Well, maybe that explains why, when I got off my Amtrak yesterday at Chicago’s Union Station there was a person standing there with a sign and a speech saying “Anyone making a connection to the Southwest Chief please come with me”. In which case I know of a troop of boy scouts on their way to a camping trip in the Southwest may be disappointed or taking alternate transportation (one of them was my seatmate for part of the ride on the Lakeshore Limited). I’m told there’s a large boy scout camp that groups often go to by train, which might explain why there were boy scouts on the de-railed train.
Any time a train hits something it’s “quite an impact”.
My sister and brother-in-law say the news shortly before I got on a train to go back home. We’re all rational people but sis did want a few more travel updates than usual.
I’m guessing multiple factors. For example, derails are more likely on curved than straight rails, but it doesn’t look like being on a turn/curve was a factor here. If an obstacle on the rails has little mass the train more or less goes through it with minimal consequences to the train (unfortunately, I have been present for such an incident - there were definitely consequences to the person on the track), so mass of the object hit is definitely a factor. So is speed, at that that point on the trip the Amtrak would have been going as fast as legally permitted so… 80 mph (so far as I know, that’s the max for most Amtrak routes, the exceptions being on the East Coast). That much mass going that speed is NOT going to stop on a dime, it’s a good example of “unstoppable force”. Even if the train cars can’t go forward they’re going to go somewhere - that is, off the rails.
I don’t think I’ve ever been on an Amtrak (and I’ve been riding them since the 1980’s) that didn’t have at least a few Amish passengers.
It’s the same route. It is unlikely that it would be all the exact same physical train cars. The Southwest Chief runs every day (well, except for circumstances like this - I expect that in addition to running an accident investigation they’ll also need to inspect the rails for damage and make any needed repairs - which from pictures looks like “re-lay the track along this stretch”, including re-grading the ballast and replacing damaged/torn up/twisted rails) but trains will be longer/shorter depending on how many passengers are on it for a given run, plus they need multiple “train sets” as @kenobi_65 put it to send out trains on that route with such regularity.
The only part of the dump truck I’ve seen in pictures is one of the axles, minus the rest of the truck. I expect there is damage to the lead engine even if it’s not obvious.
I’m glad she’s alive, but sorry she is hurt. I hope she makes a complete recovery as quickly as possible.
Please keep us updated. I know sometimes in these threads we seem to dwell on the engineering and physics but it’s important to remember the people involved.
Even minor train incidents/accidents can knock people off their feet, send luggage flying, etc. I can only imagine how violent and frightening this sort of accident is for the people on the train.
Yes, it’s the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. Last year when my brother rode on the SWC eastbound (among other Amtrak rides) there were a couple dozen scouts out of Los Angeles who got off at Raton to go there and likewise, a couple dozen got on to get dispersed to points east. Since according to Wiki the annual attendance is some 22,000 I doubt it’s even a majority of scouts going there, but it would be a cool way to get there.
Amtrak is using a bus shuttle between Kansas City and La Plata to get around the gap. There are two trains shuttling from LAX to KCY but only one going back and forth from CHI and LAP.
Kansas City has some pretty big railyards. There must be a loop or a routing that allows them to turn the train around (I cannot spot it on the map). That makes it possible to do two runs along there. The other, single run must be set up double-ended because there is nowhere where a turn around could happen out in BF Missouri.
The other factor likely is that the distance from LAX to KCY is easily three times that between CHI and LAP. You’d need a couple trains to maintain even reduced service.
However there are currently no SWCs on the eastern half and none scheduled to leave CHI today.
OTOH, the western #3 left KCY 5 hours off the regular schedule and looks unlikely to make any of it up.
The train speed limit at that crossing is 90 MPH and it was going slightly under. That’s FAST. If you hit something things are not going to turn out well.
Service has been restored under mandatory slow order through the derailment area. #3 leaving CHI on July 2 is cancelled. #4 leaving LAX on July 4 is cancelled.
I can only imagine the dispatchers’ hair in clumps on the floor as they try to break up a tremendous logjam that has resulted.
They showed part of the NTSB press conference on the local (KC) evening news last night. The spokeswoman said the train sounded it’s horn a quarter mile from the crossing. I did some quick math and figured that was about 10 seconds. Not a whole lot of lead time for a fully loaded dump truck to get out of the way.
It’s also possible that the truck was indeed moving, but had started across the tracks after the engineer sounded the horn. The driver may not have heard the horn (and may not have looked for a train), or may have believed that he could beat the train across the tracks.
From what I’ve seen from the aerial photos, the road and tracks intersect at an angle. Depending on which direction the truck was traveling, the driver may have had to look over his shoulder to see the train approaching.
Now that you mention it, yes. From a family wide Facebook messenger post:
Her pain is better today. They’re maintaining it around a 3 out of 10 which is good. Gets up to a 7 when she’s moving from the bed to the chair and back. She has now been transferred back and forth yesterday and today. They are doing a little bit of exercise with her left arm and her lower legs. So, no spinal cord injuries are apparent at this time, which is nice.
We have been told she has a total of 15 fractures from the neck to the pelvis. The doctor will be bringing us a list outlining exactly where each fraction is. Eight of them are in her ribs. Her neck brace was removed for comfort and she does not have to wear it except while sleeping unless it makes her more comfortable.
There is no intention to move her until she’s ready to go to rehab because there’s nothing that her home health care providers can do for her that isn’t being done in Missouri. Arrangements have already been made with rehab in Grand Rapids and they are prepared to take her in as soon as she is off IV pain medication. Her transportation will probably be via helicopter and Amtrak will fly our cousin and another sister to Grand Rapids to help with any transitions necessary.
We’ve had visits from multiple Amtrak agents to check on her and assess her needs. They brought her new glasses and tablet and are seeing to all of my cousin’s and younger sister’s expenses.
At this point the plan is to move Sis to GR when she’s ready for rehab. My cousin will go with her to be her caregiver.
My sister was chatting with a young woman when the crash occurred, and the girl lost her spleen as a result of breaking my sister’s fall. So send healing vibes in the direction of the young lady, too, please.
I’m glad to hear that Amtrak is being supportive and that the news on your sister is positive - no spinal cord injury is very good! I’ll keep her and the young lady in my thoughts.