Palo Verde Train Disaster

[Green Maned Lion]

Does anyone know a lot about it? I'm continuing my book series- the first main story is now completed. My next story set will be set upon the 10/9/95 Sunset Limited that derailed at Palo Verde due to sabotage. I particularly am interested in the train's consist and the names of the crew and OBS staff onboard the train, as well as any notably famous passengers. Naturally, my main characters will be the same as in the previous story.

If anyone happens to have a manifest that shows what rooms any notable passengers occupied i'd be even more obliged. I, for some reason, keep thinking that Cindy McCain was a passenger on that train. Was she? I'd love to weave a bit of McCain into the story. By the way: to those who supported him in the election- you should know by now that while I disagree with McCain ideologically, I hold the man in the greatest of esteem- if I portray him, it will be in a positive light- or mostly so.

Also, I'm pretty sure the Texas Eagle ran with that train- am I correct?

Lastly, you have no idea what I'd do for a copy of the official accident investigation report. If someone could link me to said document, or has a copy they could snail mail me, I'd be much obliged- I can pay postage and paper expense, or send you a bound copy of my first book as payment- your choice.

By the way, I mentioned that my book was not appropriate for this site, and its initial version isn't. But due to the overwhelmingly positive response to it in the circles that I posted it, I intend to edit the story into something that would be more appropriate for this site and for printing and selling to the general public. I should get that done within the next day or so. I don't know where I will post it, but if anyone wants a PDF file of that version of the book, I'll be happy to send it to you.

Infact, if you want me to procure bound copies of it, I'd be willing to sell you an autographed copy of it at cost of printing, shipping, and other related cost- not at profit to me. Note to admins/mods: if that last statement is in violation of the site's policies, in poor taste, or whatever, feel free to delete it. I finally managed to do something well for once in my life and I'm giddy about it.

Thanks for any help in advance, guys!

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

This page has a list of NTSB accident reports. It doesn't seem to have the full text of most of the reports from the mid-90s, and I also don't see Palo Verde there. It occurs to me that perhaps Palo Verde doesn't count as an accident. (On the other hand, seeing on the list some accidents involving trains I'm familiar with, like 66 at Back Bay and 49 somewhere else, is kind of interesting.)

You might try contacting the NTSB, possibly making a FOIA request.

 

[SUNSETLIMITED01]

All I can tell you is the train had about 12 cars I'm not sure I'll look again and the lead engines included a Dash 8-32BWH and an F40PH. The road numbers I'll look for.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

Wikipedia has a page on it, with some links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Palo_Verde_derailment

 

[amtrakwolverine]

while it was sabotage they think that the SOG was fake and it was cover up to derail and rob a freight train. people in that area were the train derailed believe very strongly in the credo of mind your own business so they couldn't get very much info. all they have is that a airplane pilot spotted headlights in the area were the train derailed. also only one person came forward to say someone crashed through his fence the day of the crash

 

[birdy]

while it was sabotage they think that the SOG was fake and it was cover up to derail and rob a freight train. people in that area were the train derailed believe very strongly in the credo of mind your own business so they couldn't get very much info. all they have is that a airplane pilot spotted headlights in the area were the train derailed. also only one person came forward to say someone crashed through his fence the day of the crash

A supposed group called The Vipers took credit for the derailment. This was not long after World Trade Center I, so the terrorism angle was played up, but I think it was probably just a random nut.

the rant left in the message was a typical paranoid nut-job diatribe, that attacked every bureaucracy you can imagine, except, for some reason, the Arizona Corporation Commission. The rant demanded greater railroad regulation--no kidding. My theory was that it was a crazed Amtrak railfan. (just kidding).

I'm pretty sure that there were no celebrities on the train, let alone Cindy McCain. An heiress like that would never do something so plebian, I think. John McCain is firmly in the Libertarian wing of the Republican party and he comes by his opposition to Amtrak honestly.

 

[George Harris]

I think this one is not to be found on the NTSB web site or the ICC historical accident report site because it goes in good detail of what was done sufficient to be an instruction book for dummies on how to derail a train on a line built with jointed track.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I think this one is not to be found on the NTSB web site or the ICC historical accident report site because it goes in good detail of what was done sufficient to be an instruction book for dummies on how to derail a train on a line built with jointed track.

Could I find it in the LOC or NYPL?

 

[mercedeslove]

Hey Green. When you get to it and if you get to it. i might be able to give you some info on the city of new orleans crash. It was actually one of my first major calls while I was on the fire department.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Could I find it in the LOC or NYPL?

I would expect that the NYPL would have a Government Documents section (the BPL certainly does, as does one of the libraries at Harvard University). You could certainly ask the Government Documents folks next week if they have the report you're looking for (or tomorrow if they're open on Saturday, I guess).

 

[Amtrak839]

while it was sabotage they think that the SOG was fake and it was cover up to derail and rob a freight train. people in that area were the train derailed believe very strongly in the credo of mind your own business so they couldn't get very much info. all they have is that a airplane pilot spotted headlights in the area were the train derailed. also only one person came forward to say someone crashed through his fence the day of the crash

A supposed group called The Vipers took credit for the derailment. This was not long after World Trade Center I, so the terrorism angle was played up, but I think it was probably just a random nut.

the rant left in the message was a typical paranoid nut-job diatribe, that attacked every bureaucracy you can imagine, except, for some reason, the Arizona Corporation Commission. The rant demanded greater railroad regulation--no kidding. My theory was that it was a crazed Amtrak railfan. (just kidding).

I'm pretty sure that there were no celebrities on the train, let alone Cindy McCain. An heiress like that would never do something so plebian, I think. John McCain is firmly in the Libertarian wing of the Republican party and he comes by his opposition to Amtrak honestly.

Actually, I read an article saying that Cindy McCain was onboard the Sunset Limited that derailed after hitting a truck in Texas in '99.

And here is the article. It's actually an archived Hotline from NARP. It's the first story in Hotline #94.