Good to know there were not many injuries, as it could have been much worse. Does anyone have any inside info on a possible cause? I assume that a track defect such as a broken rail is the most likely cause. But maybe a wheel or axle defect is another possibility?
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Saw a news report today that a preliminary investigation indicated that a wiring error resulted in a trailing point switch being in the wrong position.
~Ken :: Fairmont ex-UP/MP C436 MT-14M1 ::
Black River Railroad Historical Trust :: [/url]
Black River Railroad Historical Trust :: [/url]
Hmmm............wouldn't an error like that be discovered in the course of testing after the work was done?
I had to ride the mainline in and out of work a few times this past week, and watched the aftermath in progress.
Starting with my commute home Thursday, we rode right next to the train. All 8 of the M7's looked in really bad shape underneath - a lot of the wheels, trucks, third rail shoes, and struts looked really rough.
When I rode in Friday morning, about half the consist had been removed. Looks like whatever was roll-able got dragged into the Hillside / Holban Yard by one of the switchers (did it have the right coupler??) My guess is the other ones needed to be flat bedded to Hillside or maybe even Arch. I saw perhaps 2-3 cars in the western leads of Hillside and about 4-5 cars at the site. And yes, it was the first time I ever saw an M7 pair separated.
When I went home that afternoon, the cars were all removed and there was a lot of workers on the track inspecting everything, so I wonder what they may have found. From where I was on my train, the only visible damage to the track was some of the third rail and / or guards were largely dislodged. Hard to tell any more from that angle.
Starting with my commute home Thursday, we rode right next to the train. All 8 of the M7's looked in really bad shape underneath - a lot of the wheels, trucks, third rail shoes, and struts looked really rough.
When I rode in Friday morning, about half the consist had been removed. Looks like whatever was roll-able got dragged into the Hillside / Holban Yard by one of the switchers (did it have the right coupler??) My guess is the other ones needed to be flat bedded to Hillside or maybe even Arch. I saw perhaps 2-3 cars in the western leads of Hillside and about 4-5 cars at the site. And yes, it was the first time I ever saw an M7 pair separated.
When I went home that afternoon, the cars were all removed and there was a lot of workers on the track inspecting everything, so I wonder what they may have found. From where I was on my train, the only visible damage to the track was some of the third rail and / or guards were largely dislodged. Hard to tell any more from that angle.
Head-end View wrote: ↑Fri Aug 04, 2023 5:56 pm Does anyone have any inside info on a possible cause?I will say that it was a bit windy for this time of year throughout the week. So one of my first thoughts was maybe some kind of trash had blown around and gotten lodged in one of the switches?
The diesels use a device referred to as a compromise coupler to make the connection between the notch prongs on the EMU and the AAR knuckle on the diesels.
The EMUs have “assist hose” built into them tucked under the pilot.
A wrench is used to redirect the air from the coupler to the hose.
They have made progress in the investigation but nothing is being said public until the designated investigating authorities release their findings.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the switch did contribute to this wreck.
Let’s take a moment to be thankful that it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
The EMUs have “assist hose” built into them tucked under the pilot.
A wrench is used to redirect the air from the coupler to the hose.
They have made progress in the investigation but nothing is being said public until the designated investigating authorities release their findings.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the switch did contribute to this wreck.
Let’s take a moment to be thankful that it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
In summary, a miswired switch point detector and defective circuit design that were "for some reason" not identified in testing. Not the end of this... One story that won't be going away.
Kelly&Kelly wrote: ↑Sat Aug 12, 2023 7:19 pm In summary, a miswired switch point detector and defective circuit design that were "for some reason" not identified in testing. Not the end of this... One story that won't be going away.Very similar to the Indian Railways derailment?