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bsmith

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Don't have any details yet but heard over radio news moments ago

that the "City Of New Orleans" left the tracks with some injuries reported. :unsure:
 
This ain't good folks. I'm tryin to find news on it, I'm also going to get in contact with some sources, see what I can get.
 
:( Yeah, from what info I have found Amtrak has probably annuled the train. This is a major accident, and that equipment is desperatley needed. Atleast gunn started that program to rebuild wreck damaged cars.
 
OK, Sources are hard at work gathering information. I will have a consist tomorrow on the train, and hopefully I can get some damage estimates.
 
A few more details.

WLBT has received reports of 12 to 15 injuries and at least one fatality.  Between 82 and 90 people are believed to have been traveling on the train which was northbound from New Orleans headed to Chicago.
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This report from WLBT the local NBC affiliate.
 
Damn. :ph34r: This isn't what we need at this point, 7 to 8 cars on their sides isn't a happy thing.
 
Now a story from CNN. Does include one picture, but all you can see is a bunch of headlights from the rescue vehicles.
 
I just rode that train a month ago. The tracks are pretty rough in that area.

I agree, we don't need to lose anymore equipment. Also, hopefully there are no additional serious developments with injuries or deaths.
 
I just saw images on my local news (WTVJ - NBC 6), and it looks like the train went over on a fairly steep enbankment. All the cars were in line (not bunched up like cards like what happened in the Auto Train Derailment). Looks like one car had fire damage. :unsure:
 
Here's a story from MSNBC. This story includes one daylight picture of a Superliner car lying on its side off of what looks like a low brige.

Not pretty! :(
 
Looks like an SI Dining Car there. It looked like the entire train derailed from that bridge, but I couldn't really tell because all the shots I saw were taken in pretty low light. Wonder what damage was done to the road power.
 
battalion51 said:
Wonder what damage was done to the road power.
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Hard to say, although all the preliminary reports do say "cars", not engines. Even the press can get that one right, even if they can't seem to find engineers who actually run the engines. :lol: :D
 
I can't imagine anything critical was done to it, since there was no mention of hazmat or fire in any of the stories. At least 58 fared better than 59 (Bourbonais) in that respect.
 
battalion51 said:
I can't imagine anything critical was done to it, since there was no mention of hazmat or fire in any of the stories. At least 58 fared better than 59 (Bourbonais) in that respect.
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If the current reports hold, then yes you are quite right, 58 fared better than 59. And thankfully there are no reports of fire, probably the biggest thing to fear in a derailment.
 
I was on THAT train Friday/ Saturday, New Orleans to Chicago with my family in a deluxe sleeper!!!!! Headshaking. Just so you know, train consisted of 1 engine, then a baggage car,sleeper,dining car, lounge/snack car, 3 coaches and finally a sleeper. We were in the deluxe room on the final sleeper car. If they had the same set up that would account for the 9 cars. Another thing I find lucky, is both ways our trains were packed, more so to new orleans though. I read that they had only 80 or so passengers on the train if that holds true.

This was our first trip on the train and all through the night I kept reassuring myself that the train would stay on the tracks. Eerie how now the same train, so close to our trip, is off the tracks. I chalked my fears up to being a rookie and not knowing the normal feel of the train and trying to sleep during the ride.

What could make a train derail?????

I actually thought the tracks in mississippi were better than the ones we had in Illinois.

Needless to say, we are doing some major headshaking here. Our prayers will go out to all.
 
AlanB said:
Still another story, this one with a few pictures.
The full story from WLOX, the ABC affiliate in Biloxi.
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Judging by the top picture on this story, it looks like the engines made it through OK, with the baggage just hanging over the edge. However, the rest of the cars look pretty beat up. Most of the pictures have focused on the Dining car and Sightseer Lounge. It looks like the Transition Dorm was the first car to tip over the edge of the bridge and the rest of the consist went with it. Judging by the pictures, I almost wonder if either the back truck of the baggage or the Transition Dorm was the first to derail, since the engines appear to be upright and on the tracks.
 
AlanB said:
Still another story, this one with a few pictures.
The full story from WLOX, the ABC affiliate in Biloxi.
Click to expand...
I was looking at the top picture on WLOX link. A car that was still standing precariously on track appeared to be a baggage car, since it has no windows. Is it on front or rear part of train?
 
gswager said:
I was looking at the  top picture on WLOX link.  A car that was still standing precariously on track appeared to be a baggage car, since it has no windows.  Is it on front or rear part of train?
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If you look just in front of the baggage car, I think you can see the blue and grey of the P-42s, so I think this is the front end.

Edit: I grabbed the picture and doubled the size. I'm more convinced that it is an engine in front of the baggage car. I'm not sure, but it looks like a P-42 that was running backwards, so there might be another engine in front of the one pictured.
 
The way it's positioned it would appear the baggage was on the head end this time around. When you think about it, it makes sense for the baggage car to seperate from the Superliners. The Baggage car is light compared to her heavier Superliner counterparts. Also, when coupled to the road power it would have a tendancy to drag along with the power and seperate from the rest of the train when an unusual case such as this occurs. I'd put money on the baggage being up front this time. I'll find out for sure tomorrow when I get the consist.
 
appears that there will be two buses serving the remainder of the stops on the route... one making all stops, departing at 10:45P, and the next bus, an express to CHI, leaving ten minutes later
 
This is from Gene Poon on another bulletin board:

Last report was at Jackson, 602pm, 18 min. late.
Location is described as 25 miles north of Jackson. Last GPS fix was 23 miles compass northwest of Jackson, MS; 17 miles compass west of Canton, MS.

The entire train is derailed:

82 P42

1223 Baggage

32036 Sleeping Car/substitute for Dorm-Sleeper

38009 Dining Car

33013 Lounge Car

31592 Coach/Smoking

34069 Coach

34087 Coach

32005 Sleeping Car

34135 Coach, Deadhead from Beech Grove

Train 59(06APR) will terminate at Memphis and turn to stub Train 58(07APR), Memphis-Chicago.

Train 58(07APR) is cancelled New Orleans-Memphis.

Too early to speculate on a cause.
Click to expand...
Guess I was wrong on the number of engines, but it does appear that the baggage was after the engines.
 
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