NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD
WASHINGTON. D. E. 205513
RAILROAD ACCIDENT REPORT
DERAILMENT AND COLLISION OF AMTRAK PASSENGER TRAIN 66 WITH MBTA COMMUTER TRAIN 906 AT SACK BAY STATION BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
DECEMBER 12, 1990
INVESTIGATION
The Accident
At 10:30 p m on December 11, 1990, National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) passenger train 66 departed Washington. D C, for Boston, Massachusetts The operating crew changed at New York City, New York, and again at New Haven, Connecticut The New Haven to Boston operating crew. comprising a locomotive engineer, an apprentice engineer, a conductor, and two assistant conductors, reported for duty at 430 a m on December 12, 1990, at the New Haven station (mile post[1] [MP1 72 3) on Amtrak‘; Boston division As part of Amtrack's locomotive engineer training Program, the apprentice engineer had been assigned to the crew
Between Washington and New Haven, electric locomotives had powered Amtrak train 65 These electric locomotives were removed and replaced with a diesel-electric, two—unit F-SOPH locomotive (272 and 366), from the New Haven motor storage area
The locomotive crew received a list of speed restrictions for their trip and then performed a ground (walkaround) inspection They boarded the two-unit locomotive at 4:36 a m, reviewed the cab defect and inspection cards, and checked the radio They also did an airbrake test, a plying and releasing the locomotive brakes The crew noted no exceptions to the condition of the locomotive The locomotive engineer then assigned the apprentice engineer to operate the locomotive, an the apprentice engineer did so. under the direct supervision of the locomotive engineer, for the entire trip
With the front of both units headed eastward, the locomotive moved from the motor storage area to the passenger station and was coupled to the 10-car
passenger train A car inspector assisted in the coupling procedure and made the necessary air hose connections between the locomotive and the east (first) car at the train From the rear of the train, the car inspector made an airbrake test The apprentice engineer applied the automatic brake valve to set and then release the train airbrakes The car inspector made a ground ins action of the train, observed that the airbrakes were released, and then release the train for departure At 525 a m Amtrak train 66 left New Haven on schedule
- ↑ A point used for location identification. not for distance measurement
