BNSF Employee Fatality Stockton, CA

[Limitedclear]

UTU member killed in switching accident

UTU member Walter White of Local 1241 in Richmond, Calif., was killed early on the morning of Thur., Aug. 30, in a switching accident at the BNSF's yard in Stockton, Calif. White was 50 years old and had only been railroading about two years. According to Local Chairperson Anthony Bojorques Jr., White was riding the side of a rail car being shoved when he struck a tank car on an adjacent track. "We have a fairly young workforce here and we tell them this is a dangerous job, but they don't realize it. Then this accident happened literally right in front of the yard office door. Now we have a lot of employees in shock; the reality of the job is starting to hit a lot of these younger folks," Bojorques said. Both the FRA and NTSB are investigating the accident. From UTU Website

August 31, 2007

[canazar]

That is horrible.  Being 50, good chance he had a family.  I only hope, (going from the tone of the article) that it does hit home with the rest of the crew and maigth save someone's else life by this lesson.

[mloik]

UTU member killed in switching accident

UTU member Walter White of Local 1241 in Richmond, Calif., was killed early on the morning of Thur., Aug. 30, in a switching accident at the BNSF's yard in Stockton, Calif. White was 50 years old and had only been railroading about two years. According to Local Chairperson Anthony Bojorques Jr., White was riding the side of a rail car being shoved when he struck a tank car on an adjacent track. "We have a fairly young workforce here and we tell them this is a dangerous job, but they don't realize it. Then this accident happened literally right in front of the yard office door. Now we have a lot of employees in shock; the reality of the job is starting to hit a lot of these younger folks," Bojorques said. Both the FRA and NTSB are investigating the accident. From UTU Website

August 31, 2007

 

LC (or other rails),

 

Could you please clarify or elaborate on how one could be hit or be struck by a freight car (tank car in this case) that's on an adjacent track?

 

Thanks,

Michael

[Limitedclear]

UTU member killed in switching accident

UTU member Walter White of Local 1241 in Richmond, Calif., was killed early on the morning of Thur., Aug. 30, in a switching accident at the BNSF's yard in Stockton, Calif. White was 50 years old and had only been railroading about two years. According to Local Chairperson Anthony Bojorques Jr., White was riding the side of a rail car being shoved when he struck a tank car on an adjacent track. "We have a fairly young workforce here and we tell them this is a dangerous job, but they don't realize it. Then this accident happened literally right in front of the yard office door. Now we have a lot of employees in shock; the reality of the job is starting to hit a lot of these younger folks," Bojorques said. Both the FRA and NTSB are investigating the accident. From UTU Website

August 31, 2007

LC (or other rails),

Could you please clarify or elaborate on how one could be hit or be struck by a freight car (tank car in this case) that's on an adjacent track?

Thanks,

Michael

Michael -

In my experience there are a several ways that accidents like this can happen. The most common is that a car is left out to foul. This means that the car on an adjacent track is left too close to a track switch. Thus the track on which the train (with the trainman riding the lead end) gets close enough to the fouling car to knock the trainman off the car. Injuries or death can result from the impact or the man being run over by his own train.  

These sorts of injuries can be more common among newer employees as they are not as experienced in recognizing cars left to foul. A car can be left out to foul by mistake, or in a yard cars often move a bit as they are flat switched or humped (if in a hump yard). Remember that the brakes on cars being switched are bled off so they can roll free during switching so they can and will move around.

The other way that such an incident could happen is something protruding from a car caused the employee to fall. Or, the employee could have lost his grip and fallen between cars on two tracks where clearances were too close. I have worked in yards where the tracks were so close that you couldn't ride a car on one track with certain types of cars on an adjacent track without getting "rolled" on those cars. Examples are autoracks or wide cab locomotives on the adjacent tracks when you are riding any car where you must ride a side ladder.

I'm sure there are other ways this could happen that I haven't thought of, but hopefully this gives you some idea of how dangerous working in a yard can be. Add in other crews working around you and trains and cars moving all around you is a lot to learn.

LC

 

[edblysard]

I will try...

The shot below shows where I work, PTRA North Yard, Houston Texas.

The UP motors are in track 41, the clear track to the right is track 42, and then the covered hopper is in track 43.

Now, if I had left the hopper a little closer to the switch, and someone tried to shove into track 44, odds are they would "corner" the car in track 43...cornering means just what it implies, the corners of the cars hit.

