San Antonio Texas Railroad Foreman Struck by 2 Locomotives 

San Antonio, Texas: A Union Pacific Railroad (UP) switching foreman was struck and killed by two locomotives at the UP’s East Yard in San Antonio, Texas. The two locomotives were operated as a single unit under the foreman’s control. He was operating the locomotives from the ground using a remote control transmitter. The foreman usually had a helper. However, on the night the accident occurred, the helper position was not filled because of a crew dispatch problem, so the foreman worked alone.

The switching foreman reported for duty at the west end of East Yard for the regular third shift. The third-shift foreman was assigned to switch the 44 cars on train yard track using two locomotives, which were stationary on track 32. The foreman was instructed to take control of the two locomotives and the two associated remote control transmitters from a second-shift crew. The foreman used one remote control transmitter. The other remote control transmitter was later found in a locker.

After determining that a helper would not be available to assist the foreman, the yardmaster instructed the foreman to work alone. The yardmaster told investigators that he had informed the foreman that he would be allowed to go home after he finished switching the 44 cars. The yardmaster reported that the foreman did not object to working alone.

While the third-shift foreman was reporting for duty, a two-person switching crew from the second shift was working overtime because of a personnel shortage. This crew was assigned to switch cars on train yard track 4. The crew was to use the train yard lead track before the third-shift foreman used the track. Just after midnight, the third-shift foreman radioed the second-shift crew and asked whether space was available so that he could move the two locomotives to train yard track 3. The crew gave an affirmative reply. A second-shift crewmember said that shortly thereafter he heard the accident locomotives moving and a radio-controlled switch activate; however, he did not see the locomotives move.

The third-shift foreman planned to move the locomotives from track 32 to train yard track 3. The route he planned to use from track 32 to the train yard lead involved a trailing movement through the first switch and four relatively short back-and-forth movements across three other switches.

The event recorder data indicate that the locomotives responded to a remote control transmitter command, moved westward through switches A and B, and then stopped. Next, switch B was aligned by a radio control command, the locomotives were moved eastward back through switches B and C, and then the locomotives stopped. The locomotives were then moved westward back over the same track toward switch B, instead of moving over the intended track and switch D. A stop command from the remote control transmitter was recorded about the time the third-shift foreman was struck. The locomotives were found later standing on the wheel yard lead track with the west end of the leading locomotive about 237 feet from the switch points of the last switch traversed, switch C.

The wheel yard lead to the train yard lead east crossover switch was found aligned toward the inner loop. For the locomotives to reach the train yard lead and the train yard track 3, switch C should have been aligned in the other direction.

The investigation of this accident included inspecting and testing the locomotives, the remote control transmitter, and the remote control receiver. All were functioning normally. During the investigation, the walking surfaces and lighting conditions were generally good. The weather was clear at the time of the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the yard accident in San Antonio, Texas, was the foreman’s inattentiveness to the location of the locomotives and the switch position and the lack of adequate oversight by the Union Pacific Railroad of power-assisted switch installation, maintenance, and operations at its East Yard.