# Norfolk & Southern falls off the tracks.



## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

A local derailment this morning about 30 minutes after I crossed these tracks this morning on the way to work.

Right about where the locomotive rests was a terrible piece of track. Especially the right rail as you are looking at the photo.

Everytime I wait for a train at this grade crossing, the locomotives and cars rock and roll over this bad piece of rail. I don't know if the ties were rotted out, or if the ballast washed away over the years, but today it rock and rolled it's last time.

With all of the recent rain we've had, including 3"+ since last night, it was too much for this tired piece of track.

They lost the locomotive and the first two cars. This was about 0730 and the crane still hadn't arrived yet when I was off at 1600.

This train was on its way to Praiirie State Power Plant with a load of coal.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

I'm not a hard-core real-world RR guy, but I would think that there must be some business-plan "risk vs. reward" assessments that go on with decisions on track maintenance. Sure, to retrack/reballast this section (prior to the derailment) would have cost some $$$, but if trains were bouncing/buckling across the bad track for some time, didn't some bean-counter figure that the cost of maintenance work would be a net-savings over the cost of a tipped loco and cars? I'd have to think that the loco needs major repairs.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I later found out it was two locomotives and about 10 cars. They have a couple of front end loader out there to shovel up the coal.

Last night about 2100 two large fuel oil trucks passed through the intersection on their way to the tracks to pump out the diesel fuel.

The work lights at the site were still on when I left for work this morning.


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## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

Back when I was working on the railroad, one might ask the question:
"When does something get fixed?".

And the answer would be:
_"When it breaks!"_

See the incident above.
The track finally "broke", so.... now it will "get fixed".

Again, that's pretty much "how it works" on the railroad (at least back when I worked there).
But it looks like the old rules still apply!


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## 89Suburban (Jan 4, 2017)

Dang!


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Thank God the airlines tend to believe in preventative maintenance!!


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I found out from a railroad worker today that this stretch of track is restricted to ten miles per hour because of the poor condition.


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

Wow. A costly non-repair.


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## DennyM (Jan 3, 2016)

I hope the engine crew jumped out of the cab before it the ground.


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## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

J.Albert1949 said:


> Back when I was working on the railroad, one might ask the question:
> "When does something get fixed?".
> 
> And the answer would be:
> ...


It's not just railroads!


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## seayakbill (Jan 16, 2016)

NS is going to need to pull a couple diesels out of mothballs.

Bill


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