On February 10th, 1981, two people (engineer and brakeman) were killed in the derailment (which involves Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) during this time) near Robloxity. The railroad later acknowledged the engineer was having a seizure, causing him to pass out and not pressing dead man's switch.
Timeline
Brookhaven, 8:28 AM
C&O #501 and #520 left Brookhaven at 8:28 AM with 12 freight cars with chemicals after the train was prepared to leave the railyard.
New Blockers City, 9:02 AM
The train passes New Blockers City with New Blockers City & Western Shortline Alco S6 pulling 3 boxcars.
Robloxity, derailment
At 10:18, Engineer Nicky Burke was having seizure, Brakeman Ellis Harvey tried to snap him out of it. Nicky passed out as Ellis attempt to wake him up. The train goes into highest speed as it was going down to the curve near Robloxity. Ellis pull the emergency brake to attempt to stop the train, but it was too late. The train derailed into vacant houses (near the curve), destroying them in progress. The lead locomotive blew up into fiery explosion. After derailment, many robloxian came out to see crashed train as it was being caught on fire. Robloxity County Sheriff's Office and Robloxity Fire Department arrived at the site at 10:25 AM.
The fire from the wrecked train spreads to the forest, which makes Robloxity Parks & Wildlife Department advised campers and visitors in the forest that was affected by the fire to evacuate the area immediately. The fires are quickly spreading to freight cars, making impossible to put out the fires. Many residents living near burning wrecked train site are forced to evacuate. That night, Firefighters managed to put out the fires on the wrecked train and burning forest. Resident may return home as given by mayor of robloxity.
Consist
- C&O GP35 #501 (Ex-Robloxity & Eastern Railway)
- C&O GP40 #520 (Ex-Bloxburg Central Railroad)
- 12 Boxcars, tank cars, and hopper cars filled with mix of chemicals and oil
- C&O Caboose (Ex-Robloxity & Eastern Railway)