Paintsville, Kentucky -- At exactly 2:47 a.m. on
January 14, 2002, while working a coal train enroute from Russell, Kentucky to
Shelbiana, Kentucky, our trailing unit and first two cars were severely damaged
as we struck an unknown floating or hovering object. I know it was 2:47 because
my watch fPaintsville, Kentucky -- At exactly 2:47 a.m. on
January 14, 2002, while working a coal train enroute from Russell, Kentucky to
Shelbiana, Kentucky, our trailing unit and first two cars were severely damaged
as we struck an unknown floating or hovering object. I know it was 2:47 because
my watch froze, and to this day shows that time. roze, and to this day shows that time.
Paintsville, Kentucky -- At exactly 2:47 a.m. on
January 14, 2002, while working a coal train enroute from Russell, Kentucky to
Shelbiana, Kentucky, our trailing unit and first two cars were severely damaged
as we struck an unknown floating or hovering object. I know it was 2:47 because
my watch froze, and to this day shows that time. Along with my watch the entire electrical systems on both locomotives went
haywire. Approaching a bend near milepost 42 in an area referred to as the Wild
Kingdom, for the many different types of animals spotted there, my conductor and
I saw lights coming from around the way.
This ordinarily means another train is coming and will pass on the other
track. The outlay of the area is this, the river, #1 track, #2 tracks and a
straight up mountainside, carved out for the laying of these tracks. I killed
our lights as not to blind the oncoming crew.
As we rounded the corner our onboard computer began to flash in and out,
speed recorder went nuts, and both locomotives died. Alarm bells began to ring
and that’s when we saw the objects. Apparently scanning the river for something.
At least three objects had several "search" lights trained there, the first
object hovered about 10 to 12 feet above the track.
It was metallic silver in color with multiple colored lights near the bottom
and in the middle. There were no windows or openings of any kind that we could
see. It was 18 to 20 feet in length and probably ten feet high.
With both engines dead as we rounded the corner we made little noise and the
first object did not respond in time, I estimate that we hit the object at 30
mph with 16,000 trailing tons behind us. It clipped the top of our lead unit
then skipped back slicing a chunk out of our trailing unit and first two coal
cars. The other objects vanished.
Our emergency brakes had initiated due to the loss of power and we stopped
approximately a mile and a half to two miles after impact. Our power restored
after we were stopped and we notified our dispatcher, located in Jacksonville,
Florida of what had happened.
We were told to inspect the cars to see if they'd hold the rail and try to
limp into milepost cmg 60 which used to be the Paintsville yard which is no
longer in full operation. We checked everything out and the cab of the rear
locomotive was demolished and smoking, the second two cars looked as if they had
been hit with a giant hammer, but looked like they'd hold the rail.
We pulled into Paintsville yard at approximately 5:15 am. The huge overhead
lights lining the yard were noticeably dark and the only lights came from what
we assumed were railroad officials vehicles parked near the end of the track. We
pulled to a stop and began unloading our grips off the wounded train. We could
hear what sounded like an army of workers immediately tending to our train.
Vehicle doors slamming, guys running by in weird outfits and lights glaring
from all directions, the one thing missing was railroad officials.
A guy named Ferguson shook my hand and asked me to follow him into the old
yard office. We did, once inside they, and by they I mean I have no idea who
these people were, began to ask us hundreds of questions, they then told us for
our own protection we'd be medically tested before we could leave.
I asked repeatedly to talk to my road foreman or trainmaster and not only
were these requests denied but they confiscated my conductor’s cellular phone.
Hours later we were led outside the old yard office and the strange things
continued to happen, the 2 locomotives and two cars were removed from the rest
of the train we had brought in and my only guess was parked 4 tracks over under
a huge tent like structure buzzing with activity.
We were led off the property and told, due to national security, our silence
on this matter would be appreciated.
We were then put in a railroad vehicle and taken to Martin, Kentucky were we
went through questioning again with railroad officials and were then drug
tested. After all of this we were sent on to Shelbiana, where we took rest for 8
hours and worked another train back to Russell. Working back we passed by
Paintsville, no sign of the engines, cars, tent, people, nothing. Thanks to
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