Railworks America

Rare bridge derail at the junction this morning - 7:38CDT

Event: https://youtu.be/4oyMx-ta_sY

Live: https://youtu.be/hNvU59Ld8aA

LOL, just missed this. I watch the SFJ live stream almost every day with half an eye while working at home.

But yesterday and today were days with really nice weather, sunny and 30C +, so I had taken two days off.

Any idea what caused this derailment? Lead engine splitting a switch, for it already appeared to be off the rails at the crossover?

Best I can make out from the chat, it was switching from track 75 to 74, but I e watched multiple times and I think it was off the rails before the crossover.

Nobody was hurt, the engines didn't fall off the Hi-Line, though they are on a dangerous lean.

So you think the enigines derailed first, damaged the track and then the other cars derailed because of that ?

gtrtroger wrote:. . . . I think it was off the rails before the crossover.

All seems pretty stable at the other cam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aNc8iVY-r8


And below the already mentioned Cam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNvU59Ld8aA

1200 ft of track on the mainlines + a crossover; total time 45hrs +/-. Not too bad at all. Still some site cleanup and a pair of auto carriers to deal with....

Been following the web cams , very interesting and impressive.

So did some one figure out what happened in what order ? That is not real clear to me after watching the various videos many times.

KCT actually would make for a awesome route in the sim, even if the big yards were only portals.

PS: here is the complete track plan of KCT: http://kctrailway.com/wp-content/upload ... CT-Map.pdf

Proper signaling and routing the crossings at grade at Santa Fe Jct, BN Crossing and 4 four more in the 7 mile East - West mainline would pose the limited AI dispatcher of TS quite some problems.

Look at this drone picture, with BNSF 6539 riding the outer surface of the right rail of track 75 with its left wheels, plowing itself into the ballast:

Had this happened on track 74, the locomotives might have fallen off the bridge.

A broken cast manganese steel frog in crossover 369? The points of the first turnout are where the grey switch heater is, under the 5th autorack, just in front of the tower.
Given the non-derailed autoracks are still in track 75, including the red Conrail one that is past the points, was the crossover aligned in diverging position?
Otherwise, the lead locomotive splitting the switch could also have caused the derailment.

There was no loss of life, persons injured or great damage inflicted, which probably means the report on the derailment will perhaps not be made public?

_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha wrote:KCT actually would make for a awesome route in the sim, even if the big yards were only portals.

PS: here is the complete track plan of KCT: http://kctrailway.com/wp-content/upload ... CT-Map.pdf

Proper signaling and routing the crossings at grade at Santa Fe Jct, BN Crossing and 4 four more in the 7 mile East - West mainline would pose the limited AI dispatcher of TS quite some problems.

Look at this drone picture, with BNSF 6539 riding the outer surface of the right rail of track 75 with its left wheels, plowing itself into the ballast:

Had this happened on track 74, the locomotives might have fallen off the bridge.

A broken cast manganese steel frog in crossover 369? The points of the first turnout are where the grey switch heater is, under the 5th autorack, just in front of the tower.
Given the non-derailed autoracks are still in track 75, including the red Conrail one that is past the points, was the crossover aligned in diverging position?
Otherwise, the lead locomotive splitting the switch could also have caused the derailment.

There was no loss of life, persons injured or great damage inflicted, which probably means the report on the derailment will perhaps not be made public?

I think someone already did a KCT route. I'm pretty sure that it's somewhere in the file library.

Thanks for sharing your drone shot.

How do I easily locate the area of derailment in the pdf you posted ?

Cardinal51 wrote:Thanks for sharing your drone shot.

How do I easily locate the area of derailment in the pdf you posted ?

It's a bit difficult, that pdf, a mechanical drawing.

It on the dashed orange line marked Kansas High Line, the crossover 369 SW is right next to the words Adams Jct <----> Santa Fe Jct, to the left of the bold black Sante Fe Jct Tower 3 MP 8.10

The High Line is allowed 30 MpH, that crossover also. When UP coal trains travel East over the High Line viaduct from Armourdale Yard or Cypress Jct (Falls City Sub) , they usually are in run 8, and roar!

The video of the recovery is up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmPJvP1ltz4, I have watched lots of if live, but cannot remember the clean up crews lifting the frog of that particular switch and dumping it over the railing, its switch motor was salvaged though.

This was the derailment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oyMx-ta_sY, notice the lead engine hitting the ballast right over 369 SW and you can hear a clunk at the 00:00:14 mark.

Thank for all the additional info. Really makes me understand what might have happened.

The images below provide a bit of an overview, and in the second image the frog and the heater are clearly visible.

Time lapse . . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkui84o6rNA

That time lapse was really cool