CSX 8888 incident
The CSX 8888 incident, also known as the Crazy Eights incident, was a runaway train event involving a CSX Transportation freight train in the U.S. state of Ohio on May 15, 2001. Locomotive #8888, an EMD SD40-2, was pulling a train of 47 cars, including some loaded with hazardous chemicals, and ran uncontrolled for just under two hours at up to 51 miles per hour (82 km/h). It was finally halted by a railroad crew in a second locomotive, which caught up with the runaway train and coupled their locomotive to the rear car.
| CSX 8888 incident | |
|---|---|
A CSX EMD SD40-2 locomotive, similar to the locomotive involved in the incident | |
The train's path highlighted in blue | |
| Details | |
| Date | May 15, 2001 12:35 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. |
| Location | Walbridge, Ohio – Kenton, Ohio 66 mi (106 km) South |
| Country | United States |
| Line | Toledo Line Subdivision |
| Operator | CSX Transportation |
| Incident type | Runaway train |
| Cause | Operator error |
| Statistics | |
| Damage | None |
As of 2021, the locomotive is still in service, having been rebuilt and upgraded into an SD40-3 as part of a refurbishment program carried out by CSX, although its number is now #4389. It was delivered as Conrail #6410 in September 1987.