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CSX SD40-2 Pair - 8392 and 8888 (YN2)

(Requires Pain's A trains legacy SD40-2 pack).

(This pack includes the famous Crazy Eights herself, as well as the other SD40-2 that helped stop the runaway).

Crazy Eights was built by EMD in 1977, originally as ConRail 6410. CSX 8392, on the other hand, was much older. She was built in 1971, originally for the Chesapeake & Ohio as their number 7533.

CR 6410 was inherited by CSX when they inherited 42% of former ConRail assets. The engine remained in patched ConRail livery until the late 1990s. And then something happened in 2001 which would make 8888 a legend.

On May 15th, 2001, the engine was shunting 47 wagons at Stanley Yard in Walbridge, Ohio. The driver noticed that a set of points wasn’t properly aligned for his move properly. So - with the conductor watching the train, the driver applied the independent brake and climbed down from the locomotive to switch the points. The deadman’s switch had been disabled, which meant that 8888 continued to move forward and pick-up speed. The driver tried to get back on the engine, but she had already accelerated to too high a speed. That’s when the runaway began.

CSX 8888 ran away for at least 66 miles, during which time all sorts of measures were taken to try and stop the runaway. One of them was a portable derailer, which was thrown out of the way when Crazy Eights came charging along. Another attempt that didn’t work was when local police tried to shoot at the emergency fuel cut-off switch, but this didn’t work because the switch had to be held down for several seconds in order to starve the prime mover of fuel.

Eventually CSX 8392 - another SD40-2 - was able to couple up the back of the train, and helped slow it down to 11 miles per hour. 8888 was finally reboarded by CSX trainmaster Jon Hosfield near Kenton, Ohio. The runaway locomotive was brought to a stop soon after. During the event, the engine’s brake shoes had been completely destroyed. Fortunately she was repaired and put back into service.

Despite numerous attempts to save 8888 for preservation, CSX themselves deemed her unworthy. She was instead rebuilt as SD40-3 No. 4389, and is still in service today. The 2010 film ‘Unstoppable’ was inspired by and loosely based on the Crazy Eights Incident.

As for CSX 8392, she remained in service for many years after Crazy Eights’ runaway. She has since been retired from CSX’s roster and sold to National Railway Equipment Company.

Image Sources:
CSX 8392 - http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=263689
CSX 8888 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/nc_elmo/2209941280/in/album-72157603749140016/