Unnoticed loss of railcar en route

[graymond]

Under the headline "Can trains lose cars without anyone noticing?" a July 10 article in a Zurich, Switzerland newspaper reported on the breaking of a coupler between a Swiss locomotive and its passenger train the previous day. The reporter pointed out that if a coupler breaks, the air line is disconnected and this applies the brakes and brings both sections of the train to a halt.

The same is true in the U.S. of course. But I do recall reading in Trains Magazine a few years ago about an incident in which a car derailed in the middle of a train and slid off into vegetation beside the track. The rest of the cars stayed on the track. The train crew did not notice the missing car, rejoined the two halves of the train, repumped the air, and departed. A motorist later spotted the lost car. (Maybe it was two cars.)

Does anyone else recall reading this? In what issue of Trains was it? I would like it to send it to the Swiss reporter. Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

A few years back Amtrak Southwest Chief in Kansas when into emergency and when the crew checked out the train (in the dark), the only thing they found was that the ETD was missing, so they closed the angle chock and went on there way. Later a track inspector sent out to find the ETD found it still attached to the last 2 cars of the train sitting on the main. I know that was in Trains but don't recall which issue.

gwl
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