| Locomotive Details |
Location/Date of Photo |
» Norfolk Southern (more..)
» GE C40-9W (Dash 9-40CW) (more..) |
» Downtown Graniteville (more..)
» Graniteville, South Carolina, USA (more..)
» December 10, 2009 |
| Locomotive No./Train ID |
Photographer |
» NS 9459 (more..)
» NS 155 (more..) |
» Nikos Kavoori (more..)
» Contact Nikos Kavoori |
| Remarks: Dysfunctional Signals at the site of the disaster
On January 6, 2005 NS train 192 collided head on with NS local P22 in downtown Graniteville, SC. The NS local had left the switch to the Avondale Mill's siding, which can be seen diverging to the right in the photo, open in the path of NS 192 which then struck the local derailing both of 192's locomtives and 16 cars including one filled with Chlorine which ruptured and spilled over 90 tons of gas into the air. As a result 9 people including the engineer of NS 192. In addition the Chlorine gas destroyed much of the machinery at the mill resulting in the closure of the towns main employer.
4 years later train 155 rumbles past the seemingly misleading signal in downtown Graniteville. The signal in reality is a spring switch indicator and does not show block occupancy. Regardless it is a strange sight seeing a train highballing from behind a clear, and after the disaster one would thing a proper signal system would have been installed. |
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This photo has been viewed 3,709 unique times since being added to the database on January 14, 2010.
This photo has been favorited by 9 members.
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Posted by David Honan on January 14, 2010
"A proper signal system" would have involved an incredible amount of capital spending that traffic on this line likely does not justify given that it's TWC territory in the first place. There's a reason the switch completion forms were instituted shortly afterward: a system of verification was required which did not necessitate a business operating with the ultimate goal of making a profit to unreasonably expend scarce capital resources on unnecessary equipment. I also think your lede is quite sensational given what occurred on that unfortunate day five years ago -- the signal is doing exactly the job it is intended to do. |
Posted by Darrell Krueger on January 14, 2010
That isn't a dysfunctional signal, nor a spring switch indicator. It is a distant switch indicator. |
Posted by Darrell Krueger on January 15, 2010
I've been corrected, it is indeed a spring switch indicator, but still for the distant switch at Vaucluse. |
Posted by Steve Herring on January 21, 2010
Not being familiar with the track layout in the area...I see spur diverging to the LEFT; is this the spur where the P22 was parked? Perhaps you meant converging to the right? |
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