A NS freight ( unconfirmed report was a high wide transformer ) has torn down NEC CAT causing all trains between PHL - WASh (?) to be cancelled. Here is copy of Amtrak bulletin.
Amtrak Acela Express and Northeast Regional remains suspended between Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia this morning as a result of a Catenary pole and downed wires on tracks, caused by a Norfolk Southern freight train, on the Northeast Corridor.
Service is operating between Philadelphia, New York and Boston. The Keystone Service is operating as normal between Harrisburg, Pa., Philadelphia and New York. Limited service is operating between New York, Philadelphia and Wilmington, Del.
Engineering crews are working to rectify the problem as quickly and safely as possible. There is no estimate for service restoration as this time.
This brings up several questions. As this portion of CAT is having a lot of failures.
1. Did this happen at the entrance at Perryville or somewhere else ?
2. Was this an overhead snag ? Possibly a sagging CAT ?
3. Did load sideswipe support pole(s) ? Since these tracks are eventually planned to be 4 MT support poles would not be moved before new constant tension CAT installed with wider clearances.
4. If load too big maybe NS be required to build a high - wide detector ?
5. Will Amtrak ever have enough diesels so it can bypass these all too often CAT failures ?
6. Could a clearance vehicle be required to lead any high- wides ? Is that ever done on freight RRs ?
7. Another reason to get CSX WASH - PHL - Newark rebuilt as an alternate passenger route ?
EDIT
Another unconfirmed report that transformer rolled. If so ----------
8. Train too fast around a curve ?
9. Track gave way under transformer car ?
10. String lined ?. Unconfirmed report was a 50 + car freight.
11. maybe a tip over on a elevated curve ?
Maryland report --- happened between Perryville and Aberdeen.
http://mta.maryland.gov/advisories/penn-line-service-disruption-update-7-0
Perhaps the time has come to bar freight trains from the NEC?
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
Washington Post picture on below link. Does appear that this was three track area, appears straight track, tilted over and hit support pole, load was very large. Any other observations ?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/wp/2014/09/16/amtrak-service-suspended-between-d-c-and-philadelphia-2/
The units and cars on the freight in the Washington Post picture seem to be leaning, and I'm guessing it is because of superelevation rather than derailment, hence curved track. There are several possibilities for the exact cause, but without more information there is little point in speculating.
John
cx500 The units and cars on the freight in the Washington Post picture seem to be leaning, and I'm guessing it is because of superelevation rather than derailment, hence curved track. There are several possibilities for the exact cause, but without more information there is little point in speculating. John
And from that picture, there is quite a bit of superelevation - much more than NS would have built into a curve with a similar degree of curvature. Superelevation for 50 MPH operation of freights is much different than for 125 MPH passenger.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Now appears that load was on outside track instead of the middle track causing transformer to snag support pole ?. That brings up the 5 Ws that need to be answered ?
BaltACD cx500 The units and cars on the freight in the Washington Post picture seem to be leaning, and I'm guessing it is because of superelevation rather than derailment, hence curved track. There are several possibilities for the exact cause, but without more information there is little point in speculating. John And from that picture, there is quite a bit of superelevation - much more than NS would have built into a curve with a similar degree of curvature. Superelevation for 50 MPH operation of freights is much different than for 125 MPH passenger.
Not really for general merchandise freight.
I this instance I would expect the NS Clearance Engineers did not do their homework in calculating how this particular clearance load would react on the track it was being operated on. Who knows how much 'cushion' they built into their operating models for this particular move; if the load did in fact strike a catenary support - it is obvious they didn't include sufficient operating cushion for the track the load was being operated.
BaltACD Not really for general merchandise freight. I this instance I would expect the NS Clearance Engineers did not do their homework in calculating how this particular clearance load would react on the track it was being operated on. Who knows how much 'cushion' they built into their operating models for this particular move; if the load did in fact strike a catenary support - it is obvious they didn't include sufficient operating cushion for the track the load was being operated.
Whose responsibility is that supposed to be, NS as the user or Amtrak as the owner? Is there supposed to be some sort of coordination / liaison going on?
