In my 41 years as an engineer I saw lots of photos of collisions at speeds
under 20mph that resulted in terrific damage. Locos on top of one another, cars
jacknifed and on top of one another. It all depends upon the speed and the
weight of the trains.
According to the 'Railway Signalling and Communications' article linked to
above, the passenger train entered the siding at 25mph on a Restricting signal
and had reduced to 5mph at the time they noticed the freight was on the same
track. The passenger's engine crew bigholed it and abandoned ship. They stated
that their train was stopped before the collision. Speed of the freight is not
given.
I do not have a CB&Q rulebook for 1960. I do have a Consolidated Code rulebook
for 1967. That book has the Burlington signals in it. At that time a red over
yellow was a RESTRICTING signal but the indication for it (how you were to
operate) stated that you were to proceed at REDUCED SPEED. Reduced Speed has
_no_ speed limit associated with it. Reduced Speed does _not_ require operation
at 20mph or less. I ran trains on former CB&Q Alliance-Edgemont,
Gillette-Sheridan-Huntley on BN starting in 1974 and thus I ran at REDUCED
Speed a lot. If you could see a coupla miles ahead you could run at 49mph and
still comply with REDUCED Speed rule.
The article and my 1967 rulebook states that rule 105 says Trains using a
siding must proceed at REDUCED Speed.
The article and my 1967 rulebook says that a red over yellow signal is a
"Restricting" signal and operation is to be at REDUCED Speed.
Therefore these 2 things allow the trains to operate at REDUCED Speed and do
not require operation at RESTRICTED Speed.
The speed limit diverging thru the turnouts was listed as 30mph. Therefore
under the above conditions the trains could have been operating at 30mph in the
siding while they occupied the turnouts.
IF the siding itself did not have a lower speed limit on it then the trains
could have legally accelerated after their entire train was in the siding and
off the 30mph turnout _IF_ visibility allowed it. Obviously at night, and with
the curves, even the 30mph limit on the turnouts would be excessive for Reduced
Speed.
However the article quotes a rule 530 as stating; Controlled sidings are not
protected by signals between clearance points... trains must move at RESTRICTED
Speed. There is no rule 530 in my 1967 CCOR. So if the article is correct, the
rulebook in effect in 1960 at the time of the wreck must be somewhat different.
And if that rulebook has a 20mph max limit for RESTRICTED Speed then both
trains should have been under 21mph. The passenger's engineer stated,
according to the article, that he entered the siding at 25mph??
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