GREENWICH, Ohio — Twenty cars of a CSX Transportation freight train derailed around midday Monday in Greenwich. There were no reports of injuries or of incidents involving cargo, but a power outage was reported in the area. WYKC-TV reports about 100 people were left without power.
Images on the station’s website show the incident occurred at a diamond and involved empty container well cars.
The Greenwich Police Department said it was informed of the derailment around noon. CSX told WJW the cause was under investigation.
Greenwich is about 50 miles west of Akron.
Having lived in this nice little village of Greenwich all of my 68 years, I can attest to the fact that (at least here) the frequency of derailment was higher in the days of old.
Since the Conrail split in June 1999, there has been 2 derailments in town, including this one. I recall 3 major derailments here in 1965 alone. One on the NYC and 2 on the B&O. One of them destroyed BOYD tower (the operator survived because a neighbor boy pulled him from the burning remains of the tower). Another, a few weeks later, destroyed the temporary tower. After that, NYC moved control to HILES tower 7 miles away in New London Ohio.
I believe we are getting more news of derailments because Trains News Wire is doing an excellent job of scouring media reports from all over the country. Before News Wire railfans and professionals did not have an easily accessible comprehensive source for railroad information.
This seems about right to me. More sources of information means more information. It seems hard to believe, though, that these are more derailments now in the age of CWR and computerized track inspection than, say pre-Staggers Penn Central suffered.
Maybe we are noticing all the derailments because we read NewsWire and are tuned into them in light of all the other things going on with the RRs and are more inclined to attribute them to the effects of the operating ratio mania. Maybe there were just as many or more derailments in days gone by but we (or our predecessors) just didn’t have the ability to easily read about them as they occurred (especially track and mechanical related issues). Or maybe there actually are more derailments. Anybody know?
At least once a week somewhere there is a big derailment, why?
One word comes to mind….GRAVITY.