Fire delays early AM N.J. Transit Montclair Line train

Photos

Smoke rising from NJ Transit train-Photo-01

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uploaded by Ron Coleman

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  uploaded by Ron Coleman | add comment

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  uploaded by Ron Coleman | add comment

Passengers on the last train leaving New York's Penn Station, departing at 12:42 AM, early Tuesday morning on January 9th were delayed by smoke that began to fill the front car as the train careened through a tunnel toward New Jersey.

The smoke eventually filtered through to the remaining cars but train personnel seemed to have no idea what was going on.  At one point the public address system broadcast a conversation between transit employees, obviously aware of the burning smell and rising smoke, urging that all hand brakes be checked to see if any had been deployed.  A responsive voice quickly advised that none were, and passengers became increasingly uneasy at the idea that train personnel were in the dark as to the cause of the increasing smoke and odor.  Although alarms began to sound, the crew made no attempt to advise passengers as to how to conduct themselves except for one unidentified voice, also on the public address system, scolding them for remaining in an unidentified smoky car when they could move to another one.

Passengers began to get nervous and attempted to move toward the exits, but there was some relief when the tunnel was exited with all systems evidently still in operation and the fresh winter air providing both exhaust and psychic sense of relief about the prospect of the still increasing smoke.  A short time later the train arrived safely at the Secaucus Junction station, where this photo, showing smoke rising from an unidentified location near the front carriage, was taken.