According to the NTSB, which is investigating the crash, maintenance records show that an "impedance bond" for the track circuit where the accident occurred was replaced June 17.

CNN: NTSB says train detection system failed in days before D.C. crash

At the World Championship Cutting Competition, held last month in a suburban Atlanta parking lot, Gary Bond, a 48-year-old maintenance worker who named his knife "Bruiser, " was among the strongest contenders to knock out Mr. Phillips.

WSJ: World Championship Cutting Competition Features Knife-Wielding Experts