RAILROAD ACCIDENT REPORT--DERAILMENT OF WESTERN PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY FREIGHT TRAIN EXTRA UP 3734 WEST (SEALAND 6), HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA, APRIL 9, 1980

About 6:55 p.m., P.s.t, on April 9, 1980, Western Pacific Railroad Company westbound freight train Extra UP 3734 West (Sealand 6), had its caboose, a pusher locomotive behind the caboose, and seven freight cars derailed while crossing the Industrial Parkway overpass at Hayward, California. Of the nine crewmembers, two train crewmembers were killed and two were injured. Three locomotive units and the caboose were destroyed. Damage was estimated at $1,382,000. The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the derailment of the caboose, which was caused by compressive forces resulting from excessive locomotive power applied behind the caboose on an undulating gradient. The derailment was the result of the failure of the assistant superintendent to insure that the crewmembers knew their train's correct tonnage and speed classification; and the failure of the Western Pacific Railroad management to insure that supervisors responsible for making critical operating decisions were properly trained for their roles. Contributing to the accident was the excessive speed of the train and the failure of the director of train operations to insure that the train had adequately fueled locomotive power.

• Corporate Authors:

  National Transportation Safety Board

  Bureau of Accident Investigation, 800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20594
• Publication Date: 1980-9-30

Media Info

• Pagination: 37 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cabooses; Casualties; Crash investigation; Derailments; Disasters and emergency operations; Fires; Freight cars; Locomotives; Loss and damage; Management; Operating rules; Overpasses; Radio; Railroad trains; Railroad transportation; Speed limits; Supervision; Train makeup; Train operations; Training
• Identifier Terms: San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District
• Uncontrolled Terms: Emergency procedures
• Geographic Terms: California
• Old TRIS Terms: Grade operations; Slack action; Train radio; Western pacific railroad
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Education and Training; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00336211
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: NTSB-RAR-80-10
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 21 1981 12:00AM