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BNSF engr claims wrongly fired in Portland, OR, incident
Author: SP 0-6-0
Date: 01-22-2018 - 14:01
Link to full article:
[www.seattletimes.com]
Ex-BNSF engineer claims he was wrongly fired after avoiding rail mishap in Portland
Originally published January 22, 2018 at 10:47 am Updated January 22, 2018 at 11:06 am
A former engineer for BNSF Railway now working and living in Ballard claims in a federal whistleblower lawsuit that he was fired for damaging company property after he was forced to throw a runaway locomotive into reverse to avoid a potentially catastrophic accident in Portland in 2015.
A federal judge in Tacoma earlier this month denied a motion by the railroad to dismiss the lawsuit filed in August by James T. Norvell, finding that Norvell’s claims at this point give him standing to sue over his contention that he was improperly fired for discharging a public duty — protecting the lives of citizens and employees in and around the Willbridge rail yard in Portland on July 12, 2015.
According to the lawsuit, Norvell was a 13-year veteran engineer who was assigned to drive Locomotive 2339 and 22 freight cars between two connected BNSF rail yards, called the Lake Yard and the Willbridge Yard. Both are located along the Willamette River.
Norvell was at the controls of a train heading into the Willbridge Yard, within the speed limit, when “locomotive 2339 did not respond to Norvell’s efforts to slow,” according to the lawsuit.
“If he could not stop the train, Norvell would have put the lives of his co-workers in peril and likely would have caused an enormous explosion and/or spill of hazardous materials that would have put the public at large in danger,” according to the lawsuit.
“With no other option to stop the train in time to avoid catastrophe, Norvell threw the throttle into reverse and was able to bring the train to a safe stop,” the lawsuit said.
...
(Other half of the story at the link above)
[www.seattletimes.com]
Ex-BNSF engineer claims he was wrongly fired after avoiding rail mishap in Portland
Originally published January 22, 2018 at 10:47 am Updated January 22, 2018 at 11:06 am
A former engineer for BNSF Railway now working and living in Ballard claims in a federal whistleblower lawsuit that he was fired for damaging company property after he was forced to throw a runaway locomotive into reverse to avoid a potentially catastrophic accident in Portland in 2015.
A federal judge in Tacoma earlier this month denied a motion by the railroad to dismiss the lawsuit filed in August by James T. Norvell, finding that Norvell’s claims at this point give him standing to sue over his contention that he was improperly fired for discharging a public duty — protecting the lives of citizens and employees in and around the Willbridge rail yard in Portland on July 12, 2015.
According to the lawsuit, Norvell was a 13-year veteran engineer who was assigned to drive Locomotive 2339 and 22 freight cars between two connected BNSF rail yards, called the Lake Yard and the Willbridge Yard. Both are located along the Willamette River.
Norvell was at the controls of a train heading into the Willbridge Yard, within the speed limit, when “locomotive 2339 did not respond to Norvell’s efforts to slow,” according to the lawsuit.
“If he could not stop the train, Norvell would have put the lives of his co-workers in peril and likely would have caused an enormous explosion and/or spill of hazardous materials that would have put the public at large in danger,” according to the lawsuit.
“With no other option to stop the train in time to avoid catastrophe, Norvell threw the throttle into reverse and was able to bring the train to a safe stop,” the lawsuit said.
...
(Other half of the story at the link above)
BNSF engr claims wrongly fired in Portland, OR, incident