Rennert railway accident

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The Rennert railway accident was a derailment with a subsequent collision on December 16, 1943 near Rennert in the US state of North Carolina . 72 people died, 187 people were injured.

Starting position

The south-propelled Taniami Champion , a train of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad on its way from New York City to Florida , was on that day of a three-part diesel electric locomotive of the series EMD E 6 and 18 passenger cars . At Rennert the train ran on a double-track line . Here, due to a break in the rails, the last three wagons derailed at around 12.50 a.m. at a speed of about 135 km / h , but remained upright. The break in the coupling and the severing of the brake hoses triggered an emergency brake . The front part of the train came to a stop after about 800 meters.

the accident

Two of the derailed cars protruded into the clearance profile of the track in the opposite direction. The train crew at the rear of the train evacuated all passengers who suffered at most minor injuries from the derailment. It also reported to the front what had happened, secured the track behind the derailed train against subsequent trains with a warning flag and assumed that the staff of the front part of the train would do the same for the track in the opposite direction. The engine driver inspected his train and found that the coupling between the second and third wagons had broken, believed this to be the cause of the emergency braking and was unaware that he had lost three wagons. He tried to repair the coupling and commissioned the second engine driver to secure the track in the opposite direction. He was heading south when he saw the northbound Taniami Champion coming in the opposite direction. This consisted of the same locomotive composition and 16 passenger cars and was traveling at 130 km / h. While trying to give the warning signal, the second engine driver slipped on the icy gravel , fell and was not noticed by the locomotive crew of the passing train. Only when he drove past the broken-down train did the driver of the train going north perceive stop signals given by a traveler and immediately afterwards he saw the derailed cars lying in front of him. He immediately initiated an emergency brake, which, although still reducing the impact speed, could not prevent the collision with the derailed vehicles of the other train. When the train pulled into the derailed wagons at around 1:30 a.m., it also derailed.

consequences

During the second accident, 72 people died, 71 of them in the approaching train. Most of the victims died when the third car was pushed onto the second and buried it under itself. Many of the dead were soldiers on home leave from World War II . Opera singer and actress Grace Moore was among the injured .

The investigation of the accident by the Interstate Commerce Commission concluded that the accident could have been avoided, the railway workers of the south moving train had followed the safety rules. This would also have included checking the entire train - also for completeness. Next, the track in the opposite direction should have been properly secured, e.g. B. by bang capsules .

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ So the ICC investigation report, see: Weblinks. Elsewhere, 74 dead are also mentioned.
  2. ↑ ICC investigation report, see: Weblinks.
  3. ↑ cf. Glamor Singer rose from Choir . In: Los Angeles Times , Jan. 27, 1947, p. 2.

Coordinates: 34 ° 45 ′ 6.4 "  N , 79 ° 7 ′ 45.7"  W.