Amtrak Train May Have Been Struck Before It Derailed, Officials Say

New Yoirk Times ^ | May 15, 2015 | DAVE PHILIPPS and EMMA G. FITZSIMMONS

[MeshugeMikey]

PHILADELPHIA — An assistant conductor on the Amtrak train that derailed on Tuesday believes she heard the engineer tell another regional train operator in a radio transmission that the train had been struck by something just before the accident, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

At a news conference on Friday, Robert L. Sumwalt, the safety board official who is leading the investigation, said the F.B.I. had been asked to examine what he described as a fist-size impact area found on the lower left side of the train’s windshield. Officials said that the F.B.I. had been called in because it has the forensics expertise needed for the investigation, but that it had not yet begun its analysis.

[MeshugeMikey]

I sure hope so.

[Publius]

A side note. On the Northeast Corridor, I understand they still use the old Pennsylvania Railroad aspect light patterns: 3 horizontal, 3 vertical and 3 diagonal, not red-yellow-green.

[roadcat]

We used to put coins on the tracks. Stupid, weren’t we?

Yep. Me and my friends did that. Always had fun loitering around the rail yards, and putting coins on the tracks was a must for us. It was all in fun, no intent on derailing a train or causing harm like kids nowadays. Stupid!

[Publius]

Girard is the home of the #15 trolley, the most important crosstown transit route in the city. People who go to the zoo get off the Broad Street Subway at Girard and take the #15 to the zoo.

North of Girard, by the time you hit the Cecil Moore and Dauphin/Susquehanna stops near Temple University, you are in dangerous territory.

[caww]

Yes...finding that there was an acceleration in a manner of minutes and that the engineer , or someone, applied the breaks....it does seem the investigation is bringing some interesting developments to this happening which will explain what happened..

[EDINVA]

but the SEPTA train after being hit by a projectile didn’t suddenly go to 106 mph in a 50 mph zone. Neither from what I’ve heard, seen, read did the similarly struck CSX. Why only this one Amtrak train?

[Theo]

The guy who crashed the train is a gay activist. Unstable. Has something to prove.

Here’s more about this train-driving jerk:

http://gotnews.com/breaking-nsfw-here-are-amtrak-engineer-brandonbostians-disturbing-dick-pics/

[Cruz_West_Paul2016]

maybe bigfoot or godzilla was jogging/running by and ran into the train?

[MeshugeMikey]

” a local who didn’t witness the event is rumored to have said..”
“gunshots I dint hear me no gunshots”

[GilGil]

Don’t know if it was intentional but they are covering up something here.

[NoCmpromiz]

If he saw a clear signal(green) that allowed for him to proceed at max speed (100mph),

No.

A clear would not give permission to exceed the max speed limit. In the section before the curve that would be 70 mph with the additional restriction of the requirement to 'enter' the curve at 50 mph, also under a 'clear' signal. Any other aspect ('approach') would require a further reduction to whatever that speed was. A restricted (red) signal would require a stop.

As far as I know the NE Corridor is still signaled with the PRR 'position-light' signals. The only difference is that now the signals are colorized and two instead of three lamp.

Here is a photo of PRR position light signals displaying Rule 285 ("Approach")

Rule 285, Approach: Proceed prepared to stop at next signal. Train exceeding medium speed must at once reduce to that speed.

Here is the modified PRR color-position-light signal as now used by Amtrak.

[Publius]

Thank you for posting that. I didn’t know that Amtrak had gone to its own 2-lamp version of the 3-lamp position signals.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

#isawthewholethayng

[NoCmpromiz]

On the Northeast Corridor, I understand they still use the old Pennsylvania Railroad aspect light patterns: 3 horizontal, 3 vertical and 3 diagonal, not red-yellow-green.

Sort of...

See #211.

[MeshugeMikey]

snitcsh gets stiches

Three to four minutes after leaving Philadelphia, she said she heard Bostian talking to the engineer of a regional commuter train who said “he had either been hit by a rock or shot at,” Sumwalt said. She also believes she heard Bostian say that his own train had been struck by something.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/2015/05/15/f0173c22-fb3f-11e4-a13c-193b1241d51a_story.html

so this I believe is “new” info.maybe...

[Ez2BRepub]

I would think they would upgrade the signals, since this was on the Acela line.

Another side note. On the train radio sites I listen too, the Engineers always give information over the radio, every-time they approach a signal. The information I hear seems to always be the same across the board. This information can be heard by the dispatcher and other trains. It is designed to avoid conflicts and possible accidents.

1)State the company(Amtrak, NS, BNSF, etc.).

2)The train number

3)The signal indication they are approaching(green, yellow, red, etc.).

4)Location of signal(either place or mile marker)

5)Track they are using

6)Direction of travel

I do not know if they record the audio but it would be interesting to hear what signal indications the Engineer was calling out on the signals prior to the curve. It could possibly solve the issue with the acceleration prior to the accident (i.e. wrong signal, misread signals, etc.). Also, it would be interesting to hear what the dispatcher has to say, since they control the signals and can hear the audio and would hear a bad signal call-out from an Engineer, and could fix it.

[ilovesarah2012]

If this is really him, he is one sick dude.

[Chewbarkah]

“believes she heard the engineer tell another regional train operator in a radio transmission that the train had been struck by something just before the accident,...”

This is ambiguously written. Did she hear him say this after the derailment (before he lost his memory and all...)?
Or did he say it just before the derailment. Next, the use of “accident” seems like premature spin, when the story implies it wasn’t an accident at all.

Did the engineer broadcast an “excuse narrative” knowing the train was likely to derail due to excess speed due to his act or omission?

Did he have a special interest in historic train wrecks by chance? Somebody better check his media visits.

[NoCmpromiz]

I didn’t know that Amtrak had gone to its own 2-lamp version of the 3-lamp position signals.

Yep.. That seems to be their choice as the upgrade to the PRR system. It at least preserved a large portion of the hardware thus lowering the overall cost.

NS on the other hand has chosen to upgrade to 'Darth Vader' style signals when they modernize signalling on their ex-PRR portion of the Conrail acquisition. (Note the one pic with the replacements in the background. That's on ex-PRR near Buffalo, NY.)

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Only way to know is dispatch recordings, I guess.