NJT HOBOKEN TERMINAL ACCIDENT THREAD

[DutchRailnut]

here is official NTSB link (notice it says do not make conclusions yet) .
http://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases ... 61006.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[danib62]

here is official NTSB link (notice it says do not make conclusions yet) .
http://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases ... 61006.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

On other hand it says nothing about engaging in wanton speculation

[trainbrain]

For diesel trains going to Hoboken, locomotive is on the west end. Inbounds are led by the cab car and outbounds by the locomotive.

Don't they still run certain trains engine first into Hoboken during the colder months?

There was one video I saw that showed a couple sets reversed that was taken after a snow storm. The rest of the time, everything I've seen has the engine on the west end.

For the Super Bowl trains, those ran 10 car Multilevel sets with an ALP-45DP on the east end. This was done to platform all 10 cars at Meadowlands which can't be done with locomotive between the bumper block and passenger cars.

[philipmartin]

NTSB says the train was doing 8mph entering the station, speeded up to 21mph by the moment of the crash, engineer putting it in emergency one second before the crash.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/nj-transit- ... 1475786610" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nj- ... ph-n661251" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Ken W2KB]

here is official NTSB link (notice it says do not make conclusions yet) .
http://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases ... 61006.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

>>>(notice it says do not make conclusions yet)<<<

Which makes a lot of sense given that the NTSB experts, with complete access to all the evidence, will likely take many months or a year or more to reach a well-reasoned conclusion and publish the final report.

[GirlOnTheTrain]

On other hand it says nothing about engaging in wanton speculation

Except that the thread was prefaced with the request that people not speculate.

[Tommy Meehan]

From the NTSB link:

The event recorder indicates throttle increased from idle to the #4 position while the train was traveling about 8 mph, approximately 38 seconds before the collision. Train speed began to increase and reached a maximum of about 21 mph.
· According to the event recorder data the throttle position went from #4 to idle just prior to the collision, and then engineer-induced emergency braking occurred less than a second before the collision with the bumping post.
· The event recorder shows train speed was about 21 mph when it collided with the bumping post. Event recorder speeds during the final seconds are consistent with train speed estimates obtained from the NTSB’s preliminary analysis of images from the forward facing video camera.

That is odd.

[STrRedWolf]

From the NTSB link:

The event recorder indicates throttle increased from idle to the #4 position while the train was traveling about 8 mph, approximately 38 seconds before the collision. Train speed began to increase and reached a maximum of about 21 mph.
· According to the event recorder data the throttle position went from #4 to idle just prior to the collision, and then engineer-induced emergency braking occurred less than a second before the collision with the bumping post.
· The event recorder shows train speed was about 21 mph when it collided with the bumping post. Event recorder speeds during the final seconds are consistent with train speed estimates obtained from the NTSB’s preliminary analysis of images from the forward facing video camera.

That is odd.

Odd, maybe. I'd bet they're impounding the entire train set, and pulling the engineer's medical history. Something caused it to speed up.

We won't know for sure until the mechanical and electrical workup on the entire train set is done, and a full medical write-up of the engineer is done as well.

[Backshophoss]

From the"NBC Nightly News feed",there's a "copter video of the set being towed away,cab car end was covered with a tarp.

[pumpers]

From the"NBC Nightly News feed",there's a "copter video of the set being towed away,cab car end was covered with a tarp.

Link to picture of the cab car wrapped up on its way out and a short article: http://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/201 ... river_home" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[time]

It really bothers me that the locomotive event recorder was not working. The data from the engine could be matched with the data from the head car for consistency, and an inconsistency in data would point to a mechanical issue. For instance, if you went to hit the gas in your car to inch up in stop and go traffic, and nothing happened, your first instinct is to push further down on the pedal to get a response. The engine RPMs would remain low, but your gas pedal would be pressed down further than is normally needed to achieve that response in the engine. Then, let's say, all of a sudden something "clicks" in the engine and the car suddenly gains speed, but you're approaching a stopped car in front of you. Ahhh! BRAKE!

Not saying this is what happened, but it is a plausible theory. Having that engine event recorder may have helped to prove/disprove it.

[justalurker66]

For instance, if you went to hit the gas in your car to inch up in stop and go traffic, and nothing happened, your first instinct is to push further down on the pedal to get a response.

The train was traveling 8 MPH in a 10 MPH zone and was about 850ft (my math) from the end of the track when the train accelerated to notch 4.
Do you believe the engineer intentionally "goosed it" to increase speed as he approached a hard stop?
Would you consider it normal to increase speed while approaching a stop?

[8th Notch]

I know running push pull a lot of engineers will power brake coming into a bunter although with a consist that size I probably wouldn't be over the 2nd or 3rd notch.

[mmi16]

From the NTSB link:

The event recorder indicates throttle increased from idle to the #4 position while the train was traveling about 8 mph, approximately 38 seconds before the collision. Train speed began to increase and reached a maximum of about 21 mph.
· According to the event recorder data the throttle position went from #4 to idle just prior to the collision, and then engineer-induced emergency braking occurred less than a second before the collision with the bumping post.
· The event recorder shows train speed was about 21 mph when it collided with the bumping post. Event recorder speeds during the final seconds are consistent with train speed estimates obtained from the NTSB’s preliminary analysis of images from the forward facing video camera.

That is odd.

Odd, maybe. I'd bet they're impounding the entire train set, and pulling the engineer's medical history. Something caused it to speed up.

We won't know for sure until the mechanical and electrical workup on the entire train set is done, and a full medical write-up of the engineer is done as well.

Does NJT have Dynamic Braking on their locomotives?

[8th Notch]

From looking at a cab photo, yes.