Big time bad news in Paulsboro NJ

[Ntrainz1]

"Nasty A$$ Accident"

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Bob.

[VonRyan]

Cody, talk to rickb773 or Tim Harrison from MRC as I thought one of them had track charts from that time period or knew someone who did. Also, meet Rick, he's doing Westville/Woodbury modules. Maybe you can pick it up from there?

Phil

I can't believe i didn't think of that...

Also as an update, I had my mom drive through Paulsboro yesterday, and the big crane from NY Harbor has yet to arrive, they are still spraying water on the upset tank cars, the two centerbeam lumber flats are still on the ground on their sides, the lead end of the train has been taken ahead somewhere (probably delivered), and the tail end of the train has been disconnected and presumably taken back to Camden.

I also spotted an error on Fox29's online article.
They stated that there was a caboose on the end of the train...
Wonder where they got that idea?...

-Cody F.

[rickb773]

From the Dec. 1, 2012 Gloucester County Times:

"... residents living within a 12-block radius of the accident scene were moved from their homes as a precautionary measure in the face of residual levels of vinyl chloride — a toxic, colorless and flammable gas that causes irritation, headache, shortness of breath and dizziness — in the air. ...In all, approximately 500 people have been evacuated from their homes as of Saturday morning.

“Clean-up will commence after the [National Transportation Safety Board] concludes its investigation at the scene,” said Moore. “The focus for us will be the safety of the people around the scene and the first responders.”
Conrail, which owns and maintains the rail bridge, has placed 106 families in area hotels. ...
“They’re paying for everything — food and lodging.”

Officials at Underwood Memorial Hospital, in Woodbury, said 10 people walked into the medical center’s emergency department reporting respiratory problems Saturday afternoon, bringing the total of number of residents complaining about the detrimental effects of the vinyl chloride in the air to 86.

“There have been no admissions, however,” said Molly Tritt, a spokeswoman for Underwood. “They have been treated and released.”

According to NTSB Chairwoman Debrorah Hersman, in a press conference at the Paulsboro Fire Department, the conductor of the train that derailed Friday morning first came upon a stop light before crossing the bridge.
“There was a conductor and an engineer in the front part of the first locomotive. They approached the movable bridge and there is a red signal there; a stop signal,” said Hersman, adding that the bridge was in the “closed” position, meaning that it was closed to water traffic, but appeared open to trains. “This is an unusual position to see the bridge in at that time — they would have expected to see the bridge in an open position, and by that we mean open to recreational vessels over the waterway.”

According to Hersman, the conductor and engineer “keyed in” a signal over radio to close the bridge and show a green light. However, the light remained red.

At that point, the conductor exited the train to examine the crossing bridge.

The conductor observed it appeared safe to cross, and had the engineer signal the bridge three more times for a green light, according to statements made by the engineer and conductor to NTSB officials, Hersman said. All three attempts failed.

The engineer then called Conrail dispatch over the radio.

“He received approval to cross the bridge and pass that red signal,” said Hersman. “Two locomotives and several cars made it across the bridge and were one other side when crew stated they saw the bridge collapse and pulled the emergency break.”

Five cars made it over the bridge, which is 200 feet long, without incident. The sixth car, carrying plastic pellets, and the seventh car, carrying lumber, derailed onto land. The eighth car derailed partially onto land and partially in water, and was carrying ethanol. Cars 9, 10 and 11 were all carrying vinyl chloride. Cars 9, 10 and 11 all derailed into the water, with car 10 containing the 1- by 3-foot breech in the hull, which caused the leak of vinyl chloride. Car 12, also containing vinyl chloride, had also derailed but is still partially on the bridge. Car 13 is standing upright, still coupled to car 12.

Hersman stated data recording devices recovered from one of the locomotives indicate that the train had been moving at a speed of 8 mph just before the emergency brake was engaged. The speed limit over the bridge is 10 mph.
The freight train had been traveling south from Camden, leaving at 5 a.m. on it's way to Carney's Point, in Salem County.

According to the NTSB, the punctured tank was built in 1990 by Trinity Industries, based in Dallas, and contained between 23,000 and 24,000 pounds of vinyl chloride.

“We are continuing to question the crew — the conductor, the locomotive engineer and the dispatcher — as well as other crews who may have traversed the bridge in the days prior to the accident,” said Hersman, adding that between four and eight trains crossed the bridge on daily basis before the collapse. “And so we still have some work to do.”
Hersman stated the NTBS is still waiting for clearance from the U.S. Coast Guard to guarantee the area is safe for investigators to gather evidence at the scene.

[VonRyan]

From the Dec. 1, 2012 Gloucester County Times:

"... residents living within a 12-block radius of the accident scene were moved from their homes as a precautionary measure in the face of residual levels of vinyl chloride — a toxic, colorless and flammable gas that causes irritation, headache, shortness of breath and dizziness — in the air. ...In all, approximately 500 people have been evacuated from their homes as of Saturday morning.