 

Below is a good shot of how little clearance there is between yard tracks...it is taken just past the big curve in between tracks 41 and 42 in the yard shown above.

Next is your truly riding a tank car...use your imagination...had there been cars in the track on your left, too close to the switch in the background, you can see I would be scraped off the tankcar...and yes, I am riding in the correct position according to the safety rules, clear of the plane of the car body.

But you can see what would happen if something was fouling our track, it would swipe me off the car.

 

With out seeing the FRA report, a guess, and only a guess is that the switchman left a car in the next track, fouling the track he was shoving into, miss- judged the amount of clearance he had, and by the time he realized the problem, if he ever did, it was too late.

One of my biggest gripes with the FRA and most carriers safety rules is the rule forbidding getting on and off moving equipment...done correctly, it is as easy as stepping off or onto an escalator.

But it is drummed into all new hires that getting off moving equipment is a major rules violation, one that often carries up to a 90 day firing, and they are never taught how to get off, even in an emergency.

So they end up riding out yard accidents, trying to stop the movement by radio, or freezing in place, because it never occurs to them to get off the car before they hit.

 

 

If in fact, this was a cornering accident, then the reporter used less than accurate language in his description.

More than likely, the switchman was not "hit or struck" by a freight car, which suggest the other car was moving, but instead, he, (the switchman), hit a standing car with the car he was riding, and was crushed between the cars.

The report suggests the car he was not riding somehow struck him, in reality it was more than likely the other way around.

 

And to be clear, this is simply my opinion, minus the accident report and the final FRA findings, it is worth only what you paid for it....

[mudchicken]

Not good, regardless...

Time to get out the orange paint and paint the clearance points again. (and watch yard capacity mysteriously shrink)...get that funny feeling that there will be a knee-jerk reaction by FRA and CaPUC handed down to the railroads and that the Cp will get redefined.

[SFbrkmn]

The orange marks can be confusing as in many cases, they are not painted at the correct spot and as MC stated, yd capacity dereases. There is a yd trk where three orange marks are painted (take your pick I guess), then there are several trks where the marks are located well past the foul point and atleast one or two cars could be safely spotted ahead of the mark,but crews are instructed by trnmstr to put the cars behind the mark regardless  of how far back it is. Otherwise I guess someone gets burned and called in for investigation.

[hrbdizzle]

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070831/A_NEWS/70830016

I know the UTU newsletter is pretty much correct, but I found this on this incident..
This says he was pinned, or coupled up.???

[Anonymous]

Walter White was a very loving man with a heart of GOLD. I know u hear that every time someone dies but this is one of those cases were it is 100% true! He leaves behind a very loving family, a daughter that just recently gave birth to Walters pride and joy. He was so happy to the new additions to his family, the only reason why he kept that job. I know that would have been the last place he would have wanted to die. I dont know what kind of system they have there to neglect so many matters that day, but the fact of it is that he is now gone and we are here suffering his lost. Altough, he is now in a better place and its sad things like this happen just so other can realize it is dangerous to work where every day ur life can be taken in a blink of an eye. And how can anyone think that job is a game and not realize that those are TONS of solid metal. I hope everyone can pray to keep this family very strong cuz the center stone of this family has been taken away from us in the most brutal way anyone can imagine!!!! His service is Thursday and he will be layed to rest on Friday so please pray to gives us strentgh for that day we are dredign to say Good Bye!!!!!

[Anonymous]

MzLuckie,

Thanks so much for your heartfelt post. 

Those of us that have been in the railroad business for a while know only too well the dangers of seemingly mundane daily tasks. To all rails: a moment of silence, please, for our fallen comrade.

To all other readers: Please, a moment of silent reflection and respect for a man who risked his life daily in the performance of his duties.

[vlmuke]

I wanted to tell eveyone that some RRs still teach how to dismount equipment in an emergency I am a fairly new conductor with less than 1yr of service and I had a close call last week when I was putting a cut of containers in a track with cars on the adjacent track the engineer decided to pull ahead while was walking the cars and it quickly became a tight squeeze and told him to stop luckly he did as I only had a few inches between each shoulder if something would shift or be sticking out I would have been a goner  

[Anonymous]

I noticed this group and thread today. Walter White was a friend of mine. Here is a little more about him.

My friend Walter White passed away Thursday. He was 50. Walter was killed on the job and a BNSF railroad transfer station.

