Ozexpatriate Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 (edited) Apparently a train load of Republican congressional representatives on their way from Washington DC to a retreat at the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia hit a truck. Immediately following last night's State of the Union address they were off to West Virginia at a golf resort for a couple of days. One person is reported dead and there are some serious injuries. At least one representative was taken to hospital, but the congressional delegation seems mostly uninjured. Story on CNN here. More to follow. The Greenbrier is a golf resort that during the Cold War was equipped as a back-up location for the government to function, and housed a, now decommissioned, nuclear bunker. Edited January 31, 2018 by Ozexpatriate Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted January 31, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 31, 2018 The Greenbrier is a golf resort that during the Cold War was equipped as a back-up location for the government to function, and housed a, now decommissioned, nuclear bunker. ISTR the C&O regarded the Greenbrier as a key location and even had a class of loco named after it? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 Yes this is it. The C & O Railroad built the Greenbrier hotel / resort. Very up market. Read about the nuclear bunkers installed in the 50's. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Greenbrier My condolences to those killed / injured today. Brit 15 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JohnR Posted January 31, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 31, 2018 That will teach them to cut Amtrak's budget. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted January 31, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 31, 2018 The C & O Railroad built the Greenbrier hotel / resort. Very up market. Beebe & Clegg's 'The Trains We Rode' has a C&O pic of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor arriving there, accompanied by C&O President Robert R Young. [Why the C&O is in Volume 2 of that work, starting on page 500, when it purports to be alphabetical, remains one of railway publishing's mysteries] 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted January 31, 2018 Author Share Posted January 31, 2018 (edited) That will teach them to cut Amtrak's budget. There are many layers of irony here given last night's State of the Union address including the administration's requests for funding on 'infrastructure' versus customary party support for opposing 'unfunded mandates' - like PTC, mandated by Congress, with slow and truculent resistance by railroad companies based on the cost. The tragic death of the truck driver is not of course an appropriate lever to debate politics and I shan't go there. I haven't seen a clear image of the level crossing. It is of course inappropriate to speculate about the nature of the level crossing, but images suggest that perhaps there were no automatic barriers (crossbucks and lights) and the road seems to turn sharply to cross the line. Google maps shows crossings like this in the area but there are no 'street views' to confirm the location. Lanetown Road in Crozet is suggestive. EDIT: Lanetown Road is confirmed by local news reports. The crossing does have barriers and lights. I shall await the NTSB's assessments. Perhaps the first-hand experience to this accident will increase political awareness to do something positive regarding rail safety in the US. Edited January 31, 2018 by Ozexpatriate 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stock_2007 Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 Apparently a train load of Republican congressional representatives on their way from Washington DC to a retreat at the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia hit a truck. Immediately following last night's State of the Union address they were off to West Virginia at a golf resort for a couple of days. One person is reported dead and there are some serious injuries. At least one representative was taken to hospital, but the congressional delegation seems mostly uninjured. Story on CNN here. More to follow. The Greenbrier is a golf resort that during the Cold War was equipped as a back-up location for the government to function, and housed a, now decommissioned, nuclear bunker. Apart from the sad loss of life it seems only fitting that this train should run into a garbage truck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 Was it celebrity P42 no.145 leading? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium BR60103 Posted February 1, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 1, 2018 Was it celebrity P42 no.145 leading? 145 shows up in the news reports with a crumpled nose. The side decoration is non-standard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted February 1, 2018 Author Share Posted February 1, 2018 (edited) I did read a report today suggesting that the truck may have been trying to weave through closed barriers, but cannot find it to link to it. The Washington Post reports that an individual living near the crossing has, living there for years, seen vehicles attempt to 'beat the train' and that there was a train/vehicle collision at this crossing in 1999. NTSB page is up, but I don't think their conclusions (in good time) will be earth shattering here. Edited February 1, 2018 by Ozexpatriate Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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