382:
608:
40:
373:#4031 was badly damaged in the derailment; #4109, immediately behind, caught fire and was destroyed. The rear two locomotives remained upright and suffered little damage. The lead baggage car and first five coaches were destroyed. The remaining eight cars suffered varying degrees of damage. Eleven people were killed and 163 were injured. Six of the eleven fatalities occurred when passengers were ejected through large side windows. It was Amtrak's first fatal accident.
269:
779:
774:
685:
393:, revealed markings where the wheels had slid instead of spun. Further investigation revealed that the truck's traction motor had seized prior to the accident, and that the wheels had probably locked at Effingham during a station stop. The locked wheels created a false flange. When the compromised wheel reached the switch at the crossover at Tonti it derailed.
417:
The NTSB found that the mechanical faults in
Illinois Central locomotive #4031 caused the derailment. It recommended improvements in wheel-slip detection devices for locomotives and in pre-departure testing procedures. The NTSB also recommended that the
408:
that a wheel was slipping or sliding. While #4031 was repaired in
Chicago, the Illinois Central maintenance forces did not observe that the reverser was locked and did not realize that power was not being supplied to the rear truck.
438:
Between May 1, 1971, and
November 14, 1971, when Amtrak issued a new timetable, all trains were officially nameless and used the numbers assigned by their previous operator. This train had been Illinois Central #1, the
821:
316:, but passed to Amtrak when the latter assumed operation of most intercity service in the United States. It was scheduled to arrive in New Orleans at 1:30 AM on June 11. The train was composed of 15 cars: a
801:
816:
396:#4031 had made another run from Chicago to New Orleans on June 6. Engine #2 had failed on that trip as well and was shut down in New Orleans. As an added precaution the
717:
90:
366:, the new crew observed the #2 engine respond to the throttle and concluded that it was operational again. South of Champaign the Illinois Central main line was
826:
400:
for the engine was locked in neutral for trip to
Chicago. Shutting down the engine and locking the reverser in neutral had the effect of disabling the
836:
328:, and a combination coach/food service car. Amtrak had inherited or leased this equipment from other railroads. A set of four leased Illinois Central
689:
667:
710:
624:
241:
806:
297:
831:
362:
on one truck. During the run south from
Chicago the #2 engine on #4031 failed and could not be repaired. After a crew change in
782:
778:
773:
769:
757:
703:
419:
288:
215:
630:
Derailment of Amtrak train no. 1 while operating on the
Illinois Central Railroad near Salem, Illinois, June 10, 1971
745:
381:
811:
313:
133:
659:
389:
The NTSB investigation found flat spots on the rear truck of #4031. Inspection of the tracks between Tonti and
422:(FRA) draft safety standards to address the ejection of passengers through windows in the event of accidents.
39:
751:
587:
607:
309:
274:
390:
363:
279:
17:
663:
637:
405:
301:
582:
370:
with crossovers. As the train passed over one of these crossovers at Tonti, #4031 derailed.
354:
originally manufactured in 1952. The E8 developed 2,250 horsepower (1,680 kW) from two
268:
397:
237:
226:
219:
78:
600:
445:
359:
257:
795:
252:
caused by a seized axle bearing. The crash killed 11 people and injured 163. It was
695:
367:
317:
401:
355:
329:
325:
321:
222:
153:
105:
92:
249:
647:
641:
684:
351:
628:
293:
272:
Illinois
Central EMD E8 #4026, sister locomotive to #4031, leading the
348:
341:
337:
333:
253:
245:
211:
143:
380:
267:
699:
358:
model 567B engines, each driving a generator to power the two
822:
Accidents and incidents involving
Illinois Central Railroad
583:"Salem train wreck results in plea for tighter regulations"
240:, which was the site of the crash. An investigation by the
347:
The lead locomotive assigned to the train was #4031, an
312:. Up until April 30, 1971, it had been operated by the
244:(NTSB) found that the derailment was caused by a false
256:
first fatal accident since assuming control of most
738:
196:
188:
180:
172:
167:
159:
149:
139:
129:
121:
84:
74:
54:
49:
32:
469:
467:
465:
27:Train crash in Salem, Illinois on June 10, 1971
711:
8:
802:Railway accidents and incidents in Illinois
385:Flat spots on a wheel on #4031's rear truck
718:
704:
696:
38:
29:
817:Accidents and incidents involving Amtrak
308:was a daytime train between Chicago and
236:, after the unincorporated community of
473:
461:
431:
340:#4109 and #4106, and E10A (a rebuilt
260:in the United States on May 1, 1971.
