On the evening of October 10, 2013, southbound CSX stack train Q156 experienced air issues after stopping on the main track at CP 43 in Fort Montgomery, NY. Southbound L004, following behind, would pick up Q156's conductor, who from what we deduced found nothing wrong with the train as he walked back, as it proceeded south on the siding track. Once the conductor was back in the cab, Q156 proceeded south. After moving as far as the Popolopen Creek trestle, the train experienced a wheel slip alarm involving the fifth traction motor on the second unit, AC6000 #5006. The conductor proceeded to call the mechanical department, who instructed him to walk down to the unit and watch the axle as the engineer moved the train forward. Upon doing so, he discovered the entire axle was not moving at all, but merely sliding across the railhead. By now, another southbound, K682, was moving into the siding behind L004. The NI dispatcher, after being informed by Q156's crew of the issue, instructed the conductor of K682 to walk down the main track until he was in view of the rear of Q156. He would then proceed to climb aboard the last car and protect the rear of the train while the engineer backed the train a half mile north to clear the single track.
The following morning, RJ Corman derailment service crews arrived on the scene to change out the fifth traction motor on the offending unit, CSX 5006. In this view, crews have completed the extrication and successfully lowered the locomotive on to the dummy axle. The rescue unit can be seen waiting to hook back up to the 5006 and proceed south towards North Bergen, NJ. This was truly a sight to see!
