Team Member Comes to the Rescue after Car Accident
NOVEMBER 2024 — A Kanawha River Railroad (KNWA) train crew’s vigilance, level-headedness, and quick action recently allowed them to prevent a disaster after a fire broke out on one of their locomotives.
The crew was delivering a loaded coal train to interchange. The grades and curves of West Virginia meant this 109-car unit train had four locomotives up front and four more helpers on the rear. About 20 miles from their destination in Elmore, as they headed downhill, the dynamic brakes on the second lead locomotive burst into flames.
Engineer Jason Brown and Engineer Trainee Marshall Brown were in the lead locomotive and noticed the fire in a mirror as they rounded a curve. Sparks and molten metal flew as they brought the train to a stop. Much of West Virginia is experiencing a severe drought, so on top of the locomotive fire, the crew now faced the threat of a brush fire in the surrounding forest.
Conductor Major Dunbar was following the train in a truck, and Engineer Travis Grose monitored the pusher locomotives at the rear. While both Browns worked to extinguish the flaming locomotive, Dunbar put out the small fires that had started nearby while Grose walked the tracks looking for any cinders that could start more fires.
“We were lucky to have this crew on the train,” said Thomas Nicholson, KNWA general manager. “There’s a lot of experience there and it showed. This isn’t something we train for, but they didn’t panic and kept cool heads while taking quick action.”
The crew notified Nicholson and the local fire department, but they’d already taken care of the imminent threats before backup arrived. After shutting down the damaged locomotive and ensuring it was safe to travel, the team continued to interchange and delivered the train to our Class I partner.
“I don’t really know how to express my gratitude for their quick actions,” Nicholson said. “This is a tight-knit team. This event proved how well they work together and communicate. Thankfully, they were over the steepest grade and could still make it to the destination after losing that much power.”