229:. It is sometimes referred to as the
7:
569:
557:
545:
533:
521:
509:
497:
485:
332:of various models pulled the train:
242:National Transportation Safety Board
827:1971 disasters in the United States
404:indicator, which would notify the
25:
837:Derailments in the United States
777:
772:
683:
606:
210:occurred on June 10, 1971, when
33:1971 Salem, Illinois, derailment
690:1971 Salem, Illinois derailment
591:. November 29, 1972. p. 13
420:Federal Railroad Administration
208:1971 Salem, Illinois derailment
18:1971 Salem, Illinois derailment
443:. Amtrak replaced it with the
1:
286:Amtrak #1 (later #59), the
853:
344:) #2024 (formerly #4032).
258:intercity passenger trains
807:Railway accidents in 1971
767:
726:Railway accidents in 1971
314:Illinois Central Railroad
134:Illinois Central Railroad
37:
660:Indiana University Press
658:. Bloomington, Indiana:
44:Aerial view of the wreck
832:Marion County, Illinois
656:Amtrak in the Heartland
654:Sanders, Craig (2006).
588:The Southern Illinoisan
106:38.665431°N 88.977421°W
752:Dahlerau, West Germany
386:
310:New Orleans, Louisiana
304:on June 10, 1971. The
283:
60:; 53 years ago
650:ROSAP (USDOT website)
384:
271:
111:38.665431; -88.977421
692:at Wikimedia Commons
758:Salem, Illinois, US
441:City of New Orleans
406:locomotive engineer
391:Effingham, Illinois
364:Champaign, Illinois
306:City of New Orleans
289:City of New Orleans
216:City of New Orleans
102: /
548:, pp. 8–9, 25
387:
284:
280:Kankakee, Illinois
163:Mechanical problem
58:June 10, 1971
789:
788:
739:Location and date
688:Media related to
669:978-0-253-34705-3
336:#4031 (leading),
204:
203:
16:(Redirected from
844:
812:1971 in Illinois
781:
776:
733:
731:
720:
713:
706:
697:
687:
673:
645:
635:
612:
611:
610:
604:
598:
596:
579:
573:
567:
561:
555:
549:
543:
537:
536:, pp. 14–22
531:
525:
519:
513:
507:
501:
495:
489:
483:
477:
471:
450:
436:
320:, 11 coaches, a
117:
116:
114:
113:
112:
107:
103:
100:
99:
98:
95:
70:about 12:30 P.M.