 

Years ago he threatened to teach me to be black. I told him he'd know he succeeded when I wore a dashiki to work.

 

He grew up in South Central LA and knew the original Bloods and Crips. He and his young friends created a 'spy network' so they knew were these gangsters were and could avoid them as the ran home from school. Obviously, Walter grew up in a very violent and scary neighborhood. Yet, he had no traces of the watchful and aggressive attitude that usually characterizes people from such places. He was a kind and quiet man, quick to smile. I asked him how he managed that quite grace after growing up in that way. He said, "I like to sit in the park and meditate on the Bible."

 

Not once did Walter try to convert nor did he brag about his faith. If you knew him, you knew he was raised Catholic. If you didn't, your only clue was a small cross earring. Walter never told you about the Bible. He never needed to. He didn't live his religion. He lived in the spirit of his god. I can offer no greater compliment.

 

When last Walter came by the house after a long absence from my life, I told him that when he came in he'd notice I practiced an alternative religion. He said, "I figure if it works for you then you should do it." As far as I can tell, he never even noticed the Egyptian altar or the pentagram.

 

Walter worked for Pacific Bell, the County of Fresno and lately for the railroad. Walter is survived by his recently married daughter and 1 month old grand daughter. He will be missed.

 

 

[Anonymous]

The last time I saw Walter, he told me how dangerous the job was. I'm not sure why the man in the artical implied that he and/or his coworkers didn't understand that.

[Anonymous]

One of my biggest gripes with the FRA and most carriers safety rules is the rule forbidding getting on and off moving equipment...done correctly, it is as easy as stepping off or onto an escalator.

But it is drummed into all new hires that getting off moving equipment is a major rules violation, one that often carries up to a 90 day firing, and they are never taught how to get off, even in an emergency.

So they end up riding out yard accidents, trying to stop the movement by radio, or freezing in place, because it never occurs to them to get off the car before they hit.

 

I found this thread today while searching for more information about what happened to Walter.  My husband works for BNSF and he knew Walter.  He remembers Walter as being one of the nicest guys you'll meet.

Anyway, everything I've heard suggests that the above quote is likely why Walter didn't jump off at the last minute, however it's not why he died (IMO).

As I understand it, the bottom line is that the trainmaster screwed up.  A train had just come in and was in the foul.  That train's crew notified the TM who didn't bother to tell the RCO crew (Walter's crew).  It was the last movement of the shift.  (That alone makes me want to cry, my husband usually gives me a call before the last movement to let me know he'll be coming home soon...)

It offends me to no end that the idiots in charge are putting this all on Walter's shoulders.  Had he been warned the train was in the foul, this entire incident could have been avoided and Walter would still be with us today.

I am angry.   How dare they accuse the crews of not caring about safety and not understanding how dangerous the job is?  Trust me, the guys on the ground get it.  

I now get physically ill as my husband drives to work.  I trust him to be safe and smart and do his job well.  But, I do not trust the guys in the tower, especially not now after they've abdicated all responsibility for their role in Walter's death.

I guess this was mostly a vent, so thanks for listening.  My husband and I don't know Walter's family, but we keep them in our thoughts and prayers.   

[zardoz]

As I understand it, the bottom line is that the trainmaster screwed up.  A train had just come in and was in the foul.  That train's crew notified the TM who didn't bother to tell the RCO crew (Walter's crew).... 

...It offends me to no end that the idiots in charge are putting this all on Walter's shoulders.  Had he been warned the train was in the foul, this entire incident could have been avoided and Walter would still be with us today.

I am angry.   How dare they accuse the crews of not caring about safety and not understanding how dangerous the job is?  Trust me, the guys on the ground get it.  

I guess this was mostly a vent, so thanks for listening.  My husband and I don't know Walter's family, but we keep them in our thoughts and prayers.   

Surely you did not consider that the college-educated idiot trainmaster would actually take responsibility, did you? 

You have every right to be angry.  As do the relatives of every person that railroads for a career.

 

At each moment of our lives we are but a heartbeat away from eternity.  Best to enjoy each other while we have the chance, for tomorrow the world might be completely different.

[MP173]

What a shame.  It sure sounds as if he was a very well respected man.

I found the release by the union a little odd.  I agree with others that it appears to be blaming him for the mistake.  In most instances, that is not the case in this kind of accident.