“Clean-up will commence after the [National Transportation Safety Board] concludes its investigation at the scene,” said Moore. “The focus for us will be the safety of the people around the scene and the first responders.”
Conrail, which owns and maintains the rail bridge, has placed 106 families in area hotels. ...
“They’re paying for everything — food and lodging.”

Officials at Underwood Memorial Hospital, in Woodbury, said 10 people walked into the medical center’s emergency department reporting respiratory problems Saturday afternoon, bringing the total of number of residents complaining about the detrimental effects of the vinyl chloride in the air to 86.

“There have been no admissions, however,” said Molly Tritt, a spokeswoman for Underwood. “They have been treated and released.”

According to NTSB Chairwoman Debrorah Hersman, in a press conference at the Paulsboro Fire Department, the conductor of the train that derailed Friday morning first came upon a stop light before crossing the bridge.
“There was a conductor and an engineer in the front part of the first locomotive. They approached the movable bridge and there is a red signal there; a stop signal,” said Hersman, adding that the bridge was in the “closed” position, meaning that it was closed to water traffic, but appeared open to trains. “This is an unusual position to see the bridge in at that time — they would have expected to see the bridge in an open position, and by that we mean open to recreational vessels over the waterway.”

According to Hersman, the conductor and engineer “keyed in” a signal over radio to close the bridge and show a green light. However, the light remained red.

At that point, the conductor exited the train to examine the crossing bridge.

The conductor observed it appeared safe to cross, and had the engineer signal the bridge three more times for a green light, according to statements made by the engineer and conductor to NTSB officials, Hersman said. All three attempts failed.

The engineer then called Conrail dispatch over the radio.

“He received approval to cross the bridge and pass that red signal,” said Hersman. “Two locomotives and several cars made it across the bridge and were one other side when crew stated they saw the bridge collapse and pulled the emergency break.”

Five cars made it over the bridge, which is 200 feet long, without incident. The sixth car, carrying plastic pellets, and the seventh car, carrying lumber, derailed onto land. The eighth car derailed partially onto land and partially in water, and was carrying ethanol. Cars 9, 10 and 11 were all carrying vinyl chloride. Cars 9, 10 and 11 all derailed into the water, with car 10 containing the 1- by 3-foot breech in the hull, which caused the leak of vinyl chloride. Car 12, also containing vinyl chloride, had also derailed but is still partially on the bridge. Car 13 is standing upright, still coupled to car 12.

Hersman stated data recording devices recovered from one of the locomotives indicate that the train had been moving at a speed of 8 mph just before the emergency brake was engaged. The speed limit over the bridge is 10 mph.
The freight train had been traveling south from Camden, leaving at 5 a.m. on it's way to Carney's Point, in Salem County.

According to the NTSB, the punctured tank was built in 1990 by Trinity Industries, based in Dallas, and contained between 23,000 and 24,000 pounds of vinyl chloride.

“We are continuing to question the crew — the conductor, the locomotive engineer and the dispatcher — as well as other crews who may have traversed the bridge in the days prior to the accident,” said Hersman, adding that between four and eight trains crossed the bridge on daily basis before the collapse. “And so we still have some work to do.”
Hersman stated the NTBS is still waiting for clearance from the U.S. Coast Guard to guarantee the area is safe for investigators to gather evidence at the scene.

I wonder how they intend to replace the bridge if they even are going to anymore.

(Rick, you wouldn't happen to know where I could find copies of the Valuation Maps of the line from Paulsboro down to Penns Grove, would you?)

-Cody F.

[rickb773]

Pictures from the collection of Rich Taylor on the Pennsylvania Reading Historical Society:


The bridge has since been motorized. Naturally there is a full discussion of the incident takening place on the historical society's website.
Archives: http://www.prslhs.com/

Cody: I do not have valuation maps. What I have are: 1) copies of the Eddie Fell track diagrams (engineer on the PRSL from post WWi to the 1950s; and 2) Conrail ZTS track diagrams from 1968. I think the PRSLHS has track diagrams from 1953. Email me with a personal email address if you want the Fell diagrams.

[rickb773]

Someone on the PRSLHS provided a link to a YouTube video of the bridge in operation (before it was automated):

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Evidently it was normally open from April to Novemebr for boating season.

This is a major artery of the PRSL/CSA because it goes to DuPont in Deepwater and a power plant.

[central.vermont]

"Nasty A$$ Accident"

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Bob.

We should make her an honorary A$$ Hat member.   

Jon

[rickb773]

The people removed from their homes will not be allowed to return for an estimated 2 weeks!
And the car removal process is temporarily halted.