68:
66:
61:
42:
30:
21:
852:
851:
847:
846:
845:
843:
842:
841:
792:
791:
790:
785:
763:
734:
729:
727:
724:
680:
670:
653:
633:
623:
620:
615:
605:
594:
592:
581:
580:
576:
568:
564:
556:
552:
544:
540:
532:
528:
520:
516:
508:
504:
496:
492:
484:
480:
472:
463:
459:
454:
453:
437:
433:
428:
415:
379:
360:traction motors
298:Central Station
266:
238:Tonti, Illinois
227:Salem, Illinois
220:passenger train
110:
108:
104:
101:
96:
93:
91:
89:
88:
79:Salem, Illinois
69:
64:
62:
59:
45:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
850:
848:
840:
839:
834:
829:
824:
819:
814:
809:
804:
794:
793:
787:
786:
768:
765:
764:
762:
761:
755:
749:
742:
740:
736:
735:
725:
723:
722:
715:
708:
700:
694:
693:
679:
678:External links
676:
675:
674:
668:
651:
648:Read online at
619:
616:
614:
613:
601:Newspapers.com
574:
562:
550:
538:
526:
514:
502:
500:, pp. 3–6
490:
478:
460:
458:
455:
452:
451:
446:Panama Limited
430:
429:
427:
424:
414:
411:
378:
375:
265:
262:
202:
201:
198:
194:
193:
190:
186:
185:
182:
178:
177:
174:
170:
169:
165:
164:
161:
157:
156:
151:
147:
146:
141:
137:
136:
131:
127:
126:
123:
119:
118:
86:
82:
81:
76:
72:
71:
56:
52:
51:
47:
46:
43:
35:
34:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
849:
838:
835:
833:
830:
828:
825:
823:
820:
818:
815:
813:
810:
808:
805:
803:
800:
799:
797:
784:
780:
775:
771:
766:
759:
756:
753:
750:
747:
746:Vicuña, Chile
744:
743:
741:
737:
721:
716:
714:
709:
707:
702:
701:
698:
691:
686:
682:
681:
677:
671:
665:
661:
657:
652:
649:
643:
639:
632:
631:
626:
622:
621:
617:
609:
602:
590:
589:
584:
578:
575:
571:
566:
563:
559:
554:
551:
547:
542:
539:
535:
530:
527:
523:
518:
515:
511:
506:
503:
499:
494:
491:
487:
482:
479:
475:
470:
468:
466:
462:
456:
448:
447:
442:
435:
432:
425:
423:
421:
412:
410:
407:
403:
399:
394:
392:
383:
377:Investigation
376:
374:
371:
369:
365:
361:
357:
353:
350:
345:
343:
339:
335:
331:
327:
323:
322:diner-counter
319:
315:
311:
307:
303:
299:
295:
291:
290:
281:
277:
276:
275:City of Miami
270:
263:
261:
259:
255:
251:
247:
243:
239:
235:
232:
228:
224:
221:
218:
217:
213:
209:
199:
195:
191:
187:
183:
179:
175:
171:
166:
162:
158:
155:
152:
150:Incident type
148:
145:
142:
138:
135:
132:
128:
125:United States
124:
120:
115:
87:
83:
80:
77:
73:
57:
53:
48:
41:
36:
31:
19:
655:
629:
599:– via
593:. Retrieved
586:
577:
572:, p. 35
565:
560:, p. 34
553:
541:
529:
524:, p. 11
517:
512:, p. 10
505:
493:
481:
476:, p. 94
474:Sanders 2006
449:in November.
444:
440:
434:
416:
395:
388:
372:
368:double track
346:
305:
287:
285:
273:
233:
230:
214:
207:
205:
488:, p. 9
356:12 cylinder
330:EMD E-units
318:baggage car
300:at 8:00 AM
109: /
85:Coordinates
796:Categories
748:(11 March)
618:References
595:October 5,
402:wheel slip
326:lounge car
250:flat wheel
234:derailment
181:Passengers
168:Statistics
154:Derailment
97:88°58′39″W
94:38°39′56″N
65:1971-06-10
760:(10 June)
570:NTSB 1972
558:NTSB 1972
546:NTSB 1972
534:NTSB 1972
522:NTSB 1972
510:NTSB 1972
498:NTSB 1972
486:NTSB 1972
413:Aftermath
292:departed
282:, in 1964
754:(27 May)
627:(1972).
457:Endnotes
398:reverser
278:through
264:Accident
254:Amtrak's
223:derailed
212:Amtrak’s
140:Operator
75:Location
728: (
642:9554867
294:Chicago
197:Injured
122:Country
63: (
50:Details
666:
640:
349:EMD E8
246:flange
189:Deaths
173:Trains
144:Amtrak
634:(PDF)
426:Notes
248:on a
231:Tonti
225:near
160:Cause
783:1972
770:1970
730:1971
664:ISBN
638:OCLC
625:NTSB
597:2014
338:E9Bs
324:, a
206:The
130:Line
55:Date
342:E8A
334:E8A
296:'s
200:163
184:211
798::
662:.
646:-
636:.
585:.
464:^
302:CT
192:11
732:)
719:e
712:t
705:v
672:.
644:.
603:.
352:A
176:1
67:)
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
