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elleng

(130,156 posts)
Sat Dec 21, 2019, 12:08 PM Dec 2019

Train Cars Derail, Fall into Potomac River in Harpers Ferry.

'A freight train crossing the Potomac River near Harpers Ferry derailed early Saturday morning, causing two cars to tip over a footbridge and plummet into the water.

Seven cars derailed on the bridge, wiping out a section of a footbridge that's part of the famous Appalachian Trail, a major tourist draw for the town of Harpers Ferry. It appears no one was on the bridge at the time and no injuries were reported.

The train was headed east over Winchester and Potomac Railroad Bridge between Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and Maryland about 2:30 a.m., train operator CSX says.

The empty grain cars derailed into the water and on the West Virginia shoreline, but the locomotive stayed ont the tracks, CSX says.'

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/train-derails-into-potomac-river-near-harpers-ferry/2190541/?

14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Train Cars Derail, Fall into Potomac River in Harpers Ferry. (Original Post) elleng Dec 2019 OP
Wow Sherman A1 Dec 2019 #1
I visited there just this summer Cirque du So-What Dec 2019 #2
I did as well... handmade34 Dec 2019 #3
Appears to be another Wellstone ruled Dec 2019 #4
Wouldn't be surprised; elleng Dec 2019 #5
CSX as well as NS Rails will be Wellstone ruled Dec 2019 #6
Maybe, Maybe not, but: Toyota accuses U.S. rail carriers, including CSX, of price-fixing conspiracy. elleng Dec 2019 #7
The Rails are going to gauge Wellstone ruled Dec 2019 #8
Freight train derails and falls into Potomac River near Harpers Ferry, W.Va. mahatmakanejeeves Dec 2019 #9
Been 'waiting' to hear from you!!! elleng Dec 2019 #10
I was inside all during the day yesterday, doing some way overdue mahatmakanejeeves Dec 2019 #11
Nice! elleng Dec 2019 #12
Eastern Railroad Discussion CSXT derailment....Harpers Ferry. mahatmakanejeeves Dec 2019 #13
Freight train derails into river in Harpers Ferry mahatmakanejeeves Dec 2019 #14
 

Wellstone ruled

(34,661 posts)
4. Appears to be another
Sat Dec 21, 2019, 02:12 PM
Dec 2019

CSX deferred maintenance problems. Bad Switch Frog that dumped the lead Grain Hopper? Looking that way due to the Derailing pattern.

elleng

(130,156 posts)
5. Wouldn't be surprised;
Sat Dec 21, 2019, 02:24 PM
Dec 2019

deferred maintenance has been an issue for many years, esp for lines which 'beg' for abandonment.

'The train was headed east over Winchester and Potomac Railroad Bridge between Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and Maryland about 2:30 a.m., train operator CSX says.

The empty grain cars derailed into the water and on the West Virginia shoreline, but the locomotive stayed ont the tracks, CSX says. . .

The Civil War-era bridge is now used by CSX freight rail service. The train tracks run next to a popular pedestrian footbridge along the Appalachian Trail. The derailment is visible from the town of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

The process of removing cars from the Potomac is expected to be a lengthy process.

From January to September 2019, there were three other train accidents in West Virginia and 18 in Maryland according to federal safety data.

Amtrak service in the area is not expected to be affected.'



 

Wellstone ruled

(34,661 posts)
6. CSX as well as NS Rails will be
Sat Dec 21, 2019, 02:38 PM
Dec 2019

heading for the Bankruptcy Courts within a year. You can only play the deferred Maintenance game just so long,and these two have been at it for almost five years.

Got to keep the Wall Street Happy as well as the Management Team.

elleng

(130,156 posts)
7. Maybe, Maybe not, but: Toyota accuses U.S. rail carriers, including CSX, of price-fixing conspiracy.
Sat Dec 21, 2019, 02:53 PM
Dec 2019

'Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. has filed suit against the largest U.S. rail carriers, including Jacksonville-based CSX Corp., alleging a price-fixing conspiracy. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on Dec. 13, accuses the rail carriers of violating federal law. It targets the four largest U.S.-based carriers: CSX (Nasdaq: CSX), Norfolk Southern Corp. (NYSE: NS), BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Corp. (NYSE: UNP).'

https://finance.yahoo.com/m/bdb14ad7-7183-35eb-bc74-574eb774f25e/toyota-accuses-u.s.-rail.html

We USED to regulate them.

 

Wellstone ruled

(34,661 posts)
8. The Rails are going to gauge
Sat Dec 21, 2019, 03:12 PM
Dec 2019

as long as no one is enforcing the Surface Transportation Acts. It is a percentage game,40% content rules means that segment is ripe for abuse.

Couple of phone calls or texts,and bingo,we got a new Industry Freight Rate. Wink and a Nod. Somebody has to pay for all those Rail Cars owned by Hedge Funds. Anytime you have a Lease,abuses will be lurking. Now with Thousands of Loco's out of service due to the collapse of the Coal Industry as well as Trump's Tariff's on China and other Countries,Cereal Grains are not moving from the Heartland to the Posts for shipment.

mahatmakanejeeves

(56,897 posts)
9. Freight train derails and falls into Potomac River near Harpers Ferry, W.Va.
Sun Dec 22, 2019, 04:54 PM
Dec 2019

I've been away from the computer and the local news. This is the first I've heard of this.

This is not the bridge that carries the old Baltimore and Ohio Railroad - Wikipedia mainline over the Potomac River. You can see its pylons in the background. That line carries Amtrak passenger trains and MARC commuter trains as well as CSX freight trains. It was not affected.

