About 5:38 a.m., on December 3, 1978, as the Southern Railway Company's train no. 2, The Crescent, was passing through a 5 degree 15 minute curve at Elma, Nelson County, Virginia, eight cars and four locomotive units were derailed. Six persons were killed, 41 persons were injured, and property damage was estimated to be $557,500. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the failure of the engineer to observe the track ahead because he was unnecessarily distracted by a transition problem, which led to his operation of the train into a 5 degree 15 minute curve at a high speed. The high speed produced excessive lateral forces which caused the wheels of either the fourth locomotive unit or the first car to climb out of the gage, cross the head of the rail, and derail.


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    Title :

    Railroad Accident Report. Derailment of Southern Railway Company Train No. 2, The Crescent, Elma, Virginia, December 3, 1978


    Publication date :

    1979


    Size :

    28 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English