CSX 8888 incident
| 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 |
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 possibly two cars loaded with hazardous chemicals, specifically molten phenol, a substance used in dyes and glues, and ran uncontrolled for just under two hours at up to 52 miles per hour (84 km/h). It was finally halted by a railroad crew in a catch locomotive, which caught up with the runaway train and coupled their locomotive to the rear car.
As of 2025, 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 in 2015, although its number is now #4389. It was delivered as Conrail #6410 in September 1977.