but not much. Sure is cheaper than calling out a hook. FRA will make you replace the wheel sets anyway, so no need to be real careful - just drag them back.

[bbrant]

It'll be interesting to see how CSX handles this. I'll probably be making a trip down that way sometime this week just to see if they got the cars back on the tracks or if they're still derailed. I'll be sure to post what I see.

[bbrant]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ericsp

Someone tell CSXT to send a SD40-2 out here.

If csxengineer would tell me how to run it, I'd gladly bring it to you in person.

Let me restate that....if csxengineer would tell me how to run it AND post my bail money, I'd gladly bring it to you in person!! [:D]

[bbrant]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kenneo

QUOTE: Originally posted by bbrant

Here's a link to some pictures from the derailment. There were actually 2 cars off the track, one worse than the other.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/archivethumbs.aspx?id=3375

Well, Brian, it does appear that the rail next to the embankment turned over. Park a car on the main just short of where the cars are on the ground, dynamite it and attach real strong heavy-duty crane cables between the two, and then pull the cut that is on the ground away from its anchor. Will slew the one tank car back up on the ties and then both cars can be frogged on. A little more complicated than that, but not much. Sure is cheaper than calling out a hook. FRA will make you replace the wheel sets anyway, so no need to be real careful - just drag them back.

Kenneo -

I also noticed there was one of those metal derailers placed on tracks to derail runaway cars visible in these pictures:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=93134
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=93136

I thought that maybe, and this is strictly a guess, that some how these cars hit it and it was just doing it's job. Again, that's just a guess and nothing more. Sounds like you have more experience so you're probably correct about the rail turning over.

Brian

[Modelcar]

...The outside rail is clearly visible turned over laying off to the side of it's normal position. I can't make out what that short piece of rail laying inside the tracks is all about....
If that is a derailer laying just inside the truck in the closeup picture it sort of looks suspicious of someone pushing cars over it by mistake.
Even looks like cars were moving in the direction of the tankers and possibly hit the derail forcing the two tankers up and off the rail and forcing the outside rail to turn over to the ouside of the ROW putting the two tankers on the ground.

[csxengineer98]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bbrant

QUOTE: Originally posted by ericsp

Someone tell CSXT to send a SD40-2 out here.

If csxengineer would tell me how to run it, I'd gladly bring it to you in person.

Let me restate that....if csxengineer would tell me how to run it AND post my bail money, I'd gladly bring it to you in person!! [:D]

your bail money would be alot less then the money i would loss for being FIRED!!!!!!!!!!!! now if you can rake up about 60k a year for lets say..the next 32 years and deposit that money into my checking acount on a monthly basices......then ill tell you eveything you need to know!! lol
csx engineer

[bbrant]

QUOTE: [i]if you can rake up about 60k a year for lets say..the next 32 years and deposit that money into my checking acount on a monthly basices......then ill tell you eveything you need to know!! lol
csx engineer

How can I come up with that kind of money - I'm married ya know!!!! [:D] My wife would have that spent before you, me or a good hobby shop had the chance to see a dime of it! LOL [:D]

[csxengineer98]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bbrant

QUOTE: [i]if you can rake up about 60k a year for lets say..the next 32 years and deposit that money into my checking acount on a monthly basices......then ill tell you eveything you need to know!! lol
csx engineer

How can I come up with that kind of money - I'm married ya know!!!! [:D] My wife would have that spent before you, me or a good hobby shop had the chance to see a dime of it! LOL [:D]

well...you have to prioritize.... dump the wife...stop spending the money at the hobby shop... and save up for a little while... whats more importaint..the wife and hobby shop..or a chance to take a sd-40 for a joy ride...lol
csx engineer

[bbrant]

QUOTE: well...you have to prioritize.... dump the wife...stop spending the money at the hobby shop... and save up for a little while... whats more importaint..the wife and hobby shop..or a chance to take a sd-40 for a joy ride...lol
csx engineer

Good point! LOL

[csxengineer98]

hey brant...
if you realy want to try your hand at running a locomotive...go to the railroad museum of PA.....they have a new attraction.... they set up a locomotive simultor....check out the link...
http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/
csx engineer

[coborn35]

QUOTE: Originally posted by csxengineer98

hey brant...
if you realy want to try your hand at running a locomotive...go to the railroad museum of PA.....they have a new attraction.... they set up a locomotive simultor....check out the link...
http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/
csx engineer

The Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth,MN also has a GREAT simulator from the WC division of the CN.

[bbrant]

QUOTE: Originally posted by csxengineer98

hey brant...
if you realy want to try your hand at running a locomotive...go to the railroad museum of PA.....they have a new attraction.... they set up a locomotive simultor....check out the link...
http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/
csx engineer

Thanks for the post. I didn't know they had a simulator there but it looks pretty cool. Hopefully can get down that way sometime this summer to check it out.

[csxengineer98]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bbrant

QUOTE: Originally posted by csxengineer98

hey brant...
if you realy want to try your hand at running a locomotive...go to the railroad museum of PA.....they have a new attraction.... they set up a locomotive simultor....check out the link...
http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/
csx engineer

Thanks for the post. I didn't know they had a simulator there but it looks pretty cool. Hopefully can get down that way sometime this summer to check it out.

i want to try it out myself.....just so i can try stuff that i dont do at work becouse it will derail me..lol.... see if the simulator is like MSTS...be able to wreck em..lol
csx engineer