"A Near Miss at Cherry Hill Siding" on the Strasburg Railroad November 8,2008

[Keither754]

EPIC FAIL!!!!

[Gunsnclapton4]

Wow, after reading these comments, Im starting to realize how annoying foamers can get

[Gunsnclapton4]

1:20 - "DUMP THE TRAIN!!!" Not fun words to hear at all

[TheStrasburg90]

@Chase1609 no 7312 was supposed to wait next to 475 on the siding while 475 left.

[indie1361]

At 1:23 you can hear someone scream "Stop the train". If i was in the cab of either engine, it would have scared the crap outta me. And yea, I think the switch is permenatly set so the trains can pass each other and not have to mess around with switchin and all. Trains returning from Leaman Place are on the track closest to the grove, and trains heading from Strasburg are on the passing track.

[TVRM610]

@indie1361 The switches can be realigned. I went to Strasburg in June, 2011, and only one train (#475) was running. We passed on the track closest to the Grove both ways.

[TVRM610]

@indie1361 They are called Spring Switches. We utilize them on our wye track in Chattanooga on the Tennessee Valley Railroad. It saves the conductor and engineer from having to get off every move made and realign the switches.

[iammyantinerd]

"Near miss" on 10mph junk track, okay.

[TheStrasburg90]

@iammyantinerd Actually, since steam engine collisions can be more volatile in some ways because of the steam pressure (and the fact that #475 is over 100 years old). It would be serious no matter what speed. It might've put Strasburg out of business with the cost of repairs.

[Conrail6370]

iammyantinerd , The speed limit on that "Junk Track" is 40 mph.

[iammyantinerd]

@Conrail6370

I find it hard to believe that they run 40mph on jointed rail.

[Conrail6370]

iammyantinerd , Well just ask Doc Sellers he's the one who told Me. When I took my cab ride in No. 90. 

[Reedman700E]

@iammyantinerd They have been using jointed track forever. All the speed records up until the modern era were on jointed track. You can run over 100 mph on jointed rail and that track is great so don't knock it.

[fretdemon123]

after #475 whent through the crossing shes like..... what a minite....i didnt see you there!

[robertgift]

Why did you not show them throw the switch and show the other train approaching and whistling for the crossing?? Instead you show "still life" of a train sitting there while we miss the action.

You have a problem with showing colorful grade crossing signals operating while the train enters the crossing?

Do over and show everything.

[Conrail6370]

robertgift , I was asked by the CEO of Strasburg Railroad to cut out a few senes. So that's why you don't see everything. the first time this video was up it did show every thing including the cuss words that I cut out in this version.

Len.

[robertgift]

@Conrail6370 Oh. Having to stop and back is nothing worth using profanity about.

Sorry you could not have silenced the profanity and lethe video show as was.

Why did the train move forward? I thought so they could clear the switch and back onto the siding.

But instead, he just backstraighto histarting point and the other train diverts into the siding.

None of this makesense.

Thank you.

[TheStrasburg90]

@robertgift The spring switch was set to divert the 7312 to the outer siding. 475's train was sitting half in the inside siding and half out. If 475 were to just back up, the cars wouldve split the switch and derailed. The reason the backed onto their starting point was because they wanted the spring switch to divert 7312 to the outside siding as normally would happen.

[jssuiter]

This is why here in the UK we have tokens for single line sections.......And signals controlled through the release of these tokens

[randknu]

We have had a few NASTY railroad accidents happen because of things like this, though a lot can be avoided by going slow. Imagine if the visibility was really poor here....

[Slickrick1853]

Ok I have a couple things here. First does the 7312 do passenger runs with the 90, 475 and 89? I've been going to SB RR fr since I was 5 and I've never seen that engine before. Also what were they doing with the freight cars. I know they use to have a little siding where they kept all those "abandoned" freight cars but now they're gone so what happened to them?

[TheStrasburg90]

@Slickrick1853 Strasburg runs which ever two engines are best fired up for the day. Usually, they have one engine in the shop for repairs/inspections. They don't have a specific "pair" of engines. Also, they were runnig a mix train for freight purposes. Sometimes they schedule freight cars to be taken for photographic purposes.

