Clinchfield Railfanning: Robert Harvey’s Journal

Clinchfield Railroad

Robert Harvey’s Railfan Journal: Labor Day 1989 – Derailment at Frisco JCT

Photo: Robert Harvey

Early Labor Day Morning

“What got me up this morning was hearing an unusual horn on a northbound.  It was so unusual, that I jumped up, got my tape recorder and stood at the back door.  I turned on the radio and was glad to hear that the engineman was calling signals in the prescribed manner.  I found out this way that the northbound was the 7534, one of the nearly-new Dash 8-40C’s.  Then, after breakfast I heard this engineman trying to call Frisco Yard.  Someone told him that no operator was on duty, so he then called the Norfolk Southern East End Dispatcher and told him that his “lead pilot” was on the ground on the connection track at Frisco.

Bob Harvey

“Lead Pilot on the Ground”

The dispatcher was only momentarily baffled by “lead pilot” and then understood that this was a derailment.  Then the engineman got the CSX dispatcher and told him about it and further said that only two axles were off the track.  The dispatcher quickly told a following northbound what had happened.  This northbound was still in Kingsport swapping units in his consist since the speed indicator on the lead unit didn’t work and he was putting another in the lead.  The dispatcher then asked the first crew to leave two units at Frisco and shove back to Kingsport with the rear one.

Broken Rail

It was around ten o’clock that I got to Frisco.  The engine was about 150 feet south of the road crossing of the connection track.  Harlan Lane [a railfan] was there with another fellow I didn’t recognize.  When he said he was with the Norfolk Southern and had just heard about it at his office there at Frisco I guessed that it was track supervisor Sam Hall, and he confirmed it.

Photo by Robert Harvey

Sam said that the derailment was caused by a broken rail.  I easily found it;  it was on the west rail and was about 4 inches north of a weld – probably in the heat-affected zone.  As the truck derailed, apparently the gearcase hit the break and got a hole knocked in it – there was a good bit of sticky black oil dripping out.  In a little while, as I was taking a picture of the broken rail, the brakeman came forward to tell me they were getting ready to shove back to Kingsport. They left and  I was thinking about leaving and then a slender young fellow showed up with a handie-talkie.  I guessed correctly after we had talked a minute that this was Scott Jessee, the local assistant train master.  He is a friendly personable fellow and we had a nice chat. Jerry Herndon showed up and Scott introduced me to him.

Repair Crews Arrive


As time went on, more and more maintenance of way trucks showed up, as did Harry Sykes.  The unit that had backed the train to Kingsport came back to help with the rerailing.  The main hold-up appeared to be getting Mike Hensley there with his big truck and a load of tie plates and blocks.  

All Ends Well

When he finally got there they slowly pulled the unit back on, getting it done at 1:07PM.  Scott had said earlier that they’d have it rerailed 25 minutes after they got their materials and I thought that was wildly optimistic.  It probably took more like 45 minutes, but I was still surprised that it went so well.”

Scott Jessee’s Viewpoint of September 4th

Easy Day at the Office

A non-major holiday such as Labor Day was a day where you relaxed a little and hoped to get home early. This was true for Labor Day September 4, 1989. I was working my usual hours of 630am-430pm as Asst. TM Kingsport.  I figured I might leave at 300pm right after second shift came in and have an early quit.  

This plan was disturbed when Extra 7534 North to Loyall derailed its lead engine on the CSX/NSC Frisco lead.  Extra 7534 North was talked by the signal from the CSX main to the Frisco lead, encountered a broken rail, and derailed two axles.  This derailment left their train hanging back onto the CSX main line, blocking the route. The dispatcher notified me, I notified local engineering and mechanical forces, and then I headed to Frisco.  At Frisco I interviewed the crew and looked over the situation.

Rerailing the Engine

The engine could be re-railed using blocking and re-railers, but the main concern was to clear the main line.  At Kingsport an Extra North to Shelby was switching their engines around and the yardmaster suggested sending them to Frisco to pull the derailed train back to Kingsport.  I opted to send a yard crew to pull the train back to the Kingsport switching lead.  I wanted the Extra North to Shelby to finish switching their engines and be ready to depart Kingsport upon the yard crew’s return from Frisco.  

Clearing the Mainline

The yard crew voiced concerns it had been a while since they had been to Frisco, let alone handle 90 empties, it was not their work, there would be time tickets turned in and so forth.  Even with their concerns, the yard crew headed to Frisco, coupled up, and pulled the train to Kingsport.  The main line was now opened to operate trains and fortunately there were no other Frisco bound trains in either direction.  

Bob and Scott First Meet

There was a rail-fan at the derailment when I arrived, we introduced ourselves, and that was my first meeting with Bob Harvey.  Bob wanted to look around on the engine and I told him to check it out, that I was pretty sure it wasn’t going anywhere.


We finally got engineering and mechanical personnel in place and re-railed the engine without difficulty using blocking and re-railers.  We kept the Loyall crew on the engines to do the honors and they took lite engines back to Kingsport for inspection and minor repairs.  Once repaired, a relief crew was called to move the train off the Kingsport switching lead to Loyall.  

A Longer Than Expected Labor Day

My early quit did not materialize as I contended with the initial derailment, paperwork, followed up with derailment repairs, and worked with the yardmasters/yard crews to get caught up with local industries and outbound pick-ups for merchandise trains.  I bet the yardmaster and yard crews thought they would not be in this predicament if someone had not sent a yard crew to Frisco……….

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