Coast Starlight Train #14 Train Fire and Earthquake (8/23/-8/25/2014)

[D.P. Roberts]

If there were actually some merit to this, they wouldn't be anonymously wandering the internet trying to find pictures or station times.

I agree with Ryan on this. Connecting to other passengers who happened to be on the train - as the OP mentioned in the first post - is a reasonable use of a person's time. Connecting to other passengers to share stories, advice, consolation, and such might actually be useful.

However, If his/her family is already undergoing "expensive" and "time consuming" medical treatments, and the doctors have already contacted Amtrak and Poison Control, there isn't any PRACTICAL information anyone on this forum could provide that would be any use.

 

[Blackwolf]

Less about lawsuits and such, here is some video you may or may not have seen of the earthquake as it happened. Both relevant to this discussion, and because it involves trains (the Napa Wine Train, to be precise.)

http://youtu.be/6kHvG5MbCYs

(I don't have the slightest idea of how to embed video into the forum, so a link is the best I can do.)

 

[fairviewroad]

Less about lawsuits and such, here is some video you may or may not have seen of the earthquake as it happened. Both relevant to this discussion, and because it involves trains (the Napa Wine Train, to be precise.)

http://youtu.be/6kHvG5MbCYs

(I don't have the slightest idea of how to embed video into the forum, so a link is the best I can do.)

Wow, the footage of the rails cars swaying in the latter half of the video is pretty incredible.

 

[amamba]

If there were actually some merit to this, they wouldn't be anonymously wandering the internet trying to find pictures or station times.

I agree with Ryan on this. Connecting to other passengers who happened to be on the train - as the OP mentioned in the first post - is a reasonable use of a person's time. Connecting to other passengers to share stories, advice, consolation, and such might actually be useful.

However, If his/her family is already undergoing "expensive" and "time consuming" medical treatments, and the doctors have already contacted Amtrak and Poison Control, there isn't any PRACTICAL information anyone on this forum could provide that would be any use.

One thing that could be useful is identifying other pax suffering from a similar ailment and also under treatments. Perhaps the doctors could talk to each other to find what has worked/what hasn't worked and compare notes. I don't know if something like that is even allowed, just speculating, that two heads might be better than one in brainstorming ideas and extrapolating the data/issue to a bigger sample size.

 

[ar9801;]

I'm the original poster and I have not talked to any lawyers. Only Amtrak and doctors. Neither have been able to help despite following the advice of the posters above on possible sources of information or contacts. Thanks for the leads and advice and please continue suggesting things, because one might pan out.

Amtrak should be able to tell me what part of the locomotive burned, and what that part was made out of and what fluids ran through it. The information exists..... There will be repair bills, insurance claims by amtrak to their insurance for the repairs, etc. that should detail the fire damaged components. From that information, we can come up with a reasonable guess as to what the kids and I were exposed to and what steps we should take. The doctor needs that information and hasn't been able to get a call back so far. nor have I. :-(

 

[Bob Dylan]

Taking you @ your word you need to talk with a Personal Injury Lawyer, they work on contingency and if they take your case they'll get answers!

 

[ar9801]

Sounds like someone is planning a lawsuit.

Indeed. I'm not inclined to be all that helpful.

I am the author of this thread. I have not talked to any lawyers. I have not talked to anyone but Amtrak and Doctors. We love trains, and are trying to work with Amtrak for answers. I started this forum for the passengers to have a chance to talk and share the experience and any beneficial information.

 

[neroden]

Unfortunately, you may have to talk to a lawyer just to get the information out of Amtrak

Perhaps the best tack to take is to specify that your doctor believes he can treat the problems you're encountering much better if he *knows what sort of smoke was inhaled*, and that every day of delay in getting this information increases the potential medical costs... that might wake Amtrak up and cause them to get you the information.

Trouble is, there are so many things which might have burnt that nobody outside Amtrak can really tell you what sort of fire it was. If it was a simple diesel fire, that's very different from an electrical insulation fire.

 

[GG-1]

Aloha

I would think the Fire department could provide that information. The must record any Hasmat situations.

 

[tp49]

Aloha

I would think the Fire department could provide that information. The must record any Hasmat situations.

This is a good idea. You can try and request the incident report (there should be one as most incidents generate a report not just hazmat) from the fire department. Not knowing exactly where the incident occurred I'd start with the Los Angeles City Fire Department then if that doesn't work try the Los Angeles County Fire Department (unless of course LAFD tells you who to contact.) Good Luck.

 

[ar9801]

Thanks for the Fire Department lead. I have no idea which fire department responded....based on some info I have seen, it might have been Glendale fire department? Does anybody know where the train was stopped? It looked like waste land/industrial type land with buildings way off to the right of the train.

Also, the engine that burned was the Amtrak Dash 8 #510? Would like to know what caused the fire, and what part burned.

Thanks.

 

[ar9801]

-For other passengers seeking further information on this incident: Glendale Fire Department Firefighters were the first responders to this incident. They received the call at 11:02am 8/23/14. According to the report, by the time the fire truck responded, the flames had been put out. The Glendale Fire Department incident number is #GLN1411692. The incident is tagged as having happened at San Fernando Rd/Sonora Avenue Glendale, CA.

 

[user 1215]

Awesome. Were you able to collect any information about hazardous materials in the fire?

 

[ar9801]

Awesome. Were you able to collect any information about hazardous materials in the fire?

Unfortunately I have to put in a written request and payment for records....about 15 day turn around from date of mailing request and check to receipt of information. Today is day #1. Hopefully the information I am looking for will be in the report....or hopefully Amtrak will cough up the information I requested on the Dash 8 #510 locomotive and what components burned sooner than that.

 

[neroden]

Hmm. You reported orangish-yellowish smoke. One of the possibilities is an electrical insulation fire, and PVC is used all too often as electrical insulation. PVC is becoming much less common in railroad use, but the Dash-8 engines are the oldest engines in Amtrak's fleet, from 1991, and I'm not sure when this change in materials usage happened. So, it's worth considering the possibility of hydrogen chloride gas. If it is a mild exposure to HCl gas, the injuries will heal on their own -- slowly -- just don't get exposed again.

It could also be pure diesel fumes, since there's all kinds of random crap in diesel (just as with anything refined from crude oil).

 

[ar9801]

Hmm. You reported orangish-yellowish smoke. One of the possibilities is an electrical insulation fire, and PVC is used all too often as electrical insulation. PVC is becoming much less common in railroad use, but the Dash-8 engines are the oldest engines in Amtrak's fleet, from 1991, and I'm not sure when this change in materials usage happened. So, it's worth considering the possibility of hydrogen chloride gas. If it is a mild exposure to HCl gas, the injuries will heal on their own -- slowly -- just don't get exposed again.It could also be pure diesel fumes, since there's all kinds of random crap in diesel (just as with anything refined from crude oil).

Thank you for the information!

 

[ar9801]

Does anyone know what an "O/B Unit" is? Someone said it was the Coast Starlight #14's O/B unit that burned. I'm not familiar with that term. The locomotive that had the fire was the GE Dash 8 32BWH #510