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

Hank and list,

Did a quick search and found this:
http://www.ntsb.gov/Publictn/R_Acc.htm

This URL has some reports on it.

Mike Riley

>From: "Henry Sundermeyer" <sunderhj_@_worldnet.att.net>
>Reply-To: "Henry Sundermeyer" <sunderhj_@_worldnet.att.net>
>To: "Tupaczewski, Paul R \(Paul\)" <paultup_@_lucent.com>,   
><erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>
>Subject: Re: (erielack) Wreck at Newburgh Junction...
>Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 09:04:05 -0500
>
>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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