Robinson railway accident
The Robinson railway accident was a head-on collision between two long-distance trains of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway on September 5, 1956 near Robinson , New Mexico , USA . 20 people died.
Starting position
The train drivers of both trains , which in opposite directions on the single-track route to lead each other, received the transfer, in the non-staffed alternative location to Robinson in the early morning crossing . The switches therefore had to be set by hand by the assistant on the locomotive . There was a general rule that eastbound trains had priority and westbound the siding should use. However, since the eastbound train reached the siding first, it used the siding so that the oncoming westbound train could pass through without having to brake. The man on the eastbound train set the entry point accordingly and then went to the exit point to wait for the opposite train to pass.
the accident
There he unlocked the switch - contrary to the regulations. That should only have happened after the return train passed them. When this approached, the engine driver gave sound and light signals to warn the employee of the approaching train. The assistant standing at the switch incorrectly concluded that he should flip the switch, which he did. The approaching train collided with the waiting train in the siding at almost 100 km / h.
consequences
20 people died. All were employees of the railway company, mostly from the dining car, who spent their time off duty in a staff sleeping car , directly behind the locomotives of the stationary train.
See also
literature
- Peter WB Semmens: Disasters on the rails. A worldwide documentation. Transpress, Stuttgart 1996, ISBN 3-344-71030-3 .
- Shaw, Robert B. (1978). A History of Railroad Accidents, Safety Precautions and Operating Practices. LCCN 78104064, p. 114.