# Train Engine Hangs off Bridge



## AAARGH! (Mar 26, 2010)

Story and Video here.



> Coast Guard pollution responders along with local fire departments are responding to a train derailment off the A&C Canal Bridge on the intracoastal waterway between the Great Bridge bypass and Centerville turnpike in Chesapeake. The train apparently failed to stop and almost ran off the tracks. Coast Guard officials say the bridge is commonly left up to allow boat traffic to go through.


OOOOPS!


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## GG-1 (Mar 26, 2010)

Aloha

Reminiscent of a picture of a PRR engine of some years ago that over run the EOT Bumper and was over a street.


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## AAARGH! (Mar 26, 2010)

Thank goodness the coal hoppers were empty. If not, I'm guessing 2 locomotives plus several coal cars would be in the water.

Could you imagine being the engineer as the front end slides over the precipice, wondering if they were about to fall into the water? YIKES!!    BIG pucker factor!

I get chills just thinking about it.


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## Ryan (Mar 26, 2010)

D'oh! Sucks to be that engineer!

This is in Chesapeake, VA but the body of water involved is far from the Chesapeake Bay.


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## Rail Freak (Mar 26, 2010)

Man, that would ruin your whole day! 

RF


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## George Harris (Mar 26, 2010)

Interesting, to say the least.

For those trying to find the location on a map, it is south of Chesapeake

The track runs north-south and the canal runs east-west.

The crossing is about 1/2 mile east of state highway 168, about 4 miles south of the intersection of I-64 and I-464.

In the picture in the news article and on Google Maps an Mapquest both, the counterweight for the bridge appears to be off the side, which probably saved the engineer's life. Normally the counterweight for this type of bridge is across the track when the bridge is up. When hitting a mass of concrete the size of these counterweigths, the locomotive usually loses.

While I am not about to guess at the cause, the usual rule for drawbridges on secondary lines is to approach prepared to stop, or even stop and proceed after being certain that the bridge is in proper position and the rail connections are properly lined.


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## battalion51 (Mar 26, 2010)

I'd be curious to know if this section of track is on CTC or TWC. I'm guessing it's probably on TWC which means under GCOR rules that you are supposed to stop and inspect the bridge before proceeding. What was happening in that cab is a big question here.


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## ALC Rail Writer (Mar 26, 2010)

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?...583&nseq=12

This it?


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## PetalumaLoco (Mar 26, 2010)

ALC_Rail_Writer said:


> http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?...583&nseq=12
> This it?


If so, then it did hit the counterweight!

They're going to have to wait for high tide to get that engine out of there, not a lot of room to work!


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## WhoozOn1st (Mar 27, 2010)

I'm reminded of the classic "flying" locomotive at L.A. Union Station. January 25, 1948:


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## George Harris (Mar 27, 2010)

PetalumaLoco said:


> ALC_Rail_Writer said:
> 
> 
> > http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?...583&nseq=12
> ...


Yes, this is a picture of the derailment. Waht I don't see is the oounterweight or any remnants of it. The dent acrosso the front of the engine was probably made by part of the truss, not the counterweight, but I really do not know.


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## GG-1 (Mar 27, 2010)

George Harris said:


> PetalumaLoco said:
> 
> 
> > ALC_Rail_Writer said:
> ...


Aloha

I wondered about the counterweight also. The damage from hitting something, as large as a counterweight, I would expect to be greater. But whatever it hit, probably saved the engine crew lives.


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## KayBee (Mar 29, 2010)

George Harris said:


> PetalumaLoco said:
> 
> 
> > ALC_Rail_Writer said:
> ...


The dent is from the engine striking some of the structure on the bridge. The counterweights are located on each side of the bridge. See the pictures from the Virginian Pilot story HERE.


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## had8ley (Mar 29, 2010)

battalion51 said:


> I'd be curious to know if this section of track is on CTC or TWC. I'm guessing it's probably on TWC which means under GCOR rules that you are supposed to stop and inspect the bridge before proceeding. What was happening in that cab is a big question here.


I've been wrong many times before but can't you have a manual interlocker controlled by an operator, weather it be a bridge tender or dispatcher, in the middle of TWC? We have them all over the old SP going over the bayous and river outlets to the Gulf of Mexico between Avondale and New Iberia. Wish I knew how to post the pictures I have of the Federal crash landing into the middle of Washington Union Station in the '50's.


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## Ryan (Mar 29, 2010)

Pictures and a good story here - always entertaining reading about this one...

http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2010/01...-union-station/


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## George Harris (Mar 29, 2010)

KayBee said:


> The dent is from the engine striking some of the structure on the bridge. The counterweights are located on each side of the bridge. See the pictures from the Virginian Pilot story HERE.


Thanks, KayBee. The Virgina Pilot article was reasonable, but the comments appeared to be mostly by Dumb and Dumber.


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## George Harris (Mar 29, 2010)

Here is a quote from an employee timetable concerning drawbridges on a medium volume but unsignaled main line over a designated but relatively lightly used navigatable channel.

"Trains must approach drawbridges at a speed that will enable them to stop before reaching the draw span and will look for a stop signal at end of the draw.

Drawbridge will only be attended during the hours of 0700 to 1600 Monday through Friday. Before being releived attendant will advise the train dispatcher when the bridge is lined a locked for train movement across the bridge. During unattended hours trains must apporach this drawbridge prepared to stop unless notified by the train dispatcher via radio or telelphone communication that the drawbridge is lined and locked for movement across the bridge.

In case of failure of communication, the conductor or engineer must know the drawbridge is in porper position before proceeding.


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## battalion51 (Mar 30, 2010)

George, just out of sheer curiosity, which rule book is that? GCOR? NORAC?

Regardless, the rule George quoted is correct. As a dispatcher you can give a warrant that will let you "own" that trackage, but the rule supersedes the warrant until the bridge is known to be lined and locked for your move. According to GCOR Rule 6.16:

"Trains and engines must be prepared to stop when they approach railroad crossings at grade, drawbridges, and the end of multiple main track, unless these areas are protected by block or interlocking signals."


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