Local media say city fire crews reported to the historic Third Ward area of Milwaukee for the engine fire shortly after noon on Thursday. The engine was Amtrak locomotive No. 24, a P42 locomotive that powers daily trips on Amtrak’s Hiawatha between Milwaukee and Chicago. It is unclear how long the engine had been burning, but the train stopped on elevated tracks it routinely operates over. The tracks are owned by Canadian Pacific.
While railroaders and rail fans might be unsurprised by the fire, the heightened attention paid to passenger railroading comes less than 48 hours after an Amtrak Northeast Regional train sped through a curve and derailed in Philadelphia, killing at least eight people.
Milwaukee media outlets involved ran headlines that included, “Amtrak locomotive fire sparks evacuation in Milwaukee,” and “Breaking News: Amtrak train catches fire in downtown Milwaukee.” A reporter from WTMJ-TV, the Milwaukee NBC affiliate, referred to the Philadelphia tragedy and also graphically relayed a passenger’s description of smoke and evacuation of the train after it had stopped in Milwaukee.
“All of us in the railroad community know that locomotive fires are relatively routine, and relatively insignificant in the larger scheme of things,” says Keefe. “But this incident with train No. 333 was bound to get covered all out of proportion, and not only because of the NEC wreck. The news media here had worked itself up into breathless coverage of the oil trains coming though Milwaukee, and usually pictured those trains going past the very site of today’s fire. So the fire became instant red meat.”
Amtrak’s remaining daily schedule includes eight additional trains. Magliari did not give specifics on which trains’ schedules will be altered, though.
Saab 99 Turbo, available in the U.S. in 1978, http://www.saab99turbo.com/history.php
There was not one single car (of any type)for sale in this country from a dealer with a turbo on it in the 70's .PERIOD.
the Pinto thing was not rigged-the Chevy truck thing was.
Back in the 30's & 40's trains routinely ran at 100 MPH+
An example of the yellow journalism is a recent piece by Michael Tomasky in the "Daily Beast", which has since been quoted in the New Yorker. Tomasky states that trains between New York and Washington were faster fifty years ago and his source is a fan piece about the Beatles, who supposedly rode from New York to Washington on the Pennsy in 2 hours 15 minutes. Nice going, guys. Also wrong.
Anybody for BBQ'd P42.:-)
Amtrak wouldn't have so many broken locomotives if they had kept the F40PH locomotives.
EVERY railroader and Trains readers know that GE Turbochargers are JUNK and routinely catch fire. AMTRAK had quite a few replace under warranty by GE because of the cheap overseas metal and construction of the things.
I just wonder how much the snooze media hyped their headlines when they reported it?
FXC:
Bravo Zulu is a US Naval term for "Well Done."
Don't remember the NBC story on Pinto gas tank. But I do remember the NBC story of the explosive placed in a Chevy pick up truck that was then rammed to show how dangerous Chevy trucks were. I think Stone Phillips was the correspondent. He was just a pup then.
FXC: Always find your posts informative.
A locomotive catches fire, stops and moves passengers to rear of train. How about a 737 catches fire at 35,000 feet. Then what? There was a day when the media reported the news as facts, without sensationalizing the story>
Of course, it is disingenuous of Mr. Keefe, and others, to disparage the press and/or "the media." While coverage of events such as these is intense, often uninformed, and borders on the absurd, it also is short-lived. Like the attention span of ….name your favorite class of fools. Finally, consider the alternative to the freedom of the press, the media, etc. to heap ridicule upon themselves. They only play to the audience. So, who in the end is ridiculous…the source or the consumer?
Oh Don Phillips. Please conduct a class on reporting train issues. The reporters of today have most likely never been on a train in their lives, especially Amtrak. So, please help them.
Wonder if NBC will attempt to rig a locomotive up to catch fire? (remember their Ford Pinto report and the "exploding" gas tank?)
Just like the derailment of 13 empty freight cars in Pittsburgh made ABC national news….
Fossil calling earth, calling earth….
I'm recalling 1964 and five military slang…..guessing "bravo zulu" is a post-1965 bit of lingo, and because veteran' s national orgs….uh….are not liberal or progressive, I've lost contact..
So help please by defining "bravo zulu?
Bravo Zulu to Trains for telling the truth. The Media has NO CLUE about anything railroad related.
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS SHOULD BE CHANGED TO FREEDOM TO ..MAKE SENSATIONAL….LIE ETC ETC PRESS – THE YOUNG REPORTERS HAVE MUCH TO LEARN BUT AS LONG AS WE THE PUBLIC PUT UP WITH THIS TYPE OF REPORTING THEN THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO……I MAINTAIN 60% OF NEW STORIES ARE OVER BLOWN….SOON EVEN THEIR PICTURES WILL START LYING FOR THEM…..
GE units have a fundamental issue due to their turbochargers having fuel recirculated into them thanks to EPA required hydro carbon recovery regulations. It was first seen on 1974 muscle cars, whose engines caught fire after unburned fuel got into the hot turbochargers and igniting.
Mr. Keefe's comment about the media being in a frenzy about any train mishap says it all.
This loco fire was likely near the turnout for the old Milw. Rd. "airline" that bypassed the Everett St. deport and was therefore used by freights so as not to run through the depot. Not known is whether the "airline" is there, intact, or in part. Nonetheless CP runs all freights, including tankers, through the current depot.