UNION PACIFIC TRAIN ACCIDENTS

LAX 97 FR 002        Head-On Collision Union Pacific Railroad Cheyenne, Wyoming October 11, 1996

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Synopsis Injuries to Persons

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Synopsis

About 5:30 a.m., mountain standard time, on October 11, 1996, a series of collisions occurred at milepost (MP) 504 and 611 on the Union Pacific Railroad’s (UP) Sidney Subdivision of the Cheyenne Division, near Cheyenne, Wyoming. The collisions occurred when a runaway cut of cars with an unmanned single locomotive on the trailing end, collided head-on with the G2SED-090, a UP westbound freight train. The collision resulted in extensive damage to the lead locomotive. The crew for the G2SED-09 saw the runaway cars coming toward their train and slowed to about 15 mph, then jumped from the locomotive suffering minor injuries. Five empty ballast cars from the runaway cut of cars derailed fouling the adjacent mainline. The SEMEZ-09, a UP eastbound freight train traveling on the adjacent track struck a set of wheels from the derailed cars causing the derailment of their four locomotives and four sets of cars, 2-five-paks, 2 articulated flat cars and a single articulated flat. There were no injuries to the crew of the SEMEZ-09 train. There was no hazardous material involvement, no fires or evacuations as a result of this accident. At the time of the accident the weather was clear and the temperature was 45° F. The visibility was restricted because of darkness.

About 5:15 a.m., on October 11, 1996, a Union Pacific local switch crew was in the process of switching a loaded train for an empty train in the Wool house track near Cheyenne, Wyoming. The switch crew had pulled their loaded train partially into the track stopping about two locomotive lengths from a single locomotive that was on the head end of the standing cut of cars. The brakeman had arrived earlier having traveled in his personal vehicle to the Wool house track. Upon his arrival he had released the hand brakes on the empty cars and had gone to the east end of the track to open the time-lock switch.

The engineer and conductor stopped their train adjacent to the empty train to set up the locomotive for movement and double check the hand brake for release. They had previously agreed that the conductor would stay with the loaded train and the locomotives while the brakeman and engineer performed the task of moving the empty train with the single locomotive out of the Wool house track onto main track No. 1. After the east switch had timed out and they had received their signal for movement the engineer shoved the cars onto the main track and the brakeman rode the point in his privately owned vehicle (POV) as opposed to being on the train. The engineer requested permission from the dispatcher to leave the cars fouling block signal 508. The request was granted. The engineer then proceeded to set up the locomotive for the trailing position as he was going to bring the locomotives from the loaded train and connect them to the single locomotive readying the empty train for westward movement. The single locomotive and 40 empty cars were left standing on a 0.70 percent grade while the engineer and brakeman departed in the POV of the brakeman back to the loaded train and the conductor. The conductor and engineer pulled the loaded train into the Wool house track, spotting the cars in the clear while the brakeman realign the switch on the west end back toward the normal position. The conductor assisted the engineer in cutting off the locomotives and agreed to stay and set the hand brakes on the standing loads while the engineer took the locomotives out onto the main track No.1 to meet the brakeman and connect up to the locomotive and cars of the empty train.

As the engineer approached the 508 signal on the main track past the east end of the Wool house track he discovered his train of empties was gone. He called the mainline dispatcher and asked permission to go past the 508 signal and get his train. The dispatcher asked him if his cars were going past the 506 signal. The engineer stated that if a train was going past 506 it was his train.

The dispatcher started calling the westbound G2SED-09 but received no response. Meanwhile, the brakeman had arrived at signal 508 in his POV and discovered the cars gone. He started down the right-of-way road in an attempt to catch what he knew to be a runaway train. He ended his pursuit when the right-of-way road became impassable. He turned his vehicle around and went back to get the crew members that stayed with the locomotive where they witnessed the SEMEZ-09 pass by them headed eastbound. They did not make radio contact with the eastbound train.

The engineer for the SEMEZ-09 eastbound train stated, he was throttling up from 46 to 48 mph and saw a green wayside signal at MP 506 and his cab signal indicated a clear. Travelling in the dark they saw the 3201 engine and empty cars as they passed. At MP 504 and 611 they struck a set of wheels from the derailed cars causing their train to derail four locomotives, two 5-paks, two articulated flat cars and a single articulated flat car. All locomotives and derailed cars remained upright.

The brakeman says he did not set any hand brakes.

Injuries to Persons

INJURY TABLE