[TheStrasburg90]

@Slickrick1853 It's a photo charter. Strasburg runs them from time to time to increase historian interest. Also, they run which ever to locomotives are bets for the runs. There is no set table for which engines run when and with who.

[WorldOfNothin]

wait so they go forward just to stop then go forward some more just to stop and go back again and then the two trains stop next to each other!!! I really won't feel safe on those trains right now!!! engineers who don't know whats going on lol

[wwrr98]

I think everyone here is just taking things too far. This happened 2 years ago now? The point is, the trains stopped with plenty of distance, no one got hurt, and everyone involved learned from it. Now, what happened within the railroad after this whole event is the railroad's business, not for all you foamers out there to guess or say what should've happened!

[renobt]

...well I'm not movin'!!!

[CO1604]

I work for the Strasburg. NOBODY got reamed and NO the engineer stopped the train NOT the conductor. Leave it to a pure FOAMER NOT A RAILROADER to misinterpert the facts.

[foroke1]

I don't understand what ahppened.....

[Lackawanna952]

Who was at fault?

[cdizzle282]

The Strasburg LITERALLY goes out of their way to let the passenger experience EVERY element of real-life railroading! lol

[Conrail6370]

cdizzle282 , lol They sure do.

[LMatters1]

This appears to be a very serious incident which could have led to a very serious accident. I hope it was investigated by the appropriate authorities.

[iceman977th]

@LMatters1 Actually it's being overdone. I'm not a railroad employee of any kind, but I'm almost positive they were doing exactly what they were supposed to do, restricted speed or half the range of vision. Both trains stopped how they were supposed to upon vision that the block wasn't opened, and stopped promptly. The boss just wants to show off and isn't appreciative that they did what they were supposed to do.

[LMatters1]

@iceman977th Exceeding an authority with the result being two opposing movements on the same section is NOT "doing exactly what they were supposed to do". In terms of safeworking breaches it doesn't get much more serious than this. Trains are driven in advance, once you have an authority (or proceed signal indication) you regard the section (or block) as being clear. Restricted speed or half range of vision has nothing to do with it..

[iceman977th]

@LMatters1 I never said they were 100% right. They were wrong in moving in opposing movements. But at least they did what they were trained to do, stop if another train is approached and stop safely.

[LMatters1]

@iceman977th You are not trained to stop if you see another train approaching, rather the stopping of the train in those circumstances is an act of self-preservation. You are trained to follow safeworking rules and to not get into this situation in the first place!

No railwway safeworking system in the world relies on seeing an opposing train and then stopping. The stopping of the trains in this instance was the very last defence to a head on collision. It was a very serious incident.

[railfan845]

That was way too close!,that could have got ugly.

[sjtom57]

Reminds me of the old railroad song, The Rock Island Line.

[David441330]

Now I am not too familiar with the Strasburg consists, but the one further down the line from you, headed outbound. that looks like the troop train (I am a WWII reenactor and today I was just there), looks like it has the freight on it. Did they just not take it off that year, or was that the day of the event that year?

[GoldenCreekValleyRR]

the guys are like. WELL this sucks. back to the drawling board

[radioditch]

@nimrod4017 Strasburg on most instances operates by timetable and train order. However, Groffs Grove is protected by signals at both ends. Never was sure if they were just for the crossing, switch position, or standard function.

[radioditch]

I would have loved to hear the conversation between the hourly and the mixed extra. That probably didn't sound too plesant...

[fudgebaker]

can somebody plz tell me exactly what happened 'cause i don't get it

[justin10347]

What the heck happened?

[LocoCyc]

As the old saying goes: "It takes one 'Oh Sh*t!' to ruin 100 'Atta boy's". 

[PereMarquette1223]

Wow, a near miss with steam. Imagine if they collided what kind of attention the railroad would get for such a rare sight.

[zhawk309]

DUDE i was on 475 when this happened. My dad and i saw 31 at the top of the hill but we just kept going. 31 Let of a LOUD wistle and then 475 stopped almost immediatly. It was amazing.

[BNSFandSP]

I can't tell, but I think that switch was set against the 475 in the first place.

[Conrail6370]

BNSFandSP, Your correct! they have spring switches.

