The names of the crewmen who died were Engineer Chance Gober and Conductor Roderick Hayes. Their train was going south from East St Louis to North Little Rock. The two injured crewmen were Aaron Jeffery and Michael Zompakos. Their train was going north from North Little Rock to East St Louis. Here is a black ribbon memorial a UP employee put on Facebook:
The National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Railroad Administration and other Federal and State agencies are investigating and it will be awhile before that's completed. In the meantime, prayers for the families involved and their friends. Rest in peace.
Here are my regular Sunday, August 17, 2014 train pictures from Union Station in Little Rock. There were plenty of trains as usual with locomotive roadnames from 7 different lines: UP, NS, CN, FXE, BNSF, KCS, and Amtrak. Amtrak's southbound Texas Eagle No. 21 was behind the UP southbound freight near Hoxie when the freight collided with the northbound train around 3 a.m. The Eagle had to reverse course, move its locomotives around the train and take the passenger train back to Poplar Bluff, Missouri, where it eventually detoured southbound on the old Cotton Belt through Dexter, MO, Jonesboro AR, Wynne, Fair Oaks, then getting on its regular tracks again at Bald Knob, AR. This made No.21 arrive in Little Rock 16 hours late, at 7:15 p.m. instead of the normal time of 3:10 a.m. I have photos of it getting to Little Rock on this webpage.
Also on this webpage: A hawk and bird, railfans at Union Station, black-red berries, HS 7625 ex-East Camden & Highland boxcar, Ashley Drew & Northern boxcar ADN ??29, MKT 597 green hopper, dark storm clouds.
Locomotives today: UP 8011, 3814, 7961, 6397, 9195, 7925, 5878, 6745, 8860, 6167-exSP, 8608, 7494, 2047-exSP, 1929, 8433, 3840, 1793, 1844, 4531, 4746, 4951, 4467, 4612, UPY 672, 7493. 4331, 5136, 5618, 5891, 8614, 7713, 7794 *** NS 8324, 6802, 8781, 9219, 7612, 6788 *** CN 2655 *** FXE 4084 *** BNSF 5113, 7850, 731-ex Santa Fe Warbonnet, 5140, 7519 *** KCS 4158 *** Amtrak 64
UP 8011, 7:23 a.m. MDANL-16
UP 3814.
SSW 78957 hopper.
MP 706602 hopper, built 2-77.
Hawk on an old telephone pole across the tracks. I don't know what kind of bird is flying overhead.
Hawk eyes.
UP 7961, 8:10 a.m. QSPNL-16
NS 8324 and 2728.
UP 6397, 8:30 a.m. on an engine move. ENLPBM-17
CN 2655.
UP 9190.
FXE 4084.
UP 7925.
NS 6802.
NS 8781.
Colorful.
Another train at 8:39 a.m. backlit.
UP 5878, 8:40 a.m. OWVBT-12 (Ore-Westvco, WY-Beaumont, TX) Loaded Soda Ash train
UP 6745.
UP 8860, dpu, at 8:51 a.m.
UP 6167, ex SP.
UP 8608, 9:12 a.m. ZLDYC-16
UP 7494.
J. B. Hunt trailers.
Part of our railfan group.
UP 2047 ex-SP, 9:35 a.m. YNL16-17
UP 1929.
UP 8433, 9:54 a.m. MFWNL-16
UP 3840.
UTLK 600804 Corn Products short tank car.
Red and black berries.
UP 1793, 10:28 a.m. LWS53-17
UP 1844.
BNSF 5113, 10:54 a.m. OTCSJ-15
BNSF 7850 on a loaded southbound oil train.
BNSF 731- ex Santa Fe warbonnet, the dpu. 11:00 a.m.
Artsy red-yellow warbonnet surrounded by green trees and bushes.
BNSF 5140, 11:26 a.m.
BNSF 7519.
More railfans.
UP 4531, 11:40 a.m. MSANL-16
UP 4756.
HS 7625 ex-East Camden & Highland boxcar.
UP 4951, 11:58 a.m. IHOG4-16
NS 9219.
UPS trailers.
NS 7612 and 6788, 12:12 p.m. QBTNL-16
UP 4467, 12:25 p.m. QLWNL-17
UP 4612.
UPY 672.
KCS 4158, 12:38 p.m. YNL75-17
KCS 4158.
UP 7493.
ADN ??29 boxcar, built 7-80.
DOWX 71153 rusty tank car.
UP 4331, 5:53 p.m.
UP 4531-5136. MPSLI-15
MKT 597 green hopper.
CSXT 151271 Big Blue boxcar.
Dark clouds rolling in at 6:14 p.m.
UP 5618, 6:40 p.m. CBTWB9-13
UP 5891.
UP 8614, 6:49 p.m., the coal train dpu.
The Amtrak baggage hauler comes out in anticipation of the 16-hour late Texas Eagle No. 21, which was supposed to be here at 3:10 a.m. but now will arrive at 7:14 p.m. It was delayed and had to be rerouted around the wreck of two UP trains at Hoxie, Arkansas, about 2 hours north of Little Rock. The Amtrak agent was temporarily assigned here the night before from St Louis to give the regular agent time off. He had been working 7 days a week while a second agent is found for Little Rock's station.
A rare sight. Texas Eagle No. 21 in the late afternoon at Little Rock, 7:14 p.m. Just for your information, the green lower dwarf signal to the left is a diverging signal, meaning the northbound train will take the switch to the left of the signal and go from Main 2 (the one Amtrak is on) to Main 1. Amtrak meanwhile, will take the switch to the Amtrak siding just in front of the Amtrak engine. They would pass like slithering snakes. The northbound freight didn't come until a few minutes later.
Stopped at 7:15 p.m.
Getting off at 7:16 p.m. I'm sure these passengers were upset at the delay, but were told why it had to be.
Some are getting off, some getting on.
Wider angle.
These were taken with my Nikon 18-300mm lens.
On the side of Amtrak engine 64 was this HSR Illinois High Speed Rail sign.
The northbound train on Main 2 arrives at 7:26 p.m. with UP 7713. MLDNP-16
UP 7794 passing Amtrak 64.
ALPX 628489 Alberta tank car Pincher Creek.
CN 109443 Canada hopper.
Ready to leave. To see a video of it leaving at 7:34 p.m., click on the link below:
http://youtu.be/pM7q_anE8lY
Sunset.