1986 Dismal Swamp Accident

[NW Mailing List]

The NTSB report for the accident itself is not available on line, but can
be requested through the them. However, I did include their Safety
Recommendations that are available online.

To my knowledge, "Lateral Displacement" of the rail due to heat and some
maintenance of way work that was done recently prior to the accident were
contributing factors.

This was the accident that imposed the 40 mph speed limit on excursions
there after. Also interesting to note personally for me is "when" the 40
mph speed limit was actually put in place. I rode the first public trip
after the Dismal Swamp accident; an Alexandria, VA- Charlottesville, VA
round trip on Sunday, June 1, 1986 and 611 was running at "normal"
excursion speed. Whatever that may have been for that stretch of railroad,
but definitely not 40 mph.

NTSB Safety Reconmmendations
http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/recletters/1987/R87_32.pdf

http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/recletters/1 ...
_24_29.pdf<http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/recletters/1987/R87_24_29.pdf>

http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/recletters/1 ...
_30_31.pdf<http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/recletters/1987/R87_30_31.pdf>

http://www.ntsb.gov/doclib/recletters/1987/R87_33_37.pdf

AP article from 1987
http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1987/Train ...
71414620ba<http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1987/Training-Faulted-in-N-W-Rail-Crash/id-3dd0fcce24fe8268a3099071414620ba>

NY Times article on Insurance from July 1986
http://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/21/us/ra ...
ailed.html<http://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/21/us/rail-fans-lacking-insurance-find-nostalgic-trips-derailed.html>

Again, I don't post this to be a grim topic, but more of an educational
purpose.


Jeff Lisowski





-- 
"Sic Semper Tyrannis!"
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