My trip on the Amtrak Silver Star today has been cancelled by Amtrak due to a derailment in North Carolina, but I don't see a word about this anywhere. Does anyone have any info? Thanks.
Yep, CSX spilled a coal train around Smithfield after midnight. Traffic is at a standstill on the "A" line... Most passeneger trains have been cancelled.... Harold
To make matters worse, the FRA just inspected the "S" line (Hamlet to Raleigh) and instituted a 10 mph speed limit due to several hundred issue they found... Reroutes over the S line would be painful. I think one of the AutoTrains is actually parked in Raleigh today (I didn't look for it as I was busy and have see it many times) Harold
Wow! Right near Selma! There was another Amtrack wreck in Catch-Me-Eye (between Selma and Smithfield) about 10(?) years ago. The southbound Amtrak hit an unsecured trailer hanging over the dual track. It was in the dark, at speed. Bad one.
Ah. Thanks for the info. I am glad I wasn't on the road when this happened or it would have sucked. I am going to fly south tomorrow and hopefully I can take the train back. I know CSX seems to have a poor record of keeping that track in good shape. I am guessing it is environmental issues.
Here's my picture of the coal train taken in April, 2007. Less than a 100 cars, but 60-80 at least, I believe.
I kept a lookout on my flight south today and didn't see a thing wrong with that track. Of course, that might be because I was at 40,000 feet over heavy cloudcover. Oh, and nowhere near the site in question. Shrug.
While you do have pictures of a CSX Coal train....that is not the train that was involved in the derailment, nor is it the type of coal train that was involved. The train that was involved was a Cross, SC train and was made up of 'NYC' marked former ConRail bathtub coal gons. Cross coal trains range in size from 105 to 115 cars under normal circumstance.
I think I saw those NYC cars over in Battleboro a few years ago. They may have been going into Cogentrix
I was able to make the return trip on the Silver Star. It left Orlando a few minutes late and arrived in DC more than 2 hours late. Didn't bother me, I had no connections and anything that can keep me on a train is a good thing. Good ride, good staff (even hauled a bag out of the baggage car when I left my pills in it for me) and good food. The route was new to me and I enjoyed it.
