280:
270:
260:
31:
240:
At 11:20 AM EDT, Norfolk
Southern train 15T was traveling westbound at 38 mph (61 km/h) when it passed through the eastern end of the Boyd Siding (normal track speed in the area is listed at 50 mph). As the locomotive passed over the switch, the engineer stated that he felt a tug.
231:
so that he could perform work on the active rail line. He was informed that two trains were approaching the siding and decided that once both trains passed the area he would obtain the warrant and perform an internal inspection of the switch. The signal maintainer was waiting in the immediate area of
219:
at the west end of the Boyd Siding and was given a signal restriction. The crew of 703 stopped in the siding and examined the spring switch at the east end of the siding, noting a 1/4-inch gap was present between the switch point and the stock rail. The crew manually operated the switch several times
332:
recommended that in the presence of any condition that might impede safe passage of a train, the dispatcher should immediately issue a speed restriction to 20 mph and that signal or track maintainers should be given priority on occupying track for the purpose of investigating a signal system or
241:
The crew of 15T looked back and observed the train derailing. Of the 142 cars, two locomotives and 25 cars derailed. The crew immediately noted a white cloud rising from the derailed cars and radioed the dispatcher at the same time as the signal maintainer was calling the incident in via telephone.
206:
or fuming sulfuric acid. Roughly 2,600 residents were evacuated from nearby homes for three days until hazardous materials crews were able to mitigate the scene. No fatalities or major injuries were reported as a result of the derailment, but property damage and losses were calculated at US$ 1.02
223:
A maintenance person was sent to investigate the report, arriving at the site around 11:00 AM EDT. He observed that the signals were clear and that the spring switch appeared to be properly aligned against the rail, likely having completely closed after train 703 passed through the switch
312:
of a 4.4-square-mile (11 km) area surrounding the derailment was undertaken. Roughly 2,600 residents were either evacuated or attempted to return to their homes and were told of the accident and denied entry.
686:
485:
252:, was crushed by other cars and began to leak its contents. The result of this spill was a large plume of acid vapors, that began to envelop the area and drift southeast with the prevailing wind.
220:
and noted that the switch still had a small 1/8-inch gap. The 703 engineer radioed
Norfolk Southern dispatch to report the issue. Train 703 then proceeded through the switch without incident.
676:
478:
647:
643:
471:
316:
As a result of incidental exposure to the toxic cloud, 15 residents and two law enforcement officers were treated and released from local hospitals for irritation.
73:
681:
671:
532:
499:
666:
586:
329:
541:
224:
earlier. The signal maintainer later told investigators that he felt the switch "looked like it could use a little oil".
248:
tanks derailed. The 18th car of the train, a tanker car carrying 10,600 US gallons (40,000 L) of oleum, a.k.a.
691:
559:
342:
604:
568:
199:
118:
613:
495:
372:
RAILROAD ACCIDENT BRIEF: DERAILMENT OF NORFOLK SOUTHERN TRAIN 15T AT FARRAGUT, TENNESSEE, SEPTEMBER 15, 2002
523:
370:
301:
595:
550:
309:
631:
577:
195:
57:
390:
304:
Sheriffs Office began to arrive within five minutes and met with the train crew. Once the train's
463:
441:
325:
232:
the switch as train 15T approached from the east and observed a clear signal on the switch.
216:
416:
279:
269:
259:
30:
660:
249:
228:
108:
297:
88:
75:
215:
On the morning of the derailment, Norfolk
Southern train 703 approached the
61:
345:, another Norfolk Southern derailment carrying hazardous materials release
378:. Washington, DC: National Transportation Safety Board. 2003. p. 8.
305:
245:
278:
268:
258:
203:
202:
freight train 15T derailed 27 cars, resulting in the release of
467:
227:
The signal maintainer checked with the dispatcher to obtain a
687:
Accidents and incidents involving
Norfolk Southern Railway
273:
Fire
Department using a ground monitor to suppress vapors.
136:
Failure to promptly investigate suspected track damage
35:
Derailed cars block a roadway in
Farragut, TN in 2002
194:
occurred on the morning of Sunday, September 15, in
177:
169:
161:
153:
145:
140:
132:
124:
114:
104:
67:
53:
45:
40:
23:
16:
Train accident that occurred in
Farragut, Tennessee
308:was reviewed and the sulfuric acid identified, an
244:Of the derailed cars, a flatbed car carrying two
533:Charlotte's Dale train collision, South Africa
479:
283:A crushed tank car involved in the derailment
8:
677:Railway accidents and incidents in Tennessee
417:"Oleum, Sulfur Trioxide, and Sulfuric Acid"
486:
472:
464:
29:
20:
560:Potters Bar rail accident, United Kingdom
254:
207:million. Seventeen people were injured.
184: (equivalent to $ 1,727,867 in 2023)
355:
263:US Army tanks on a derailed flatbed car
128:Derailment, hazardous materials release
587:Kasganj level crossing disaster, India
365:
363:
361:
359:
440:Cothen Jr., Grady (August 10, 2004).
391:"Tenn. Derailment Forces Evacuations"
7:
442:"Notice of Safety Advisory 2004-02"
14:
682:Rail transportation in Tennessee
672:Derailments in the United States
542:Al Ayyat railway accident, Egypt
446:Federal Register, Vol 69 Num 153
605:Rometta Marea derailment, Italy
596:Igandu train disaster, Tanzania
578:Tenga rail disaster, Mozambique
496:Railway accidents and incidents
448:. US Government Printing Office
330:Federal Railroad Administration
614:Rafiganj train disaster, India
1:
551:Godhra train burning, India
328:in 2004 indicated that the
298:Rural/Metro Fire Department
708:
632:Kurnool train crash, India
569:Jaunpur train crash, India
524:Minot train derailment, US
343:2023 Ohio train derailment
667:Railway accidents in 2002
641:
514:
333:track component problem.