Was this one of those transformers from the movies? They appear to do alot of damage in the commercials.
schlimm BaltACD Not really for general merchandise freight. I this instance I would expect the NS Clearance Engineers did not do their homework in calculating how this particular clearance load would react on the track it was being operated on. Who knows how much 'cushion' they built into their operating models for this particular move; if the load did in fact strike a catenary support - it is obvious they didn't include sufficient operating cushion for the track the load was being operated. Whose responsibility is that supposed to be, NS as the user or Amtrak as the owner? Is there supposed to be some sort of coordination / liaison going on?
NS (I expect) originated the load. It is up to their Clearance engineers to do the work of mapping out a route where the load can safely operate, including coordinating the operation over any intermediate foreign carriers (Amtrak). The intermediate carriers also review the specifics of the load and make their own determination on the suitability of moving the load over their line - they can reject movement, based on their own knowledge of their own line which should be superior to anything they may have supplied to other carriers. The intermediate foreign carriers know of the existence of the load and it's dimensions long before the actual movement, and are notified of it's movement at the time the train is permitted to enter the foreign carriers trackage.
blue streak 1 Another unconfirmed report that transformer rolled. If so ---------- 8. Train too fast around a curve ? 9. Track gave way under transformer car ? 10. Stringlined ?. Unconfirmed report was a 50 + car freight. 11. maybe a tipover on a superelevated curve ?
10. Stringlined ?. Unconfirmed report was a 50 + car freight.
11. maybe a tipover on a superelevated curve ?
My money would be on some form of harmonic rock. Why has there been no further good news reporting or other railroad-forum thread referencing on this?
BaltACD schlimm BaltACD Not really for general merchandise freight. I this instance I would expect the NS Clearance Engineers did not do their homework in calculating how this particular clearance load would react on the track it was being operated on. Who knows how much 'cushion' they built into their operating models for this particular move; if the load did in fact strike a catenary support - it is obvious they didn't include sufficient operating cushion for the track the load was being operated. Whose responsibility is that supposed to be, NS as the user or Amtrak as the owner? Is there supposed to be some sort of coordination / liaison going on? NS (I expect) originated the load. It is up to their Clearance engineers to do the work of mapping out a route where the load can safely operate, including coordinating the operation over any intermediate foreign carriers (Amtrak). The intermediate carriers also review the specifics of the load and make their own determination on the suitability of moving the load over their line - they can reject movement, based on their own knowledge of their own line which should be superior to anything they may have supplied to other carriers. The intermediate foreign carriers know of the existence of the load and it's dimensions long before the actual movement, and are notified of it's movement at the time the train is permitted to enter the foreign carriers trackage.
schlimm BaltACD cx500 The units and cars on the freight in the Washington Post picture seem to be leaning, and I'm guessing it is because of superelevation rather than derailment, hence curved track. There are several possibilities for the exact cause, but without more information there is little point in speculating. John And from that picture, there is quite a bit of superelevation - much more than NS would have built into a curve with a similar degree of curvature. Superelevation for 50 MPH operation of freights is much different than for 125 MPH passenger. And that is why having a freight railroad running freight trains on the NEC is incompatible.
The most superelevation you can have anywhere in the US is 6". There's lots of it on the NEC. It's expensive to maintain. Conrail had a max of 4" on their system except on the Hudson Line where there was some 6".
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
In reviewing the pictures two things spring to mind. The track seems 'very' close to the base of the catenary pole. In maintenance procedures has the track 'migrated' closer to the catenary than it's original position? Secondly, the track appears to have fresh ballast and concrete ties. When fresh ballast is added to an existing track structure and tamped into place, the surface of the track will raise 1 to 2 inches, unless special attention is paid to keep it a the existing level. All of these 'changes' will change the geometry of a high wide load and it's relationship to a catenary pole.
I have a friend that works for Amtrak in Wilmington and he informed me that the pole was to close to the track and that the transformer had shifted to the side enough to catch the pole.
Thanks BaltACD for the fine pictures. My thoughts were that the NS crew were aware of areas with questionable clearance and were proceeding slowly, but were unable to stop the train in time. Going fast would have obliterated the catenary pole. Note that the transformer doesn't look externally damaged. Even the tie-down cable is in place. I wonder where they put the replacement pole.
I heard through a 'hearsay' source, that when Amtrak cleared the car, someone fat fingered the NS provided dimensions into Amtrak's clearance program and thus permitted operation where it should have been prohibited.
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