BREAKING NEWS - There has been a collision between an Amtrak train and a container train in Chicago at the (roughly) intersection of 48th. and Shields. Video shown on television indicates the Amtrak train (no train ID number yet) appears to have rear ended a standing container train and the Amtrak engine (number 8) climbed up on and came to rest on the rear end car of the container train. No reports of injured yet, but I saw on the live video feed some passengers climbing off of the Amtrak train under their own power from passenger cars, none of which appeared to have derailed...no report on the engineer although the condition of the engine appears to be such that he likely survived but perhaps with some injuries. The location of the crash is on the near south side of Chicago along the Dan Ryan Expressway so I am guessing the Amtrak train was coming from or going to a location in either Michigan or Southern Illinois (perhaps Campaign or points south). Here is a still picture of the engine sitting on the rear most container car from video on WLS television feed. More information to follow as received.
Baltimore has it now..
Website:\ webcast:
http://wjz.com/
I saw it on wgn news out of chicago.hope everyone heals quickly.
stay safe
joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
benburch wrote:Isn't that Chicago Belt Railway there?
The accident occurred inside the NS 47th/51st Street intermodal rail terminal yard.
Krazykat112079 wrote: benburch wrote:Isn't that Chicago Belt Railway there?The accident occurred inside the NS 47th/51st Street intermodal rail terminal yard.
"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
Here we go again ! ! New Flash, without checking facts ! ! !
ABC News reports an Amtrak train struck the back of a "Conrail" freight. The Amtrak Engine appears to be on top of a "Box Car" in the freight train.
Don U. TCA 73-5735
Remember if you hear it on the news it is probably wrong.
The AP said it was a "red box car". They did get the color of that container right anyhow.
George
Gotta remember those reporting the news are not railfans and will not have all the facts straight, particularly at the beginning of an accident such as this.
ed
I watched the coverage on the live internet feed from ABC Channel 7 for about 2 hours (even after the broadcast went back to the normal programming). They talked about signalling and the helicopter panned up and down the tracks behind the train trying to find the last signal tower. They were never able to spot it. In all the pictures they showed I can easily see why the engineer might not have the brakes sooner. Coming around that small dog leg, I'll bet from the cab it looked like the stopped train was on the adjacent track.
Some of the views showed a train on the third track too. A double stack. When I saw it the end was almost even with the one that got hit. It might have been a factor in the "view" the engineer had also.
The P42 engine involved in the wreck was #8...the very same locomotive was leading No. 6 when I saw it on November 4th with the GrandLuxe cars...and wasn't this the same lead engine on the Crescent that hit that woman's car in October? When I saw it on the 4th, I was suprised that it looked so good...man, it sure doesn't now. Looks like the nose will have to be replaced and lots more.
Hope everyone is okay and things don't get delayed too much. Hope #8 is repairable.
Your friendly neighborhood CNW fan.
conrailman wrote:Could Amtrak sue the NS railroad over this wreck?
They could try, but unless they could convince someone that the NS train was backing up-good luck.
jeaton wrote:The AP and Crain's are reporting that the 5 injured are Amtrak employees that were on the engine. Curious.
The Trains Newswire reports that 3 Amtrak employees were in the engine cab. Unconfirmed, but the Newswire reporter notes that the second and third persons in the cab may have been a roadmaster and engineer trainee.
....Is it known which train really was at fault....?
Quentin
The camera you mentioned is owned by NS, but is tied in with the Chicago Police Department system. I believe that it was confirmed that the camera caught the wreck. Don't know what that will tell anyone (unless the NS train had been backing up).
Remember the thread we had on communivcations-based train control, or Positive Train Control? Would have been mighty handy here!
Three Superliner cars remained upright and on the rails, but sustained a bit of haphazard rearrangement of seating, based on reports. Most people sent to hospitals have been released.
I'm not sure whether this wreck was far enough north to affect Metra's Southwest Service (apparently not--Metra's website shows no service delays). If it was not, there may be a usable detour via the former C&WI to Pullman Junction and the BRC to South Chicago, if everyone cooperates.
TV footage an hour or so ago showed four sidebooms (like Hulcher uses), two on each side of the locomotive, reportedly "stabilizing" the unit.
The term "human error" covers a multitude of things that could have gone wrong, and I'd bet that the final cause, or at least exacerbating factors, will be covered under that large umbrella. Crew fatigue is unlikely in this case--I've seen elsewhere that this was a "dog-catch" crew that boarded the train at New Buffalo. Reports have indicated that four people were in the cab; one could have been the deadheading engineer.
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)
Krazykat112079 wrote:Who owns the tracks there? They ran up the back end of an intermodal in what ABC is calling it a transfer yard.
Once again, CSX
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