Pasco WA derailment

[Stan Lytle]

Just heard something about a switching accident at Pasco WA. Involved at least one tank car carrying Ethanol which is leaking.

 

[Stan Lytle]

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/nov/07/ethanol-spills-pasco-rail-yard-accident/

 

[RoadRailer]

Thats probably one of the best news reports on this incident. The local stations reported all kinds of exagerations and speculations, but yes a tanker was/is leaking ethanol which required a haz-mat response.

Insider reports indicated a coupler broke on a train in the main yard (near the yard office) which allowed a number of cars (30-50) to roll freely into the Grain Yard at the Port of Pasco, where they crashed into the parked 'night industry switch job'.

The local paper at least has a photo of the derailed car:
http://media.tri-cityherald.com/smedia/2011/11/07/09/03/DTWMw.St.13.jpg
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/11/07/1708372/wreck-bnsf-train-derails-in-east.html

The photo is looking west towards downtown Pasco, and at the end of the industry switcher.

 

[Ballard Beaver]

a coupler broke on a train in the main yard (near the yard office) which allowed a number of cars (30-50) to roll freely into the Grain Yard at the Port of Pasco

Wow! Thats a long roll! They would have gone over a couple road crossings before getting there!

 

[RoadRailer]

Wow! Thats a long roll! They would have gone over a couple road crossings before getting there!

Its was at least 3miles and it would have crossed A-Street and Oregon Ave/Hwy 397, both high-traffic four-lane roads, but thankfully not at 345am. I would have to bet the Pasco dispatch/crews diverted the runaways from the mainlines and into the grain yard.

Another report from a first responder indicated the impact was about 25mph.

 

[RoadRailer]

The local paper got some good aerial shots of the derailment scene:
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/11/07/1708986/gallery-train-derailment-in-pasco.html

Of note the locomotive that was struck head on was the 'new' GP60, BNSF 169. The other unit was SD40-2 BNSF 1831.

Here is a shot I got of the pair of locomotives that I took on Saturday:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2798309

 

[RoadRailer]

Here is the updated story on the incident, as well as a few photos I was able to acquire and have permission to post:

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/11/08/1709306/derailment-near-big-pasco-spills.html

 

[Abilene Ks Railfan]

Wow, 169 sure got bent up. Wonder if it can be saved?

 

[POTB101]

Bent up, sure. But notice the extreme lack of major damage to the cab, and the bend at the frame in back. I am impressed by the fact that the anti-climbers did such a good job.

Just my thoughts. Glad nobody was hurt in this incident.

Jody

 

[Abilene Ks Railfan]

Yes, the anticlimbers did the job, glad there were no injuries

 

[nick]

Looks like the 169 may be a goner for sure.

 

[maersksealand3329]

Not quite. Ns has repaired a couple of their GP60's that were involved in derailments with bent frames. I think this one has a good chance of being retained and repaired. Its only the ends, so this could be straightend out and fixed.

 

[laredosub]

Here is the updated story on the incident, as well as a few photos I was able to acquire and have permission to post:

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/11/08/1709306/derailment-near-big-pasco-spills.html

Oh no that's a ex-Tex-Mex unit.

 

[RoadRailer]

Here are a few more shots of BNSF 169. It's difficult to determine what BNSF will do with this locomotive now by looking at the damage:
Bent rear frame although the radiator section looks fine
The front of the long hood has some major creases next to the cab
Cab-structure appears to have been pulled forwards several inches, cab front wall pulled out, damaged nose
Bent front frame, and who knows what the coupler mount looks like

Most of the wreck photos I have added here and the following pages:
http://raolson.rrpicturearchives.net/archiveThumbs.aspx?id=73679&Page=5

 

[brad_in_omaha]

What are anticlimbers?

 

[RoadRailer]

What are anticlimbers?

An anti-climber is the soild/substantial cross member located above the coupler on the pilots to prevent colliding objects from travelling up over the frame and through the locomotive cab (or passenger cars).

In the last photos I posted, you can see it as the protruding 'lip' in front of the steps where the handrails and ditch lights were mounted. Older locomotives without the anticlimbers will have the handrails mounted on the face of the pilot, similar to how they're monted on the frame sides.

On the rear of BNSF 169, you can see a huge chunk of the anticlimber is missing/damaged, propably due to the coupler on the SD40-2 that was behind it. These anticlimbers tend to thrust the approaching equipment down and under which results in the downward bent frame.