News & Reviews News Wire Last cars removed from water after Pennsylvania derailment

Last cars removed from water after Pennsylvania derailment

By Trains Staff | May 31, 2022

| Last updated on March 1, 2024

Cleanup continues from Thursday accident; leak involved about 3,000 gallons of petroleum distillate

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Norfolk Southern logoHARMAR TOWNSHIP, Pa. — All of the cars that went into a creek as a result of a Thursday derailment of a Norfolk Southern train were removed from the water as of Sunday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Two locomotives and 17 cars of the train derailed after the train hit a dump truck loaded with rocks, injuring both train crew members and the driver of the truck [see “Oil leak from derailment …,” Trains News Wire, May 27, 2022] Nine of the cars ended up in a tributary of the Allegheny River, leaking about 3,000 gallons of petroleum distillate into the water, triggering a closure of the Allegheny to boating near the accident scene. All boating restrictions on the river have now been lifted, WPXI-TV reports.

Drinking water supplies fed from the Allegheny reported no issues as a result of the derailment and leak. A roadway adjacent to the accident scene remained closed as of Monday while cleanup continued.

— Updated at 7 a.m. with end of boating restrictions.

9 thoughts on “Last cars removed from water after Pennsylvania derailment

  1. Joseph, apology/found/accepted.
    I would THINK, George’s comment was tongue in cheek…..’cause those that know nothing of RR, think of brakes on a car and immediate stoppage.
    Just like I have found it offensive when “Train Hits Truck” is the headline. Why is truck on ROW since this is for a train who has right of way? endmrw0531222106

  2. how do you figure? why was the truck not behind the crossing? i don’t understand where you are going with that
    statement.

  3. Yes, (see above comment). May 26 Trains article gives Lon/Lat of site. Google the site. I would guess the truck was driving NE and train SW. Just so happens at the last moment the roadway makes a 90 degree left turn. Perfect scenario for this to happen.
    Besides crossing protection (costly) the RR could clear extra foliage, more than the required amount.

    That happened in my example above. RR cleared much more for safety line of site vision of RR-crossing. THEN they later installed electronic warning.
    In the case at Pittsburgh the RR needs to remove tree line on the SW side of ROW.
    In this case, give the truck driver a break. I would think this “jumped out in front of the engine crew” as they could not see the grade crossing until the last minute.
    There is a solution. endmrw0531221413

  4. Shock and surprise. I went to the local newspaper to see details. Headline? I just knew it would read “Train hits truck”. It was not. Details explained the situation very well.
    However Loren asked a good question.
    That leads to more questions. i.e. I have been involved in getting protection at a grade crossing with a history of accidents. FRA forms require the mention of intersection angle (RR – roadway). Perfect is 90 degrees. This situation was far from that and the RR safety man told me the county needed to rebuilt the approach road to make it 90. Further explanation: The last incident there, the truck driver could not see the train. The train crew said, “We could see his bumper, but not the driver, he stopped and then drove forward”.
    FRA got involved and now there is grade crossing protection.
    Sometime the most stupid unbelievable things happen but the explanation is not always obvious.

    1. how do you figure? why was the truck not behind the crossing? i don’t understand where you are going with that
      statement.

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