Crescent #20

[SouthernServesTheSouth]

Checked status of Crescent northbound. Showing over 4 hour late departure from Lynchburg to Charlottesville. It left Atlanta on time but there is no data for arrival in Lynchburg from any stations between Atlanta and Lynchburg. Was it rerouted? If so why?

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

Actually several LD (SWC, TE, and EB) lost up to 5 hours last night. Who knows--might be a computer problem.

 

[City of Miami]

I just saw #20 pull out of Charlottesville at 11:46, four and a half hours late.

 

[John Bobinyec]

Looks like it hit a car. http://www.independentmail.com/news/2013/may/04/train-strikes-car-toccoa-three-killed/

jb

 

[crescent2]

How terribly sad for all involved. We were on the Crescent when it hit a car in Alabama, killing the pregnant driver. She had gone around the gate. It was very upsetting and I still think about her.

 

[ScottRu]

Awful news. I was on the Southbound Crescent from NYC to NO in February so it strikes close to home.

In addition to the victims in the car, I always feel especially badly for the engineers who are usually traumatized by these events.

 

[jis]

I saw the Crescent rattle by down below at a distance, from the Van Dorn Metro station, where I happened to be last afternoon, while traveling around the Metro system. Yes, it was about 4 hours late. And Yes, you can see the NS line from the Metro Van Dorn Station, if you know where to look for it.

Then I saw it again departing Union Station at around 2:30pm or so behind an AEM-7, from NoMa station. It apparently sat around at Union Station for quite a while. Also saw the P42s that had apparently brought it in. They did not seem to have any visible from a distance damage. I wonder if a damaged first unit might have been replaced somewhere. Or the other possibility is that the pair I saw was not from the Crescent. The pair was 5 and 69, and they were proceeding to Ivy City from Union Station.

 

[CHamilton]

A friend reports:

The Crescent collided with a car, just south of Toccoa, GA. All three car passengers killed. We arrived in DC about 5 hours late.

 

[pennyk]

My aunt and uncle are currently in the Birmingham station waiting on 20 (5/5). They were told that their train would be about 2 hours late due to an accident. It looks like 19 is running late also. Does anyone know if the accident involved 19 somewhere between Tuscaloosa and Birmingham?

Thanks.

 

[crescent2]

There was apparently no damage other than possibly a paint scratch to the locomotive in our incident, although the car had been t-boned. We had to walk right past the locomotive when we got to the Atlanta station. From my limited experience, I'd say the "car hitting a soda can" analogy is pretty much accurate. Please be careful at grade crossings, folks.

Interestingly, the conductor or car attendant (don't recall which) instantly knew what had happened. He had experienced it before. We were in coach on that trip, and only heard a distant, faint pop sound, saw white smoke (steam from the radiator, we were told), and of course there was hard braking but not enough to cause falls. We didn't even feel the impact. Now I always slow down and look even at lighted, gated grade crossings.

Yes, I always feel bad for the crew, too. If I still think of her, I'm sure the engineer does so as well.

 

[Notelvis]

I was aboard the old Montrealer back in the 1980's when it struck a car near St. Alban's, VT.

As others have noted, those of us who were on the train felt nothing other than the full application of the train brakes. I've been extra cautious driving through grade crossings ever since.

In a totally unrelated story - I once talked a suicidal student out of jumping in front of a train on the tracks near his house by steering our conversation towards how his actions would impact the lives of the train crew. Fifteen years on and the student in question is happily married (he invited me to his wedding shortly after he finished his Bachelors Degree) and has just this month completed a graduate degree in Massachusetts.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I have been on trains twice when we struck a car. Neither case was hardly noticeable.

Once was on the pre Amtrak South Wind from Miami to Nashville. A car had stalled. The young male occupant driver got out in time.

The dining car waiters knew what had happened immediately.

The other time also preAmtrak. I was on the Georgian from Chicago to Chattanooga. We struck a car near Terre Haute, IN and my understanding is that we killed the female driver.

 

[crescent2]

Good for you, n elvis. It's amazing what small gestures can mean in someone else's life.