Look Ma...No Brakes

Federal investigators have released their findings about a Yakima derailment - unstaffed train with no handbrakes set backs down a track and hits the end of the line. That last four cars - double hulled and filled with propane - came off the tracks and thankfully did not break open. To add embarrassment to the slow-moving derailment, the Sherriff's Office had to be evacuated after the accident because of its proximity to the cars.

I'm thankful that nobody was hurt!

Yakima Under Wire - 1971

Drew Jacksich took this RailPictures.Net Photo of a GE B+B Electric with Yakima Valley Transportation in 1971. It's nice to see these photos from eras gone by. YVT is not well known, but was a subsidiary of Union Pacific (hence the colors) and abandoned by the railroad in 1985. A portion of the right-of-way still operates the Yakima Valley Trolley.

Great footage of the YVT can also be seen on a nicely priced video from Green Frog - Pacific Northwest Kaleidoscope. Check out more of Drew's photos HERE. Thanks Drew for a great picture!

Yakima County railroad crossings -- Safety off track?

This Yakima Herald article quantifies how dangerous rural crossings can be:

Yakima County railroad crossings -- Safety off track?

Best quote from the article is poignant: "I don't trust that just because the lights aren't flashing that there isn't a train coming." The more of these I read, the more likely I am to look both ways - and even stop completely - before crossing tracks.