RAILROAD DERAILMENTS EXPLAINED BY AN ENGINEER!
- Thread starter djstrains
- Start date
trailrider
Well-Known Member
But he didn't cover such things as broken rails or broken wheels, as well as mechanical or human error, such as hitting a curve at too high speed, and also collisions either at grade crossings or by two trains being where they shouldn't be.
I have 24 years with CSX. Never saw broken rail personally, but happens occasionally in winter. Never had a broken wheel. We dont speed. We have gps and so much computers and cameras that we actually run 1 - 2 mph below limit to be sure. We haven't derailed hitting a car in my area, since the 1950s at west newton, pa. And hitting another train is gonna be listed in a collision video, not about normal derailing.
Snowman
Well-Known Member
Or "sun runs," when the rail heats up on a hot day, expands in length and the resulting pressure finally squeezes the rail up and off the ties like so much spaghetti. You can see a cab view of one of those here, after the 0:45 mark:
On the model railroading side, I saw a unique one you won't see (at least to this extent) on the real thing over at "The Rocky Mountain Train Show" in Denver last weekend. N-Trak, where the minimum radius is 24" in the curves, and in this case it was a 90 degree corner. A long string of 60' identical white reefers--thirty odd cars or thereabouts--so everyone nearby saw it, being a bright white train an' all....
There was a momentary snag at the rear end, just as the FRED entered the curve, resulting in six or eight cars overturning to the inside, as with so many real world string-lines. But in this case, being lightweight models as opposed to real cars (which would result in broken knuckles at some point, stopping the process) the domino effect continued all the way up the next long tangent until the entire (still coupled together) train had tipped over. All the way up to the head end.
Fortunately none of the locomotives overturned, so no N-scale personnel were injured in the wreck.
On the model railroading side, I saw a unique one you won't see (at least to this extent) on the real thing over at "The Rocky Mountain Train Show" in Denver last weekend. N-Trak, where the minimum radius is 24" in the curves, and in this case it was a 90 degree corner. A long string of 60' identical white reefers--thirty odd cars or thereabouts--so everyone nearby saw it, being a bright white train an' all....
There was a momentary snag at the rear end, just as the FRED entered the curve, resulting in six or eight cars overturning to the inside, as with so many real world string-lines. But in this case, being lightweight models as opposed to real cars (which would result in broken knuckles at some point, stopping the process) the domino effect continued all the way up the next long tangent until the entire (still coupled together) train had tipped over. All the way up to the head end.
Fortunately none of the locomotives overturned, so no N-scale personnel were injured in the wreck.
Rico
BN Modeller
I’ve only derailed twice, both times pushing empty cars.
Once was over an iced packed road crossing, the other a switch lined against the movement that the switch man didn’t see.
I've seen derailments caused by debris placed on the rails.
Yes there are so many ways to derail a train!
As an add on, last year a CP stack train ran over a six foot section of track where the rail was missing on one side, no derailment! (rail shattered right off I’m told)
Once was over an iced packed road crossing, the other a switch lined against the movement that the switch man didn’t see.
I've seen derailments caused by debris placed on the rails.
Yes there are so many ways to derail a train!
As an add on, last year a CP stack train ran over a six foot section of track where the rail was missing on one side, no derailment! (rail shattered right off I’m told)
IronBeltKen
Lazy Daydreamer
I was looking at the derail setup between the 9:55 and 10:10 points on the video and thinking, yes it certainly does protect the main line...but not the hapless driver of a passing automobile on the highway below if any of the stray cars suddenly roll into their path - or on top of the vehicle!
CambriaArea51
Well-Known Member
So is this is why railroads are doing the mid train helpers so they don't have to spend the time moving the cars so that empties in the back loaded in the front to prevent the string line effect.
I've attended derailment cause determination classes and was in charge of data systems that tracked derailments on a real railroad.
Generally derailment causes can be grouped into several large categories:
Generally derailment causes can be grouped into several large categories:
- Track failure - broken rail, tie condition, wide guage, etc.
- Equipment failure - broken wheel, journal failure, knuckle/drawbar failure, carbody failure, etc.
- Human cause - failure to stop, mishandling the brakes, mishandling switches, etc.
- Train make up - empties ahead of loads, improper helper placement, long/short car placement, etc.
- Weather - high winds, flash floods, ice and snow build up, boulders or trees on tracks, etc.
- Signal failure - false clears, etc.
- Outside causes - crossing accidents, cattle on tracks, vandalism, etc
Actually no. They still have the train make up considerations. If you look at a modern special instructions there are two or three pages of instructions about how to figure out where the mid train DPU's should go in the train.
