Dysfunctional Signals at the site of the disaster
On January 6, 2005 NS train 192 collided head on with NS local P22 in downtown Graniteville, SC. The NS local had left the switch to the Avondale Mill's siding, which can be seen diverging to the right in the photo, open in the path of NS 192 which then struck the local derailing both of 192's locomtives and 16 cars including one filled with Chlorine which ruptured and spilled over 90 tons of gas into the air. As a result 9 people including the engineer of NS 192. In addition the Chlorine gas destroyed much of the machinery at the mill resulting in the closure of the towns main employer.
4 years later train 155 rumbles past the seemingly misleading signal in downtown Graniteville. The signal in reality is a spring switch indicator and does not show block occupancy. Regardless it is a strange sight seeing a train highballing from behind a clear, and after the disaster one would thing a proper signal system would have been installed.
