CSX 8888 incident
Route of CSX 8888 runaway train (starts at top, just south of Toledo, Ohio)
|
|
| Date | May 15, 2001 |
|---|---|
| Time | 12:35 p.m. |
| Location |
Walbridge – Kenton, Ohio 66 mi (106 km) |
| Country | United States |
| Operator | CSX Transportation |
| Type of incident | Unmanned train |
| Cause | Operator error |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | CSX freight train |
| Crew | 0 |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Damage | None |
The CSX 8888 incident, also known as the Crazy Eights incident, was a CSX Transportation freight train in the U.S. state of Ohio in 2001. Locomotive #8888, an EMD SD40-2, was pulling a train of 47 cars including some loaded with hazardous chemicals, and ran uncontrolled for two hours at up to 51 miles per hour (82 km/h). It was finally halted by a railroad crew in a second locomotive, which caught the runaway and coupled to the rear car.
The incident inspired the 2010 motion picture Unstoppable.
As of 2017 #8888 is still in service, having been rebuilt and upgraded into a SD40-3 as part of a refurbishment program carried out by CSX.
On May 15, 2001, a CSX engineer was using Locomotive #8888 to move a string of freight cars from one track to another within Stanley Yard in Walbridge, Ohio, CSX's primary classification yard for Toledo. The string consisted of 47 freight cars, 22 of which were loaded. Two tank cars contained thousands of gallons of molten phenol, a toxic ingredient of paints, glues, and dyes that is harmful when it is inhaled, ingested, or comes into contact with the skin.
A 35-year veteran with a clean disciplinary record, the engineer noticed a misaligned switch and concluded that his train, although moving slowly, would not be able to stop short of it. He decided to climb down from the train, correctly align the switch, and reboard the locomotive.
Before leaving the cab, the engineer applied the locomotive's independent air brake. During mainline operation, he would also have applied the automatic air brake, setting the brakes in each of the train's cars. But, as is normal for intra-yard movements, the air brakes of the train were not connected to the locomotive, and thus were not functional. Furthermore, applying the locomotive's brakes disabled the train's dead man's switch, which would otherwise have applied the train brakes and cut the engine power. The engineer also tried to apply the locomotive's dynamic brake, but failed to do so. He then set the throttle for the traction motors at 100%. If the dynamic brakes had been selected as intended, this throttle setting would have caused the train to slow down. However, since dynamic braking was not engaged, the setting caused the train to accelerate. Therefore, the only functioning brake was the air brake on the locomotive, and this was not enough to counteract its engine power.
...
Wikipedia