Anybody remember the Chase, Maryland Amtrak/Conrail wreck? In that case, all the media talked about was the alleged use of marijuana by the crew.

But in time, proper scrutiny revealed much more serious problems and preconditions; marijuana use was a "phantom problem".

Here we are again. All the media is talking about is the texting... a claim based SOLELY on a report from some child railfan of dubious credential. The facts will arrive. I think it's premature to be laying such serious accusations upon the dead.

Look at the physical characteristics of the railroad in advance of the home signal. Google Earth doesn't quite tell the whole story, but it kinda looks like there's over a mile of line-of-sight to the home signal, including before Chatsworth station where the train did stop - and this train apparently meets this freight here regularly. And this guy is a veteran *and* a railfan, he certainly understood the importance of a home signal. No amount of distraction would have made him miss the feeling of through a turnout and banking into that curve. I think something else is going on. It would explain a great deal if he was incapacitated.