[nimrod4017]

wander if the FRA ever looked at this? Do you have the tape of the conversation in the office later that day? you could imagine that the conversation after this was not too friendly. I think it would have went like talking to the dudes at boot camp. How many four letter words were used after that?

What was the result of the drug test?

[Conrail6370]

nimrod4017, After I return to Strasburg, I heard from a few people that Linn wasn't to pleased. He's the Boss. and they got reamed another A-H. For not Reading their orders. A Conductor on the train pulled the E. Cord and stop the train.

Len.

[nimrod4017]

@Conrail6370 I would think so. if those unit got damaged or totally destroyed that would go from 4 unit to 2 that would make for a lesser operation. if they went and used SD-40-2's or SD-90MAC's I do not think that i would be as popular of an attraction. although this will not happen I would like to see a DD40x or a big blow restored and running. UP"s 6936 would be more likely to happen then the latter. It would be cool to see one of the steam units pulling a train at speed on the main

[Bassfanatic94]

@Conrail6370 Who is Linn? Is he the owner of the Strasburg Railroad? Also, what does A-H mean?

[TheStrasburg90]

@Bassfanatic94 Yes, Linn (moedinger) is the prez and chief mechanical officer of Strasburg

[TheStrasburg90]

@Bassfanatic94 yes Linn is CEO of Strasburg, not owner

[radioditch]

@Conrail6370 Correct me if I'm wrong, but did he also run a stop signal? I thought the automatic signals at Cherry Hill protected the approaches to the Grove. So shouldn't have someone had a stop signal also in addition to not reading their paperwork?

[nimrod4017]

@radioditch I think that they run " in the dark" meaning that they do not have signals like NS or the worlds best railroad Union Pacific (that should generate some comments). NS had a line that went to Virginia Beach it was in the dark but it is now unused and might be one of the last class one railroads to have a spot like that. The Virginia Beach line might have trolleys on it one day but that is a new can of worms

[SantaFe158]

@Conrail6370 That engineer sure hauled out of there though once 31 passed through.

[TheStrasburg90]

@nimrod4017 there was no drug test or anything. leave it to foamers to spiral things out of control

[MrAwesome1361]

Why did 7312 stop in the middle of the siding???

[Lillmatt31]

who had the RofW? I would imagine 475 left too early.

[Conrail6370]

Lillmatt31, You answered your own question. :)

[TVRM610]

They put #475's train in emergency, that means waiting for the brakes to pump up again, and then doing an Apply and Release (ANR) Brake Test. At least that's what we do at TVRM when an engineer shoots the brakes.

[Steam501]

Nice meet at the siding. Perhaps each crew was a little excited over doing a photo shoot, or which train had ( rights ) over the other. Everything turned out OK though.

[trainlover479]

why do they call near hits near miss?

[sognol]

Thats why they call Train Orders "Suicide Notes"

[mlavender480]

Wow... hard to believe something like this happened at Strasburg. Obviously someone wasn't paying attention at the safety meeting... or to his train orders. If I had been 475's engineer I would certainly have had something to say about that.

[BigRichMann]

Don't you mean a near hit? A near miss would be an accident...

[CHOOCH8258]

Speaking from an experienced railroaders point of view, I wound not be surprised if somebody didnt get punched in the mouth when the two engines stopped next to each other on the siding 

[b3tothe12]

I bet keeping the schedule for the rest of the day was shot!

[amtraklover]

I bet somebody got chewed out that day

[TheStrasburg90]

@amtraklover nope nothing like that

[drum3433]

A pretty serious rules infraction.

[extremeweather09]

Who was at fault for that?

[extremeweather09]

Ok i thought so..

[Conrail6370]

yeah, someone yelled TRAIN!! then it came to a complete stop!

Someone feel a sleep at the throttle. lol.

Len.

[extremeweather09]

ohhh OK. Did they put the train in emergency?

[Conrail6370]

yes!

Len.

[extremeweather09]

what happened to the sound after 1:27?

[Conrail6370]

You hear a guy yelling F??? F??? so I blanked it out.

Len.

[bssmrk]

id like too here the uncensored video

[Matt3985]

Woah. They were lucky that they were at a slower speed or it would had been an head on collision. =( =)

[sktrjoe]

Lmao, I surely hope Doc waz not on #475