We overshot Seabrook today

[MARC Rider]

So I came into work on MARC #415 today, being delayed from leaving home by the snow up in my neighborhood. (Of course, there's no snow at all in DC, so it was off to work as usual.) It was pretty much like my usual train, and I had on my eyeshades in a futile attempt to get a little more sleep. At some point after we left Bowie State, the train ground to a halt. Oh, Seabrook, I thought. Then I took off the eyeshades, and were were not at Seabrook, we were well past. Conductors came scurrying through the aisles, heading toward the rear of the train. Then a somewhat garbled apologetic announce that included something like the train skidded due to the slippery track. Finally, we backed into Seabrook, took on the passengers waiting in the rain, and proceeded on the Washington without further incident.

It seemed like we stopped at least a half mile beyond the station. Could track get so slick that a train with properly applied brakes overshoot the station by that distance? Or was the driver maybe not paying attention and applied the brakes a bit too late? I know that a train has a lot of momentum, but in 15+ years of riding MARC, I've never experienced anything like this.

 

[Ryan]

I have a few times. Not in a while, though.

Both Seabrook and Bowie State need full length platforms.

 

[fairviewroad]

I've slid past a few stations on SEPTA during Slippery Rail Season. But never by that distance. In some places on SEPTA, if you missed the station by a half mile you'd be nearly at the next station.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Sounds like the Crew was trying to sell a fast one to the pax; most wouldn't know the difference. I wonder if a signal violation took place. If so, the Engineer has probably already cleaned out his locker.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Once, during a heavy downpour, my NJT train overshot PJC and stopped so that the last car on the train was the only one possible to board. They did not back up, the conductor waited for us to walk the length of the platform to get to the train, he was laughing as we headed toward him, and there was no explanation or apology after we boarded. You all know how I feel about NJT, but now you can see why!

 

[jis]

Sounds like the Crew was trying to sell a fast one to the pax; most wouldn't know the difference. I wonder if a signal violation took place. If so, the Engineer has probably already cleaned out his locker.

The fact that they proceeded without further ado to Washington suggests that there was no signal violation. If there were such, the Engineer would have been taken off duty at that point. no more driving trains for him for a while. The fact that they backed up suggests they probably were in the same block as the station. If they had cleared a block it would have taken a greater deal of dispatcher involvement than just getting permission to ensure that the reverse moved was done with appropriate authority into an unoccupied block against the flow of traffic.

 

[Dutchrailnut]

Sounds like the Crew was trying to sell a fast one to the pax; most wouldn't know the difference. I wonder if a signal violation took place. If so, the Engineer has probably already cleaned out his locker.

what a dumb comment, if a signal violation took place, the engineer would be told not to move train, not to back up and get passengers and continou.

 

[Ryan]

Yes, they almost certainly stayed in the same block, the next signal is a good bit down the tracks.

Thanks for the valuable theory, though.

 

[Acela150]

Sounds like the Crew was trying to sell a fast one to the pax; most wouldn't know the difference. I wonder if a signal violation took place. If so, the Engineer has probably already cleaned out his locker.

what a dumb comment, if a signal violation took place, the engineer would be told not to move train, not to back up and get passengers and continou.

Now, now.. Not everyone understand what happens when a stop signal violation occurs. I'll be honest, I think it's a good guess for someone who doesn't know the territory. But yes IF a stop signal violation occurred they would be stuck for a while.

While I'm not familiar with the territory in full, it is possible that a train can go passed a station by such a large margin if the rails are wet, oil covered from leaves, or maybe ice is on the rail.

 

[MattW]

Is this 562 (cab-signal only) territory or 261-CSS (MNRR terminology, but close enough)?

 

[Thirdrail7]

Is this 562 (cab-signal only) territory or 261-CSS (MNRR terminology, but close enough)?

261 and yes it is possible to slide by a train station, particularly if you're in push mode and can not easily regulate your brake pressure, which can lead to sliding.