28:
192:2002 Farragut derailment
119:Norfolk Southern Railway
24:2002 Farragut derailment
648:2003 ►
644:◄ 2001
623:Farragut derailment, US
284:
274:
264:
282:
272:
262:
89:35.85389°N 84.15889°W
296:Responders from the
196:Farragut, Tennessee
94:35.85389; -84.15889
85: /
397:. Associated Press
389:Esterbrook, John.
324:One report in the
285:
275:
265:
49:September 15, 2002
692:2002 in Tennessee
654:
653:
289:
288:
188:
187:
699:
629:
620:
611:
602:
593:
584:
575:
566:
557:
548:
539:
530:
521:
509:
507:
505:
488:
481:
474:
465:
458:
457:
455:
453:
437:
431:
430:
428:
426:
421:
413:
407:
406:
404:
402:
386:
380:
379:
377:
367:
326:Federal Register
255:
200:Norfolk Southern
183:
100:
99:
97:
96:
95:
90:
86:
83:
82:
81:
78:
33:
21:
707:
706:
702:
701:
700:
698:
697:
696:
657:
656:
655:
650:
637:
636:
627:
618:
609:
600:
591:
582:
573:
564:
555:
546:
537:
528:
519:
510:
503:
501:
494:
492:
462:
461:
451:
449:
439:
438:
434:
424:
422:
419:
415:
414:
410:
400:
398:
388:
387:
383:
375:
369:
368:
357:
352:
339:
322:
294:
238:
213:
181:
93:
91:
87:
84:
79:
76:
74:
72:
71:
36:
17:
12:
11:
5:
705:
703:
695:
694:
689:
684:
679:
674:
669:
659:
658:
652:
651:
642:
639:
638:
635:
634:
625:
616:
607:
598:
589:
580:
571:
562:
553:
544:
535:
526:
516:
515:
512:
511:
493:
491:
490:
483:
476:
468:
460:
459:
432:
408:
381:
354:
353:
351:
348:
347:
346:
338:
335:
321:
318:
293:
290:
287:
286:
276:
266:
237:
234:
212:
209:
186:
185:
179:
175:
174:
171:
167:
166:
163:
159:
158:
155:
151:
150:
147:
143:
142:
138:
137:
134:
130:
129:
126:
122:
121:
116:
112:
111:
106:
102:
101:
69:
65:
64:
55:
51:
50:
47:
43:
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
704:
693:
690:
688:
685:
683:
680:
678:
675:
673:
670:
668:
665:
664:
662:
649:
645:
640:
633:
626:
624:
617:
615:
608:
606:
599:
597:
590:
588:
581:
579:
572:
570:
563:
561:
554:
552:
545:
543:
536:
534:
527:
525:
518:
517:
513:
508:
497:
489:
484:
482:
477:
475:
470:
469:
466:
447:
443:
436:
433:
418:
412:
409:
396:
392:
385:
382:
374:
373:
366:
364:
362:
360:
356:
349:
344:
341:
340:
336:
334:
331:
327:
319:
317:
314:
311:
307:
303:
299:
291:
281:
277:
271:
267:
261:
257:
256:
253:
251:
250:sulfuric acid
247:
242:
235:
233:
230:
229:track warrant
225:
221:
218:
217:spring switch
210:
208:
205:
201:
197:
193:
182:US$ 1,020,000
180:
176:
172:
168:
164:
160:
156:
152:
148:
144:
139:
135:
131:
127:
125:Incident type
123:
120:
117:
113:
110:
109:United States
107:
103:
98:
70:
66:
63:
59:
56:
52:
48:
44:
39:
32:
27:
22:
19:
622:
452:December 29,
450:. Retrieved
445:
435:
425:December 29,
423:. Retrieved
411:
401:December 29,
399:. Retrieved
394:
384:
371:
323:
315:
295:
243:
239:
226:
222:
214:
191:
189:
18:
302:Knox County
92: /
68:Coordinates
661:Categories
350:References
310:evacuation
236:Derailment
211:Background
154:Passengers
141:Statistics
80:84°09′32″W
77:35°51′14″N
320:Aftermath
62:Tennessee
395:CBS News
337:See also
292:Response
115:Operator
58:Farragut
54:Location
646:
630:
621:
612:
603:
594:
585:
576:
567:
558:
549:
540:
531:
522:
502: (
306:consist
246:US Army
170:Injured
105:Country
41:Details
628:Dec 21
619:Sep 15
610:Sep 10
601:Jul 20
592:Jun 24
583:Jun 4
574:May 25
565:May 13
556:May 10
547:Feb 27
538:Feb 21
529:Feb 6
520:Jan 18
178:Damage
162:Deaths
146:Trains
420:(PDF)
376:(PDF)
204:oleum
133:Cause
504:2002
500:2002
454:2013
427:2013
403:2013
300:and
190:The
46:Date
498:in
663::
444:.
393:.
358:^
198:.
173:17
60:,
506:)
487:e
480:t
473:v
456:.
429:.
405:.
165:0
157:0
149:1
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