If the Trainmaster was at fault, he/she has to be feeling very very bad at this time.  Whether or not that person had a college education or not shouldnt come into play here.  This is a terrible tragedy.

 

ed 

[zardoz]

 Whether or not that person had a college education or not shouldnt come into play here. 

Perhaps, but if you spent 20 years listening to these dolts telling experienced crewmen how to "railroad", you would quickly lose any respect for them and their position.

[Lord Atmo]

these fatalities always sadden me deeply. and it sounds like Walter was a kind and caring man. and i also agree with zardoz. while i do not work for the railroad, i know what it's like to be an expert on something and have some newcomer try to suggest otherwise. it's frustrating to say the least.

but regardless of the trainmaster's educational background or how he got that job, i also believe he's just as saddened by this as we all are.

but i digress. my thoughts go out to walter's friends and family.

[Anonymous]

These are the stories that get me choked up. The only side of the story I've read about is the one in the UTU newsletter. A tragic story, Walter sounds like a very good man. I'm sorry for the family and friends, I know this a great loss to you all. We have lost too many of our brothers to these tragic accidents. As railroaders we know the stakes are high and things can go terribly wrong in an instant, but to think that someones neglegence was to blame for this man's death, there are no words for how that makes me fill. Everyone please be careful tonight or in the morning or whenever you return to work, one brother gone is one too many. Walter, you will not be forgotten.

[Anonymous]

These are the stories that get me choked up. The only side of the story I've read about is the one in the UTU newsletter. A tragic story, Walter sounds like a very good man. I'm sorry for the family and friends, I know this a great loss to you all. We have lost too many of our brothers to these tragic accidents. As railroaders we know the stakes are high and things can go terribly wrong in an instant, but to think that someones neglegence was to blame for this man's death, there are no words for how that makes me fill. Everyone please be careful tonight or in the morning or whenever you return to work, one brother gone is one too many. Walter, you will not be forgotten.

 And, because of the darling RR's fear of a lawsuit, they'll continue to go into denial mode and nothing will change.

I understand that people (even TMs!) make mistakes. He's human.  I don't think he's some horrible, evil person and I can only imagine the guilt he feels.  

Maybe the TMs need better training.  Maybe they need more rest.  Maybe there just needs to be a better system in place to prevent this kind of horrible tragedy from happening again.  Unfortunately, NONE of that will happen because the powers-that-be are in CYA/lawsuit avoidance mode, pushing the myth that the TM was blameless in what happened and it was ALL Walter's fault and just a reflection of young, reckless crews (yeah, right). 

It stinks how the UTU just bought BNSF's report of what happened.  So much for looking out for it's members.

My husband is working as I type this.  I can't wait for him to get a normal job (neither can he). 

[Anonymous]

These are the stories that get me choked up. The only side of the story I've read about is the one in the UTU newsletter. A tragic story, Walter sounds like a very good man. I'm sorry for the family and friends, I know this a great loss to you all. We have lost too many of our brothers to these tragic accidents. As railroaders we know the stakes are high and things can go terribly wrong in an instant, but to think that someones neglegence was to blame for this man's death, there are no words for how that makes me fill. Everyone please be careful tonight or in the morning or whenever you return to work, one brother gone is one too many. Walter, you will not be forgotten.

 And, because of the darling RR's fear of a lawsuit, they'll continue to go into denial mode and nothing will change.

I understand that people (even TMs!) make mistakes. He's human.  I don't think he's some horrible, evil person and I can only imagine the guilt he feels.  

Maybe the TMs need better training.  Maybe they need more rest.  Maybe there just needs to be a better system in place to prevent this kind of horrible tragedy from happening again.  Unfortunately, NONE of that will happen because the powers-that-be are in CYA/lawsuit avoidance mode, pushing the myth that the TM was blameless in what happened and it was ALL Walter's fault and just a reflection of young, reckless crews (yeah, right). 

It stinks how the UTU just bought BNSF's report of what happened.  So much for looking out for it's members.

My husband is working as I type this.  I can't wait for him to get a normal job (neither can he). 

one thing they need to cut out is letting people become trainmasters when they only have a years worth of experience. they let inexperienced trainmen or people in other departments have the title of trainmaster and tell people with 30+ years of service how to do their job. some of the ones who get these jobs are straight out of college and know nothing about railroading.you're right the UTU will only back you up so far, I can testify to that.