Trains.com

BNSF Accident in Kansas Sat. Morning

2772 views
21 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: NW Wisconsin
  • 3,857 posts
BNSF Accident in Kansas Sat. Morning
Posted by beaulieu on Saturday, January 12, 2008 9:56 AM

An Accident involving three trains on the BNSF Transcon near Augusta, KS has been reported.  Details are very limited right now happened about 6:00 Am local time and at least one locomotive is reported to be on fire.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: NW Wisconsin
  • 3,857 posts
Posted by beaulieu on Saturday, January 12, 2008 10:04 AM
More details are emerging A westbound train rearended another westbound, then an eastbound train on the doubletrack hit the wreckage. No life-threatening injuries are reported and all crew members are accounted for.
  • Member since
    April 2006
  • 356 posts
Posted by youngengineer on Saturday, January 12, 2008 1:16 PM

 

News story from wichita area news broadcaster

http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/13730297.html

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: KS
  • 999 posts
Posted by SFbrkmn on Saturday, January 12, 2008 2:19 PM

KFDI radio in Wichita reported a sb had stopped at a signal, another sb on the same trk rammed into the rear of the stopped train which then caused several cars to derail onto the other main trk which then a nb hit the wreckage thus derailing part of that train.

  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Austin,TX
  • 537 posts
Posted by chefjavier on Sunday, January 13, 2008 12:05 AM
Who knows may be CSX again!Confused [%-)]
Javier
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, January 13, 2008 12:14 AM

Sorry, I didn't seem this thread before I started another on the same topic.

Someone has a link to KAKE - TV.

KSNW - TV in Wichita has some very good aerial photos on their website.  http://www.ksn.com/news/local/13731397.html

  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: S.E. South Dakota
  • 13,569 posts
Posted by Murphy Siding on Sunday, January 13, 2008 8:57 AM
 chefjavier wrote:
Who knows may be CSX again!Confused [%-)]
You're starting to sound like a broken record.  Do you have any broader interests in railroads beyond bad mouthing CSX?

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Austin TX
  • 4,941 posts
Posted by spbed on Sunday, January 13, 2008 11:34 AM

Wow some of the BNSF big intermodal shippers like UPS, Swift, Schneider & certainly the steamship lines using them are going to have a sleepless nite tonite thinking of what tomorrow will bring when there customers goods are not delivered

 

 

 beaulieu wrote:

An Accident involving three trains on the BNSF Transcon near Augusta, KS has been reported.  Details are very limited right now happened about 6:00 Am local time and at least one locomotive is reported to be on fire.

Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR  Austin TX Sub

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: Rockton, IL
  • 4,821 posts
Posted by jeaton on Sunday, January 13, 2008 11:50 AM

Seems like rear enders have beome the crash du jour.  Amtrak in Chicago, NS in Pennsylvania and here.  Need to get those brakes checked, or something.

It looked to me like one of trains was empty coal gons, and there was mention of grain, but the videos also clearly show trailers spread around.  If those were full trailer loads to a single consignee, notices are probably out.  A load of less than truckload shipments would be more of a pain.

"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics

  • Member since
    August 2004
  • From: The 17th hole at TPC
  • 2,283 posts
Posted by n012944 on Sunday, January 13, 2008 2:35 PM

Are there any reports of reroutes for the hot stuff? 

An "expensive model collector"

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • 1,754 posts
Posted by diningcar on Sunday, January 13, 2008 3:38 PM
BNSF has another route that is usually the 2nd main in this single track segment of the TRANSCON. The alternate is from Ellinor (west of Emporia) to Newton then south through Wichita to rejoin the line the wrected trains were on at Mulvane. Not much difference in distance.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, January 13, 2008 4:27 PM

The east bound trailer train involved with the Augusta wreck is sitting on a siding in Augusta. 

A train went through Augusta at about 6:45 a.m. followed by another one hour later. 

Report said one track would be open by 6 a.m. Sunday.  The second track would be open later on Sunday. 

This link is the Wichita Eagle's story Sunday, Page 1B.  There are three pictures that appeared in the newspaper.  Click on the pictures for a somewhat better view.

http://www.kansas.com/news/story/280036.html

 

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Sunday, January 13, 2008 5:25 PM

 jeaton wrote:
It looked to me like one of trains was empty coal gons, and there was mention of grain, but the videos also clearly show trailers spread around.

Jay, one of the pictures I saw showed aluminum gons, but it looked like some sort of grain or feed product in them.  I've seen some Bethgons with green rotary-coupler ends and retractable tarp covers that are or were used in such service.

