News Stories

Two BLET members killed in Union Pacific accident

CLEVELAND, November 13 — Two members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen lost their lives in a fatal Union Pacific train accident on November 10.

Locomotive engineer J.D. Artino, 56, and conductor J.P. Walker, 42, were both killed when their Union Pacific train rear-ended another in Bertram, Calif., on UP’s Yuma Subdivision.

Brothers Artino and Walker were both members of BLET Division 660 in Los Angeles. Brother Artino joined the BLET on July 1, 2004, and had worked for the railroad since June of 1998. Brother Walker joined the BLET on October 1, 2006, and began railroading in March of 2004.

Members of the BLET Safety Task Force were on the scene almost immediately and are assisting the National Transportation Safety Board with its accident investigation.

According to media reports, both trains were on an eastbound track near Mecca shortly before 1 p.m. on November 10 when one crashed into the other.

One train was carrying 60 cars of rock material from Victorville to Arizona. The second, heading to Arkansas from Long Beach with 111 cars carrying shipping containers, was the train that was hit.

The force of the crash caused three locomotives on the 60-car train and eight rail cars on the train hauling containers to derail.

The lead locomotive of the 60-car train caught fire. According to reports received by the BLET National Division, the crew of the 111-car train immediately went to the lead locomotive of the 60-car train, but were unable to provide any type of assistance or rescue because heat from the fire was too intense.

The NTSB and Safety Task Force are continuing their investigation into the incident to determine probably cause. More details will be made available at a later date.

“On behalf of the 59,000 members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, I extend deepest sympathies to the families and friends of Brother Artino and Brother Walker,” said Don Hahs, National President of the BLET. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them.”
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Brothers & Sisters:

Yesterday, November 10, 2007 at 1207, there was a REARENDER at Bertram, Calif., on the Union Pacific, on the Yuma Subdivision. Both the Engineer J. D. Artino, 56-YEARS OF AGE and a seniority date of 06/22/98, and Conductor J. P. Walker, 42-YEARS OF AGE, and a seniority date of 03/13/04 were both killed in the incident.

 It is my position and having made hundreds of trips on this subdivision, that either the Signals were GREEN, or the Crew has become comatose by some gases carried in the contraiers from the train they were following and/or exhaust gasses from the lead locomotive, an old SP40. This is not an area which employees nod off. The last twenty miles, were a SERRIES OF COMPOND CURVES, SIDINGS, ROUGH FROGS and TALKING SCANNERS, FLAT LAND. However, what I saw of the Event Recorder indicated that NO throttle modulation and/or air brake was used for the last 9-MILES.

 I have the CREWS entire WORK HISTORYS, TRAIN PROFILES, NAMES, ADDRESS of all crew members, complete LOCOMOTIVE HISTORYS.

Fraternally,
Larry R. Law
Local Chairman,
BLET - Division 56
(760) 985-6636 (Cell)
cc: R. D. Carver

BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

TODAY WE LOST TWO OF FELLOW RAILS IN A REAR END COLLISION AT BERTRAM. JERRY WALKER AND JOE ARTINO HAVE LEFT OUR RANKS AND THEY WILL BE MISSED. IT TOOK NEARLY 6 HOURS FOR THE CORONER TO ARRIVE AND FOR THE BODIES TO BE REMOVED FROM THE WRECKAGE. I WAS PRESENT DURING AT THE TIME AND INTERVIEWED THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS, CLAIMS AGENT AND COMPANY OFFICERS. IT IS TO EARLY TO PINPOINT WHAT WENT WRONG BUT THE INTERNATIONAL IS LOOKING INTO THE CAUSE. FURTHER DETAILS WILL BE PROVIDED AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE.

FRATERNALLY,

DAN MARTIN
LOCAL CHAIRMAN
UTU 1846-T
WEST COLTON