deadly train crash

[bigsky]

So we have all these drones but the railroads can not put remote control brakes on trains? http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/09/us-train-idUSBRE96505L20130709

[rpm]

There's more to it than that. The engine fire, the brakes being released by fire fighters, the RR rep not checking the brakes, possible tampering with the train plus the fact it was a secondary track and not a main line. The investigators have their hands full with this one.

[MiloMorai]

Who says the firemen released the brakes?

[rpm]

http://www.smh.com.au/world/firefighters-cut-power-to-runaway-trains-brakes-20130709-2pn1q.html

[MiloMorai]

Shutting down the engine is not the same as releasing the brakes.

The AAR Triple valve sets the brakes upon loss of pressure on the train's airline that runs it's entire length.

    If the pressure in the train line is lower than that of the reservoir, the brake cylinder exhaust portal is closed and air from the car's reservoir is fed into the brake cylinder to apply the brakes. This action continues until equilibrium between the brake pipe pressure and reservoir pressure is achieved. At that point, the airflow from the reservoir to the brake cylinder is lapped off and the cylinder is maintained at a constant pressure.

    If the pressure in the train line is higher than that of the reservoir, the triple valve connects the train line to the reservoir feed, causing the air pressure in the reservoir to increase. The triple valve also causes the brake cylinder to be exhausted to the atmosphere, releasing the brakes.

    As the pressure in the train line and that of the reservoir equalize, the triple valve closes, causing the air pressure in the reservoir and brake cylinder to be maintained at the current level.

[rpm]

Shutting down the engine is not the same as releasing the brakes.

I know how air brakes work. When the system loses pressure they are released. There is no spring backup like a truck, only individual hand brakes. It was bad wording on my part. Causing the brakes to become disabled would be more accurate. Note I also included the MMA employee that did not check the brakes. If 10% of the hand brakes had been set it should have been held. They still haven't checked all the cars to see how many were set. There were many factors in this. The firemen were just one.

[uptown]

The report doesn't mention how many locomotives were in the "train". Usually a train that long would require a 2nd or even 3rd engine, especially in Canada and the hills they have. What could of happened is someone cut the air to engine trucks....allowing no air to the brakes and they release. Then cut off the train line. As long as the train brake wasn't applied, she would roll. The hand brakes wouldn't be enough to hold the train on an incline. Besides the hand brakes are easily released from the outside of the cab also.

I've worked on and built these systems and before the locomotive ever left the shop I had to have a federal railroad inspector check it. Train brakes just don't fail like that. I know for a fact that a lot of engineers don't use the train brake all the time. It's like putting on the E brake in our cars when we go in somewhere....most of us probably don't do that. If foul play is afoot it'd be pretty easy to do. There's no locks or anything on these valves, which I always thought was strange anyway....seeing as how much weight you're dealing with.

The driver stops the train...... sets engine brakes and fireman doesn't set handbrake. They leave. Then someone comes and shuts off train line at last engine, and shuts off engine trucks. This is the only way I can see something like this to happen.  

The thing is, is it's easy to do if you know how to do it. There's alot of valves in these air and fluid systems. I don't think someone from off the street could do it real fast.

[DubiousKB]

And all these green folks up here say that a pipeline is more dangerous!? We've had two rail incidents this year involving oil & gas products....

Rail transport is more dangerous to human life than a pipeline. 

[uptown]

That's a fact Dub. There's all kind of things that can be done to make these trains safer. Why they don't do something is beyond me. It'll take a few terrorist attacks via train and then they'll start working on it I guess.

[gyrene81]

And all these green folks up here say that a pipeline is more dangerous!? We've had two rail incidents this year involving oil & gas products....

Rail transport is more dangerous to human life than a pipeline. 

considering the area a pipeline traverses, if/when something happens i can affect a lot more than 1 town. it's just rare that something happens. then again, considering the number of trains that are rolling around, a disaster like that is pretty rare too.

[bigsky]

I can safely say that I know nothing about how trains work but i am just saying that something could be done better. it just seems these accidents happen because of human error and could there be some remote over site of the trains? That is is just the worse one that i have read about lately. I remember one happened in a town not to far from where I live, but it was full of corn. Work caused me to drive past the site after the cars were picked up. The birds for what seemed hundreds of miles had somehow learned of all the corn on the ground. it was a seen that would have caused Hitchcock to WTF? the car washes got rich from that derailment.