The bridge on which the derailment occurred carries a freight-only branch that goes from the main line down to Winchester, Virginia.

Freight train derails and falls into Potomac River near Harpers Ferry, W.Va.

By Marissa J. Lang
Dec. 21, 2019 at 2:10 p.m. EST

A freight train derailed on a bridge near Harpers Ferry, W.Va., early Saturday, spilling two cars into the Potomac River.

A CSX locomotive heading east between Harpers Ferry and Brunswick, Md., had been towing seven empty grain cars across the Winchester and Potomac Railroad Bridge about 2:30 a.m., when the train careened off the tracks, CSX officials said.

Two of the seven cars hurtled into the water below, officials said, toppling over a footpath frequented by visitors to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.

No one was injured, although part of the Civil War-era bridge crumbled in the crash.

Access to parts of several state parks — Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail — will be limited as a result.
....

Marissa J. Lang is a local reporter covering the D.C. metro area. Follow https://twitter.com/Marissa_Jae

#Breaking Video: CSX FREIGHT TRAIN DERAILMENT in #HarpersFerry on the Winchester & Potomac Railroad Bridge @ 3:30AM, NO injuries, locomotive remained on track. Recovery crews are working to secure dangling train cars #BreakingNews @nbcwashington @TomLynch_



Gridlock
CSX: Tracks affected by train derailment at Harpers Ferry crossing over the Potomac River reopened Sunday
The Appalachian Trail footbridge crossing the river was destroyed and remains closed indefinitely.



This photo provided by the Washington County, Md., shows a freight line train in the Potomac River on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019, near Harpers Ferry, W.Va. CSX said in a statement that there were no injuries as seven cars derailed early Saturday. It says all the cars were empty and no hazardous materials were involved. (AP)

By Luz Lazo
Dec. 22, 2019 at 11:45 a.m. EST

A rail bridge near Harpers Ferry, W.Va. that has been shut down since a freight train derailed early Saturday, spilling two cars into the Potomac River, reopened on Sunday, a spokesman for CSX Transportation said.

Officials said the investigation is ongoing; they have offered no information into what caused the seven-car train to derail.

“The clean-up of the area will continue until the area is completely restored," the transportation company said in a statement. “The CSX bridge did not sustain any structural damage, and we expect train traffic to resume today.”

[Freight train derails and falls into Potomac River near Harpers Ferry, W.Va.]

No one was injured, although part of a pedestrian bridge used by visitors to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park was destroyed and will remain closed indefinitely, the National Park Service said.
....

The #AppalachianTrail footbridge crossing the Potomac River in @HarpersFerryNPS is closed until further notice due to a train derailment early Sat. morning. No injuries, but the bridge will need extensive repairs. More info soon at http://appalachiantrail.org/updates .

📸Carlyn Leigh Pate



....

Luz Lazo is a transportation reporter at The Washington Post covering passenger and freight transportation, buses, taxis and ride-sharing services. She also writes about traffic, road infrastructure and air travel in the Washington region and beyond. She joined The Post in 2011. Follow https://twitter.com/luzcita

mahatmakanejeeves

(56,897 posts)
11. I was inside all during the day yesterday, doing some way overdue
Sun Dec 22, 2019, 05:02 PM
Dec 2019

housework. Then I went to a Christmas/Winder solstice celebration in an neighborhood where I lived decades ago. Good friends of mine grew up there and will never leave.

We were sitting outside at night next to a fire. If you moved away from the fire or when the fire died down, it was cold.

elleng

(130,156 posts)
12. Nice!
Sun Dec 22, 2019, 05:07 PM
Dec 2019

Less cold tonight, here anyway, and next few days and nights; tomorrow hi 50, low 35, and partly cloudy. Tuesday SUNNY, hi 44.

mahatmakanejeeves

(56,897 posts)
13. Eastern Railroad Discussion CSXT derailment....Harpers Ferry.
Sun Dec 22, 2019, 05:13 PM
Dec 2019

More discussion here:

Eastern Railroad Discussion > CSXT derailment....Harpers Ferry.

Date: 12/21/19 05:44
CSXT derailment....Harpers Ferry.
Author: mp208

.....two cars in the river at Harpers Ferry. Any further info?

Posted from Android

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/19 05:57 by mp208.
.
.
.
Date: 12/21/19 11:14
Re: CSXT derailment....Harpers Ferry.
Author: icancmp193

If you want some (sad) laughs, read the article about this derailment on Fox News and then read some of the comments.

TJY

WEST VIRGINIA Published 1 day ago
Freight train cars derail into the Potomac River near Harpers Ferry in West Virginia
By Robert Gearty | Fox News

Two freight cars plunged into the Potomac River early Saturday morning following a derailment on a bridge near Harpers Ferry in West Virginia, officials said.

No one was injured and the conductor was the only person on board, Fox 5 DC reported.
....

mahatmakanejeeves

(56,897 posts)
14. Freight train derails into river in Harpers Ferry
Sun Dec 22, 2019, 05:30 PM
Dec 2019
Freight train derails into river in Harpers Ferry
By Toni Milbourne For the Journal Dec 21, 2019 Updated 17 hrs ago


A CSX freight train crossing the Potomac River near Harpers Ferry derailed and sent multiple train cars into the water below in the early hours Saturday morning.
Photo courtesy of Zack Ulibarri and Carlyn Pate
....
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