Re: (erielack) Wreck at Newburgh Junction...

["Henry Sundermeyer" <sunderhj_@_worldnet.att.net>]

A while ago there was a reference to, perhaps,  the NTSB or similar site
that archived the actual investigation summaries.  Unfortunately, I've lost
the URL.  Has anyone looked for this incident in those reports?
I found reports on the two metro NYC accidents that I'm closely related to:
1951 Woodbridge and the 1958 Newark Bay bridge accidents.  Plenty of detail,
route alignments, signals, dispatcher reports, etc. in these reports.
Hank
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Tupaczewski, Paul R (Paul)" <paultup_@_lucent.com>
To: <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2001 8:27 AM
Subject: (erielack) Wreck at Newburgh Junction...


> Based on Al Tillotson's pretty comprehensive response and the recent
thread,
> here is a short essay by Arthur Erdman, former EL tower operator, that
> pretty thoroughly describes the incident...
>
> - Paul
>
>
>
>
> 54. Encounter at NJ
>
> The tower at NJ had been closed for about a year, with the interlocking
> being remote controlled by the West End Train Dispatcher in Hoboken, New
> Jersey. In addition to NJ being remotely controlled, the interlocking
itself
> was reconfigured to allow for higher speed movements through it. An
> equilateral turnout was installed where the Main Line and the Graham Line
> single tracks separated, allowing a clear, or high green, signal
indication
> to be displayed on the home signal at NJ for westbound trains. A westbound
> train lined for the Graham Line siding at NJ received a medium approach,
or
> a center yellow, indication on the home signal. This arrangement would
have
> a significant role in the event which was to occur.
>
> Croxton 99 (CX99) was usually ordered at Croxton Yard at 4:05 AM for a
4:30
> AM departure. CX99 was an all-piggyback train, predominantly United Parcel
> Service (UPS) trailers. Each division office, as well as the EL's system
> office in Cleveland, Ohio closely watched this train. Each minute of delay
> had to be accounted for. The operation of CX99 was a true cooperative
effort
> on the part of management and employees, and UPS responded by keeping this
> traffic on the EL. It was a pleasure to watch CX99 change crews at Port
> Jervis. The train did not even stop, with the New York Division crew
> stepping off and the Susquehanna Division crew stepping on with the train
> moving at a walk. When the crew change was completed, the Engineer would
> open the throttle and take off like a "Flying Saucer" (to use an Erie
term),
> heading for Chicago.
>
> The New Jersey Department of Transportation had recently replaced the old
> Erie Stillwell Coaches and RS3, GP7 and E8 locomotives with new General
> Electric U34CH locomotives and Pullman-Standard push-pull cars for the
EL's
> suburban passenger service. This new equipment eliminated the need for
> locomotives to run around their trains at the end of the run, or to turn
> locomotives such as the E8's. There was an equipment train run, Number
X-51,
> that left Suffern, NY at 5:10 AM destined for East Greycourt, NY, where it
> changed direction to cover Train 50 from Monroe, NY to Hoboken, NJ. This
> train consisted of a U34CH west out and six push-pull coaches. CX99
usually
> departed Croxton Yard HX at 4:30 AM. With X-51 scheduled to leave Suffern
at
> 5:10 AM, there was generally a conflict between the two trains at Suffern.
> To avoid delay to CX99, the Dispatcher would operate X-51 west on the
> eastbound track between Suffern and NJ whenever possible, leaving the
> westbound track clear for CX99. This was the case on the morning of
Friday,
> March 9, 1973. Train X-51 departed Suffern on the eastbound track on time
> that morning, quickly disappearing in the heavy fog. About 10 minutes
later,
> CX99 passed SF Tower at Suffern on the westbound track. CX99 this day had
> two EL U33C engines and about 55 cars, all piggyback. The crew of X-51 had
a
> routine each morning of stopping for coffee at the Red Apple Restaurant at
> MP 40.0. This was the case on this fateful morning. After getting their
> coffee, X-51 departed the Red Apple, headed for NJ. The Engineer of CX99
had
> his first glimpse of X-51's red markers fading into the fog while
> approaching the Red Apple.
>
> In order to give CX99 the fastest possible move at NJ, the Train
Dispatcher
> decided to hold the signal at stop for X-51 and line CX99 from the
westbound
> track to the Graham Line, Main Track so CX99 would receive a Clear signal
> indication. The Dispatcher could have lined CX99 for the Graham Line
siding
> and X-51 for the single track Main Line simultaneously, but this would
have
> given CX99 a slower signal, delaying CX99 for several minutes. The
westbound
> home signal at NJ for the eastbound track is a small, single light ground
> signal. The westbound signal at NJ for the westbound track is a tall,
> three-target ground mast type signal. X-51 was approaching NJ in the heavy
> fog and the engine crew apparently could not see the ground signal
> displaying Stop for them. X-51 passed the red home signal, proceeded into
> the interlocking, ran through the power switch and headed for the Graham
> Line. When the engineer on X-51 realized he was on the Graham Line, he
> stopped the train. CX99 was cruising along at Arden, NY approaching
> Automatic Signal 43-1, which was displaying Green over Red, or Clear.
Signal
> 43-1 was the distant signal to NJ. Based upon the indication on Signal
43-1,
> CX99 knew they were lined up at NJ. Just as CX99 passed Signal 43-1, X-51
> ran by the Stop signal at NJ into the path of CX99. The engineer on X-51
> began to key in the remote control radio base station at NJ to report to
the
> Train Dispatcher that he was on the Graham Line instead of the Main Line.
> CX99 came out of the fog at NJ to an all red (Stop) home signal and X-51
> standing in front of them on the Graham Line. The Engineer of CX99 placed
> the train in Emergency and he grabbed the Fireman and both fell to the
floor
> of the engine.
>
> 5:40 AM, Friday, March 9, 1973: CX99 collided with X-51's rear control
car.
> The control car rode up onto CX99's lead engine 3305 into the cab.
> Fortunately, by laying on the floor of the engine, the Engineer and
Fireman
> survived. The Control Car then continued in the air, landing on the cab of
> CX99's rear unit. The Conductor and Head Brakeman of CX99 had been thrown
to
> the floor in the collision, and they too survived. The crew of X-51 was
> either on the engine or in the west coach so they also were uninjured. The
> weekend of March 10 and 11 were spent cleaning up this horrendous mess.
The
> fog had claimed another victim, in this case more than one. If the tower
at
> NJ had not been eliminated, could the Towerman have possibly prevented
this
> accident?  Questions that can never be answered...
>

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