The Interpreter Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 A children's train ride at Cleveland Park derailed Saturday afternoon, killing a 6-year-old Gaffney boy and sending 28 people, mostly children, to the hospital. The extent of their injuries is unknown. Investigators were working Saturday night to determine the cause of the crash. The miniature train, which was in its first hour of operation this season, apparently overturned near the bridge on Asheville Highway about 1 p.m.... (emphasis added) http://www.whkp.com/...sk=view&id=5479 Picture and more details about the train: http://www.goupstate...Park-since-1953 Cleveland Park is operated by the Spartanburg County Parks Commission. The train circles the park's playground area. This is very sad, indeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Cleveland Park is operated by the Spartanburg County Parks Commission. The train circles the park's playground area. This is very sad, indeed. Agreed very sad. One correction, Spartanburg is in South Carolina. And WLWT reported that it was in an Amusement Park and not a City Park. I've always been concerned about the safety of those city maintained miniature trains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 A sad, very detailed update with more pictures and details: http://www.dailymail...njuring-28.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarketingExpress Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 It will be interesting to see what the investigation turns up and if this was a deliberate act as mentioned in the article. Thoughts and prayers go out to all the families effected by this incident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted March 22, 2011 Author Share Posted March 22, 2011 Oh, my: A state inspector falsified a safety report and never tested a children's train ride that crashed over the weekend, killing a boy and injuring dozens, officials said Monday. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation chief Catherine Templeton told reporters that Donnie Carrigan could not have tested the ride March 16 because a battery in the train was dead, making it inoperable. Carrigan marked the train's operation at proper speed as "satisfactory," according to the agency's report. "Unfortunately the inspector did not complete his job," Templeton said. Carrigan, a 20-year agency employee, has been fired. Officials have not said what they think caused the train to derail.... http://www.wilx.com/...69.html?ref=269 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoastersRZ Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Wow. I smell lawsuits waiting to happen here. Truly a sad situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted March 22, 2011 Author Share Posted March 22, 2011 Well, given the county owns and operates the park, there could be serious barriers to such suits... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KIfan1980 Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I have been stunned since I first read that and am struggling with my outrage. When I read the following Quote from Article - As soon as agency officials learned of the crash, Templeton said Carrigan came forward and admitted he had filed a complete report but had not done a thorough inspection. "We are very sorry for the tragedy," Templeton said. "I don't have any reason to doubt this man's character." People who are entrusted with the safety of others can't pencil whip something like this - there are mistakes (see the accident in Wisconsin) and there is negligence (note that I'm not trying to be legal here). While I give the guy credit for coming forward and admitting it so quickly, had he done his job a little boy may still be alive. I guess I do have reason to doubt his character. What other rides has he failed to inspect properly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 I have been stunned since I first read that and am struggling with my outrage. When I read the following Quote from Article - As soon as agency officials learned of the crash, Templeton said Carrigan came forward and admitted he had filed a complete report but had not done a thorough inspection. "We are very sorry for the tragedy," Templeton said. "I don't have any reason to doubt this man's character." People who are entrusted with the safety of others can't pencil whip something like this - there are mistakes (see the accident in Wisconsin) and there is negligence (note that I'm not trying to be legal here). While I give the guy credit for coming forward and admitting it so quickly, had he done his job a little boy may still be alive. I guess I do have reason to doubt his character. What other rides has he failed to inspect properly? Think you were outraged 2 days ago? It was reported this morning that the first 2 laps went fine but on the 3rd lap, the operator has admitted that he sped the train up to "make it more exciting for the kids". As a result the train derailed while going around a bend too fast. So probably not mechanical failure, just a moron at the controls. Let the lawsuits begin!! My heart goes out to the families of this avoidable tragedy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Wow this is amazingly sad and sounds like it could have been very preventable. Reminds me of the accident at the Indy Zoo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedarPointer Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Think you were outraged 2 days ago? It was reported this morning that the first 2 laps went fine but on the 3rd lap, the operator has admitted that he sped the train up to "make it more exciting for the kids". As a result the train derailed while going around a bend too fast. So probably not mechanical failure, just a moron at the controls. Let the lawsuits begin!! My heart goes out to the families of this avoidable tragedy. The train should not be able to run faster than it can safely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 The train should not be able to run faster than it can safely. Agreed. My point was the first reports were that the crash was due to "mechanical failure", then an admitted pencil whipped non-inspection/inspection. Even if a thorough inspection had been made, it wouldn't have revealed that a moron would be driving it. I am no expert on these trains, but I would guess they have to give some control to the operators so they can compensate for the weight load for each ride. There has to be a load weight limit, but if the train is under that limit, how would you restrict the speed on each ride? Some responsibility has to fall to the operators. I believe the final verdict will be to not hire morons that try to turn a miniature train into a thrill ride! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted March 23, 2011 Author Share Posted March 23, 2011 Oh, my, again: http://www.wlos.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wlos_vid_4150.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted March 23, 2011 Author Share Posted March 23, 2011 Already: FAMILY SUES OVER AMUSEMENT PARK TRAIN WRECK: ....Spartanburg attorney Tom Killoren says he is filing a lawsuit Wednesday against Spartanburg County, its parks commission and the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. Killoren says Brooks Harris, his wife and two children were injured in the crash and are distraught by what happened. Benji Easler was killed and 27 others injured when the train derailed Saturday at Spartanburg's Cleveland Park. Police said the train driver told an officer he knew he had been driving too fast. State officials also fired an inspector who falsified a report saying the train was OK to operate. http://www.wltx.com/...ark-Ride-Wreck- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted March 24, 2011 Author Share Posted March 24, 2011 TRAIN WRECK CONDUCTOR: "I'M A VICTIM TOO": ...Matt Conrad said during a news conference in Greenville Wednesday that he wasn't prepared for media scrutiny following the crash and said he is suffering because of his role.... http://www.wltx.com/...Im-a-Victim-Too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Excellent posts and thanks for reiterating my point Terp. I'm the victim....dammit!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted March 24, 2011 Author Share Posted March 24, 2011 * Possibility of criminal charges against the ride operator, who * Had a press conference with his attorneys (yes, plural), and * Had a weblog where, less than two weeks before the derailment, he cited work needed on the brakes of the tail car of the train. That weblog is no longer on the worldwide web, and ...County officials revealed earlier this week that Sparkles had not carried passengers before Saturday due to safety concerns.... ...A Spartanburg Public Safety incident report indicates Conrad told officers "I was going too (expletive) fast." Conrad's attorneys pointed out Wednesday that the top speed of the train was only 15 to 17 mph, and was well within the safety margin for the track and conditions when the crash occurred.... ...Conrad said he maintained the Cleveland Park trains and track to federal railroad standards, except for the width of the track, which is obviously smaller. He said his training came from experience, which included operating a trolley in Philadelphia, working at a street car museum in Baltimore, the North Carolina Transportation Museum and the South Carolina Railroad Museum. He said he spent four months with a railroad contractor, living on a railroad car that tested rails for Norfolk Southern. On his county job application, he listed being a "track laborer" from 1994 to 2007.... http://www.goupstate.../110329900/1112 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted March 25, 2011 Author Share Posted March 25, 2011 The police report: http://amusementsafety.org/cleveland_park_police_report.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted March 28, 2011 Author Share Posted March 28, 2011 A rather unhelpful article: http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=597869 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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