BNSF's troubles began with a derailment of H-NTWPAS near Babb, WA blocking the former NP to Pasco. The only photo I have seen is a bunch of empty Centerbeams strewn across the right of way. Today the 6th an empty coal train/manifest derailed a bunch of cars as it waas exiting the East Portal of the Cascade Tunnel. The train was so underpowered that it was pushed from Skykomish to Scenic (West Portal) by the Z-PTLCHC. The train was 152 cars long, not exceptionally long or heavy, but there were 22 loads in the manifest block at the rear. The Z train had to pull the non-derailed cars at the rear out of the tunnel. All roads in the pass are closed due to snow and the high Avalanche risk.
The empty center beam flat cars make that one sound like a stringlining incident. The other one sounds like a train make up incident with tonnage on the rear of empties. Both are the result of bad yardmastering or Management over ruling the Yardmaster trying to assemble a proper train.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
JayBeeToday the 6th an empty coal train/manifest derailed a bunch of cars as it waas exiting the East Portal of the Cascade Tunnel. The train was so underpowered that it was pushed from Skykomish to Scenic (West Portal) by the Z-PTLCHC.
Why was a Z train from Portland going through the Cascade Tunnel?
greyhounds Why was a Z train from Portland going through the Cascade Tunnel?
Ken
Likely because the derailment at Babb blocked its usual route.
Mac
An the Z-PTLCHC just barely made it through. I'm sure BNSF is glad the slide at Kelso wasn't as bad as it could have been.
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