I was searching for some information, and indeed it was yesterday. A couple of news reports stated that one train had run into a stationary "rock" train. Interesting the radio chatter was of a "pig" train. Meaning piggyback, I might guess, unless it is slang for...?
"Pig" as in intermodal. I032 is a stack train, runs Jacksonville => North Bergen, NJ I think. Amtrak's southbound Sliver Star was held at Savannah and the trainset was turned north there this morning. It departed about 8:30 AM running 7+ Hours late. He's making good time. I'm hoping to get a photo of it, so as to see my first Siemens ALP-42. Hoping for some overcast, as the sun is in a difficult spot for good pictures of northbounds.
My experience when working on the Tampa, Jacksonville, Atlanta & Mobile Divisions of CSX for about a decade - personnel on the ground use a lot of 'railfan terminology' in the conversations on the radio or telephone. The 'pig train' was I032 - Jacksonville to Philadelphia (and maybe beyond) [CSX has changed their train naming conventions since I retired in 2016]
Well durn, no Siemens ALC-42s on the Silver Star today, just the same old P-42s. I have to credit the crew though. When the Star is late, it usually just lopes along without any effort to make up lost time. This crew is "haulin' the mail" and making excellent time over the road. The SAL would have been proud.
Three were reported as injured - how seriously is not reportd https://railfan.com/csx-railroaders-hospitalized-after-georgia-wreck/
Preliminary NTSB Report on the incident. https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/RRD24LR011.aspx Initial reports did not mention that this happened during a scheduled Signal Suspension.
The NTSB has released a preliminary report and it shows that a switch was misaligned and wasn't noticed because signal operation had been "suspended" during maintenance work. CSX assigned a Conductor to work as a switch tender, temporarily overseeing four hand-throw switches that were normally dual-control power switches.
This explains my first reaction, that how can something like this happen when all of the switches and signals are interlocked against this kind of thing? Now we know.
It says "This story will be updated as more information becomes available." I am wondering if there has been anything further in media about this incident? Or did interest quickly fade away?
When switches are Hand Operated - the protections of the interlocking algorithm is no longer in effect. I suspect the Investigation of the Switchtender has already been conducted and has resulted in the Termination of that employee. I am surprised that the NTSB did not make any references to the communications between the Train Dispatcher and the Switchtender concerning the move. All radio communications with all CSX Train Dispatchers are recorded, no matter if it is with T&E Personnel, MofW Personnel or anyone else. If the Dispatcher is conducting a conversation on the radio, any channel, it is recorded.
NTSB report was strictly preliminary; no direct finger-pointing with definitive cause. The dispatcher would have received confirmation from the switch tender that all switches were (supposedly) properly lined for the movement before the dispatcher issued the EC-1 (track warrant). I never trusted the switch tenders either. Had an incident once where the M-O-W foreman told me the switches were lined for my movement, but we stopped and I had the conductor go down and throw the switches to confirm. Found the facing-point switch "floating", meaning the hand throw lever had not been latched to the mechanism so it was not secured properly. Rule specifically states when hand-throwing a dual-control switch that it must be thrown several (2-3) times to ensure the points move with the movement of the handle. The M-O-W guy had simply placed the control lever from "motor" to "hand" and never threw the hand-throw lever to lock it in.
Leaves me to wonder about the actual qualifications of the Switchtender. Was he actually knowledgeable of the physical characteristics of the location where he would be tending switches; thus knowing the differences between the Nahunta and Jesup subdivisions? I feel certain, when Crew Management (or the crew calling computer application) called the individual for the job, there was no questions asked about their Qualifications on the track layout at Folkston. Unfortunately, Switchtender is the kind position that is thought that any warm body can be called to fill - no qualifications needed - If you have been 'qualified' as a Conductor you are immediately presumed to know everything about positions that are considered 'beneath' the Conductor level. Which all leads to what kind of 'Job Briefing' was held and by whom when the Switchtender went on duty at Folkston. In my experience with CSX and Signal Suspensions, a Company Official is identified in the Bulletin with a contact telephone so crews and everyone else involved with moving trains through the area of the suspension so EVERYONE knows what actions are involved in complying with the Bulletin. Off the B&O St. Louis Division operators extra list I caught a regular Relief Job that worked 4 shifts at Milan, IN and one 3rd Trick as a Switchtender at 8th Street in Cincinnati - the job worked at the direction of the Operator at Cincinnati Jct who gave the moves the Switchtender was to line up and then flag the trains through with hand signals. 8th Street was the B&O Mains through town and the junction of the leads to the West End of Brighton and Mill Creek Yards as well as the lead to Yard A on the Toledo side and a local industrial yard and connections to the Southern and L&N for interchange runs. The lead and the gauntlet of switches was approximately 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile long with telephone shanty's at the East and West ends of switches. Get instructions from the operator at CJ, line the switches, hand signal the train then talk to CJ for the next move - rinse and repeat - for 8 full hours throwing iron up and down that lead.
