Amtrak Train Derails in Missouri After Hitting Dump Truck
- Thread starter nytebyte
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On Oct 30, 1980, I was on an Amtrak that derailed outside of Springfield. I was 7 at the time, but still vividly remember a lot of details. We were out in the middle of a cornfield, and I remember the train coming to a sudden jolting stop slamming us into the seats in front of us, and everything going dark. Our train passenger car was the last one still totally on the tracks. Engineer was trapped for over an hour, and only 4 total injuries and no deaths. Determined that the train was going too fast for that section of the tracks for a number of reasons.
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www.jonroma.net
That's crazy Dan.
My great grandfather was in the wreck of the Nelly Bly in NJ: http://www.capitalcentury.com/1901.html
My great grandfather was in the wreck of the Nelly Bly in NJ: http://www.capitalcentury.com/1901.html
Who was on the train is the question you should be askingLord Tin Foilhat back a brother up
Obviously someone who had dirt on Hillary Clinton
sup wit dat dually doe
dude...you might be onto something! Zoom in on the label on the rear end of the dump truck!!!
Similar accident in 1987 when a train hit a garbage truck at a crossing that didn't have warning lights/bells/crossing arm. Engine and all cars derailed...
If the truck is loaded and heavy enough, the impact is certainly enough to derail the lead engine, and then everything else sort of follows it off the track until it all eventually stops.
www.chicagotribune.com
If the truck is loaded and heavy enough, the impact is certainly enough to derail the lead engine, and then everything else sort of follows it off the track until it all eventually stops.
TRAIN HITS TRUCK; 1 KILLED, 28 HURT
A garbage-truck driver was killed and 28 people were slightly injured Friday when a Chicago-to-Springfield Amtrak passenger train slammed into the truck and derailed south of Joliet. The truck driv…
www.chicagotribune.com
Why are there no autodecoupling device nowadays upon derailments?
Are trains really that fucking ancient?
We know at least the front car is going off the track, maybe a few more. Make the coupler breakaway and those cars derail and let the other ones fly by and if course lock the brakes.
Are trains really that fucking ancient?
We know at least the front car is going off the track, maybe a few more. Make the coupler breakaway and those cars derail and let the other ones fly by and if course lock the brakes.
I'm not a train expert by any means, but in a decoupling, brakes are typically already automatically applied from what I understand.
Just playing devil's advocate for the sake of discussion: Perhaps the complexity and potential cause for other issues arising from auto-decoupling during a derailment prevents it from being implemented. Would it become a failure point that leads to other accidents for example, creating a "cure that's worse than the disease"? A stopped group of railcars that decoupled on their own would cause quite a few issues.
Also, if the tracks are damaged in an accident, those decoupled cars aren't likely staying on the tracks anyway. Rolling to a gentle stop might not ever happen, so keeping them connected, even in a derailment, might be a better alternative, as it forces them to a stop sooner than the brakes could.
Much like semi's, a trains' brakes run on air. Any interruption in the system be it line leaks or resevoir leaks and they engage... The lines are what are meant to quick disconnect. You don't want couplers disconnecting or there will be train cars all over the farmland at 70 - 80mph.
They also use a dynamic braking system. This is a system similar to you flipping the switch on your ceiling fan to go the other way... It essentially sends the electricity to the traction motors the other way and causes them to add resistance helping slow the train. Often on Metra trains, you'll hear the dynamic brake cooling system (which is just up behind the cab), with it's fans running to help cool the system as the train comes to a stop, then they will shut off once the load stops.
Depending on the situation, I would imagine this engineer hit the train dynamic brakes and was gradually/incrementally applying the air brakes to full tilt (so as not to upset the apple cart), to at least make an effort to scrub some speed, but I'm sure impact was gonna happen regardless.
They also use a dynamic braking system. This is a system similar to you flipping the switch on your ceiling fan to go the other way... It essentially sends the electricity to the traction motors the other way and causes them to add resistance helping slow the train. Often on Metra trains, you'll hear the dynamic brake cooling system (which is just up behind the cab), with it's fans running to help cool the system as the train comes to a stop, then they will shut off once the load stops.
Depending on the situation, I would imagine this engineer hit the train dynamic brakes and was gradually/incrementally applying the air brakes to full tilt (so as not to upset the apple cart), to at least make an effort to scrub some speed, but I'm sure impact was gonna happen regardless.
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