Carl

Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)

CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

  • Member since
    November 2007
  • From: Newton, KS
  • 38 posts
Posted by sovablunt on Sunday, January 13, 2008 6:34 PM
 Well looks like I will be workin overtime this week.
A Dutchman was explaining the red, white, and blue Netherlands flag to an American. "Our flag is symbolic of our taxes. We get red when we talk about them, white when we get our tax bills, and blue after we pay them." The American nodded. "It's the same in the USA only we see stars too!"-courtesy of Herman de Zwaan
  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: Rockton, IL
  • 4,821 posts
Posted by jeaton on Sunday, January 13, 2008 9:09 PM
 CShaveRR wrote:

 jeaton wrote:
It looked to me like one of trains was empty coal gons, and there was mention of grain, but the videos also clearly show trailers spread around.

Jay, one of the pictures I saw showed aluminum gons, but it looked like some sort of grain or feed product in them.  I've seen some Bethgons with green rotary-coupler ends and retractable tarp covers that are or were used in such service.

Yes.  I caught that later on one of the videos where the law officer was interviewed.  It is now clear to me that it was a grain train.  I was thrown off by seeing Bethgons, or that style of car in the mess.  Maybe tarps were in use. 

Reminds me that about 1973, the IC experimented with fiber glass tops to cover coal hopper cars so they could be used for grain movements during the harvest season.  They were relatively light, but still had to be lifted on and off by a small crane.  Bottom line, it took too much screwing around for too little revenue

"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics

  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Austin,TX
  • 537 posts
Posted by chefjavier on Sunday, January 13, 2008 9:33 PM
Who's at fault?
Javier
  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: The Sunny South
  • 430 posts
Posted by Cheese on Sunday, January 13, 2008 9:43 PM

 chefjavier wrote:
Who's at fault?

Cough, Cough, (imitating chefjavier), "Maybe is the CSX's fault". But no, all kidding aside, I presume it was the fault of the engineer who rear-ended the other train, or perhaps it was the signals.

Cheese

Nick! :)

  • Member since
    April 2006
  • 356 posts
Posted by youngengineer on Sunday, January 13, 2008 9:43 PM

the grain train G EDYDHT5 10A was a DP'ed grain train i don't know how many cars it originally had, somewhere in the neighborhood of 70-80, all loads, they are ex-aluminum coal cars with retractable tops. Loaded with feed, destined for Dalhart, TX. I know the lead locomtive, number unknown, was completely destroyed, due to collision and fire. They reopened one main around 6 am sunday morning, the remaining main to open later that evening or monday morning.

 A lot of traffic was halted short of the wreck at Ellinor for westbound freights, and Wellington for eastbound. Some hot Z's where run westbound down the La Junta sub to Newton and than west down Ark City sub to Mulvane, and than reconnect with Emporia sub to Wellington.

Most of the traffic was back to psuedo normal sunday morning just heavier than usual trying to get the back log undone.

  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Austin,TX
  • 537 posts
Posted by chefjavier on Sunday, January 13, 2008 9:58 PM
 Cheese wrote:

 chefjavier wrote:
Who's at fault?

Cough, Cough, (imitating chefjavier), "Maybe is the CSX's fault". But no, all kidding aside, I presume it was the fault of the engineer who rear-ended the other train, or perhaps it was the signals.

Cheese

Laugh [(-D]

Javier
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, January 13, 2008 10:00 PM

I saw the engine that was destroyed by the fire. It is sitting next to the track in an upright position.  About the only thing left of it is the cab compartment.  The engine compartment is gone.  It was completely blacken by the fire.   The other engine is also sitting along side the tracks intact and shows no real damage by fire.  All other flat cars, containers, and trailers are push off into a field on the opposite side.

Both tracks are now open.  The trailer train involved in the wreck left this evening heading east.   

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois
  • 13,681 posts
Posted by CShaveRR on Monday, January 14, 2008 5:54 AM
Minor correction, Youngengineer:  maybe not important, but those aren't "ex-aluminum coal cars".  The grain/feed service was their first use after leaving the builder (that is, if these are the cars I'm familiar with--and they look like it.).  Like I said, not important, unless you're an end-user concerned about coal dust in your cereal.

Carl

Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)

CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

  • Member since
    April 2006
  • 356 posts
Posted by youngengineer on Monday, January 14, 2008 6:17 AM
I guess I was looking for a descriptive term, yea I guess coal flavored cereal would be a niche market item.

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy