Animation
Head-On Collision of Two Union Pacific Freight Trains
Goodwell, Oklahoma
June 24, 2012
DCA12MR005
This animation reconstructs the sequence of events leading to the head-on collision of two Union Pacific freight trains near Goodwell, Oklahoma, which occurred on June 24, 2012, at 10:01 am local time.
The animation shows the position and speed of each train and illustrates the sequence of signals presented to both train crews, beginning at 9:56 am up until the collision at 10:01 am. Locomotive event recorder data was used to determine the position, speed and braking status for each train. The surveyed track data, consist data of both trains, and recorded signal events were also used in the animation development. The animation does not depict the weather or visibility conditions at the time of the accident. The animation includes audio.
The animation begins with an overall map showing the accident site at Goodwell, Oklahoma. The map also shows the point of departure of the westbound train (Pratt, Kansas), and the point of departure of the eastbound train (Dalhart, Texas). The animation transitions into a view showing a 10-mile length of track in the vicinity of the Goodwell siding. The North direction, scale and time are shown in the upper left hand side of the screen. The train track is oriented from southwest to northeast (from the lower left hand side of the screen to the upper right hand side of the screen) with the 2-mile long Goodwell siding in about the center of the screen. The trains are shown as arrows; the length of each arrow is scaled to the length of the train. The eastbound train, ZLAAH-22 proceeds on the track from the lower left hand side of the screen to the upper right. The westbound train, AAMMLX-22 proceeds on the track from the upper right hand side of the screen toward the lower left. Five signals are shown along the track. The eastbound train passes three of the signals before the collision, and the westbound train passes the other two signals before the accident. The animation ends with a photograph of the accident. The photograph was taken about 11 hours after the accident, and the two locomotives in the photograph had been shifted from their original post-crash positions.

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