Freight derailments

[Tlcooper93]

What’s Behind Train Derailments and Are They Happening More Often?

The number of derailments has fallen sharply since 2000. However, the rate of derailments for some railroads has increased in recent years as they haul more freight over fewer train miles.

www.wsj.com

 

[joelkfla]

What’s Behind Train Derailments and Are They Happening More Often?

The number of derailments has fallen sharply since 2000. However, the rate of derailments for some railroads has increased in recent years as they haul more freight over fewer train miles.

www.wsj.com

In the chart "Derailments by cause", the % due to human error has also increased over the past 10 years -- perhaps a result of PSR-related decreased staffing and shortcut training?

 

[Maglev]

We had this recent derailment in our area. There is mostly oil traffic in this area, so the results could have been catastrophic.

Safety device, human error derailed train in Anacortes, officials say

Devices called

komonews.com

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

Aaaaand, cue another derailment, also with Petroleum product...

Train carrying hazardous materials derails in North Dakota

A Canada Pacific train derailed on Sunday night, affecting 31 of its 70 cars, and spilling petroleum used to make asphalt

www.theguardian.com

 

[MARC Rider]

Aaaaand, cue another derailment, also with Petroleum product...

Train carrying hazardous materials derails in North Dakota

A Canada Pacific train derailed on Sunday night, affecting 31 of its 70 cars, and spilling petroleum used to make asphalt

www.theguardian.com

This one's in North Dakota, and it's the stuff used to make asphalt. They're going to let it freeze before they clean it up. Obviously not a remediation strategy that can be used in Florida.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

This one's in North Dakota, and it's the stuff used to make asphalt. They're going to let it freeze before they clean it up. Obviously not a remediation strategy that can be used in Florida.

Next week in the exciting adventures of Florida Man!

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

Next week in the exciting adventures of Florida Man!

View attachment 31835

LOL!!!!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Evacuations underway after freight train derails, catches fire in Minnesota

Multiple tankers of a freight train carrying ethanol and corn syrup derailed in a fiery crash on the edge of Raymond, Minnesota, officials said Thursday.

abcnews.go.com

 

[TrackWalker]

We had this recent derailment in our area. There is mostly oil traffic in this area, so the results could have been catastrophic.

Safety device, human error derailed train in Anacortes, officials say

Devices called

komonews.com

It's only 10MPH track.

It was the Annie Local. The one that is allowed by treaty. They ran through a switch point derail lined in the derail position. How the engineer could not see the big retro-reflective letter "D" in front of him is a mystery to me. (direction of travel was away from the camera toward the bridge.)

 

[NSC1109]

It's only 10MPH track.

It was the Annie Local. The one that is allowed by treaty. They ran through a switch point derail lined in the derail position. How the engineer could not see the big retro-reflective letter "D" in front of him is a mystery to me. (direction of travel was away from the camera toward the bridge.)

View attachment 31881

you’d be shocked at some of the crazy things I’ve seen working for them…

 

[George Harris]

Anacortes derailment: Couple of comments: It was a switch point derail, not a block derail. Second, surprised to see the engine on its side if going the allowed (10mph) speed.
Either type of derail should be very obvious to the engineer, plus if familiar with the territory, he would know where it was anyway.

 

[jis]

Is it just my skewed perception or are we seeing more reported derailments of late? Is it because things are reported more these days than before? I am sitting here scratching my head trying to figure this out.

 

[Alice]

Propublica has an article out today blaming long freights, lousy train assembly and other factors. Note possible publisher bias when reading. The Real Reasons Long Trains Keep Derailing

 

[allanorn]

Is it just my skewed perception or are we seeing more reported derailments of late? Is it because things are reported more these days than before? I am sitting here scratching my head trying to figure this out.

Probably a little bit of both. More people have video cameras in their hands, but it's also prominent in the news cycle right now.

Similar to shark attacks: someone gets bit, and for the next month you see a plethora of shark attack/sighting news stories.

 

[Michigan Mom]

Don’t know if there are more derailments, but there is probably more attention being focused on the safety issues. By the public and by lawmakers.

 

[Asher]

Don’t know if there are more derailments, but there is probably more attention being focused on the safety issues. By the public and by lawmakers.

They seem to be happening frequently these days. It has always surprised me when I see a derailment. Three different times I’ve seen them south of the Cajun pass on a straight section of track. I guess it had something to do with empty cars in the middle of a consist. Then a runaway down the Cajon that was caused by a brake issue.

 

[west point]

One derailment measurement would be number of destroyed cars compared to builder output of new cars.

 

[Barb Stout]

Yesterday on the local Albuquerque TV news channel KOB 4, they had a report of a railroad track near Gallup, NM that was frighteningly close to an arroyo that had rapidly eroded in a matter of days. The pictures they showed (presumably video from a drone) showed a section that seemed to be right next to the arroyo (which did have water in it in the video). In at least one of the videos, they showed a fence that had been put up between the edge of the arroyo and the track evidently in response to the expanding arroyo, but how would that help prevent further erosion? The news report included that part of the arroyo had been 21 feet away from the track and in a matter of a few days, 7 feet had eroded/sank/subsided and was now 14 feet away. The news report had sent questions about it to both BNSF and FRA (I think it was, but I don't really know my acronyms), but neither responded. The report did not mention whether Amtrak goes on that track or not, but I suppose it does since Gallup is an Amtrak stop. The image they showed could have been an Amtrak train, but I couldn't really tell, but it wasn't a miles-long train. Has anyone else heard anything about this? I googled, but couldn't even find the KOB4 TV report that I saw yesterday (Thursday April 6).

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Is it just my skewed perception or are we seeing more reported derailments of late? Is it because things are reported more these days than before? I am sitting here scratching my head trying to figure this out.

Maybe instead of a greater number of derailments it's a similar number but with worse results? I've seen what looked like minor derailments resolved with a block of wood, a run-over with an inspection vehicle, and a slow order. Can't do that when you have toppled/burning wreckage everywhere.

 

[TrackWalker]

... I googled, but couldn't even find the KOB4 TV report that I saw yesterday (Thursday April 6).

Erosion near train tracks, west of Gallup, draws concern

Railroad workers' safety is in question as multiple areas of land are falling apart and inching closer to train tracks west of Gallup.

www.kob.com