[GonzoCRFan]

I wonder how they intend to replace the bridge if they even are going to anymore.

They have to replace the bridge somehow. This isn't some po-dunk branch line that is barely clinging to life; the Penns Grove Secondary is an EXTREMELY busy and profitable stretch of railroad. This bridge being out is cutting off a large Exxon refinery, a large DuPont plant, a power plant that receives 2-3 unit trains of coal per week and all the business that SMS rail handles in the Pureland Industrial park. I wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of temporary arrangement in place ASAP.

[Philip H]

They could borrow the design of MC's Shoo Fly module!   

[rickb773]

The confusion continues; from the Gloucester County Times:

Editorial: Confusion derails response to Paulsboro spill
Published: Tuesday, December 04, 2012, 10:47 PM Updated: Tuesday, December 04, 2012, 10:47 PM

Who’s in charge in Paulsboro?

Since Friday morning’s toxic train derailment on a railway bridge, the public has faced a bewildering set of confusing and contradictory directives.

Are residents supposed to shelter in place or evacuate? Are businesses ordered to open or close? Are schools open or closed, or both in the same day, which happened not only Friday but again on Monday? How safe is the air and water, and from what distance?

What about fallout from airborne gases? How can people get answers, whom can they call, how are the decisions being made, and how is information being communicated in this emergency?

In other words, who’s in charge?

Here’s what’s been happening:

1. The accident occurred on a Conrail bridge over the Mantua Creek in a residential area. The bridge and the tracks are private property, owned by rail giant CSX, but railways are under federal jurisdiction. CSX employees got to work immediately, attempting to contain the spill, upright the rail cars, and clear the bridge.

2. Shortly, officials from the National Transportation Safety Board arrived and asserted authority, moving residents away from the area pending an investigation.

3. By Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard was on the scene, brushing aside the NTSB till the waterways are secure, since Mantua Creek is a Delaware River tributary.

4. On Sunday afternoon, the Coast Guard evacuated a 12-block area through Dec. 8, though some residents had already returned home.

5. On Monday, schools were opened and then closed again by mid-morning, putting children in harm’s way twice: Once going to school and once coming home. One can only imagine the annoyance and inconvenience felt by parents.

So, who’s in charge?

Sometimes it takes a disaster to expose structural weaknesses.

Whether it’s sand dunes or railway bridges, a structural failure can also spotlight systemic problems.

The confusion in Paulsboro demonstrates a lack of effective management and clear communication in an emergency.

[GaryHinshaw]

One could add to that: who is in charge of bridge maintenance at CSX?  Given the apparent importance of this line and the history of this bridge, someone or some department, should get canned.

By the way, is there any indication that the failure was storm related?

[rickb773]

It is unlikely that it is storm related. Although the beaches got destroyed 50 miles away by Hurricane Sandy, this area (I'm 8 miles away) got some wind and  rain and lucked out (the "tropical storm" Sandy picked up speed and did not linger).

By the way the newspaper reporters do not get the details right. This property belongs to Conrail Shared Assets (CSA) with motive power provided by NS & CSX. The reporters also said the train had a caboose but we haven't seen one of them in more than a decade.

[Ntrainz1]

News report:

A bunch of Paulsboro evacs and others threw a party in a Conrail payed room in a
motel 6 and got caught with pot and coke...they also gave alcohol to minors.

I also read the some of the tank cars have been tagged since the accident.

Bob.

[rickb773]

I have not seen the Ntrainz1 report but here is yesterday's Gloucester County Times newspaper status report (besides the town hall meeting of angry residents):

The removal process of the chemical vinyl chloride in the damaged tank car begins at the site of Friday's train derailment in Paulsboro, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012. (Staff Photo by Lori M. Nichols/South Jersey Times)

Two barges containing large cranes — one 100-ton and one 150-ton — are currently at the mouth of the creek waiting to be utilized in moving the fallen cars, but cleanup of all vinyl chloride — which is used in the creation of PVC plastics — must be completed first.

While most of the product dissipated into the air when the tanker overturned, approximately 600 to 800 gallons of the chemical remained in the breached tanker. However, the Coast Guard announced Wednesday that this portion of the project has been completed and that they are now assessing damage to the remaining cars and creating a plan to move them.

One car, which contains ethanol, remains submerged and divers were sent out to assess it for damage. But it was found to be intact.

While the Coast Guard continues cleanup, NTSB inspectors are waiting to access the crash scene and are reviewing records trying to find the cause of the accident. The agency is looking into 23 “trouble tickets” written regarding problems with the bridge in the last year. Most of the problems occurred in the month before the accident and included minor issues such as debris on the tracks and burned out lights, but at least two involved problems with the signals or alignment.

Residents are expected to be allowed back into their homes by Sunday