General Discussion

MicaelS

(8,747 posts)

32. Yes, it could release the brakes.

Thu Jul 11, 2013, 09:56 AM

Jul 2013

There is no reserve emergency braking system for locomotives like on train cars. That is why when you shut down the engine on a locomotives, you set handbrakes on each locomotive, since the air can bleed off the locomotive independent brakes.

According to the Toronto Star article, there were 5 locomotives, and 72 cars. Four of the locomotives were shut down, and that left one running to keep air on the train. If that ONE was shut down by fireman, AND if only the locomotive independent brakes were set, along with only a few handbrakes, (no train line air brakes), then there were no locomotives air compressors running to supply air to the train and locomotive independent brakes. At that point, the locomotive independent brakes could have bled down to the point where they released. Then, because the number of handbrakes on the train cars was insufficient to hold the train, then it could have rolled away.

I back that up 17 years experience as a trainman and conductor on the MKT and UP RRs.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/07/08/lacmegantic_train_explosion_5_things_we_know_5_things_we_dont_know.html

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Tom Harding, engineer of the runaway train in Quebec, was involved in another derailment last year. [View all] applegrove Jul 2013 OP

I am NOT willing to dump the blame on Harding. cali Jul 2013 #1

They are saying the whole rail industry will have to be reregulated after this. Then again applegrove Jul 2013 #2

Read this: cali Jul 2013 #6

I hope this results in regulation in both Canada and the USA. Then again this story was applegrove Jul 2013 #9

I don't know how many US trains run with one man TheCowsCameHome Jul 2013 #12

Many shortlines run with one, and the Class 1s push it every contract negotiation. Brickbat Jul 2013 #15

Amtrak runs with one man in the cab. TheCowsCameHome Jul 2013 #30

I thought that I read, in one of the stories about this tragedy cali Jul 2013 #18

Wasn't the engineer in for rest in a hotel? TheCowsCameHome Jul 2013 #3

Apparently he claims he set multiple hand brakes on the tanker cars. That seems impossible. It looks applegrove Jul 2013 #4

why does it seem impssible? There could have been tampering. the cops cali Jul 2013 #7

I think they have ruled out terrorism. They are investigating criminal negligence. applegrove Jul 2013 #8

tampering doesn't neccessarily mean terrorism and they have NOT ruled that out cali Jul 2013 #13

Okay. Criminal but "not terrorism" means criminal negligence to me but I could be wrong. applegrove Jul 2013 #19

The investigation will show how many cars had handbrakes applied, along with other valuable data. TheCowsCameHome Jul 2013 #10

Fireman? A HERETIC I AM Jul 2013 #11

This wreck certainly demanded the services of firemen TheCowsCameHome Jul 2013 #14

The train was parked a few kilometers for Lac Megantic in a town called Nantes. A fire broke applegrove Jul 2013 #16

Turning off the engine does not release the airbrakes. The default is braking; you need air pressure Brickbat Jul 2013 #20

Well that leaves me to wonder. I so don't want it to be something nefarious. applegrove Jul 2013 #22

I don't want it to be operator error. Brickbat Jul 2013 #24

Human error is easier to take somehow. They say that malicious man made disasters applegrove Jul 2013 #26

Exactly A HERETIC I AM Jul 2013 #25

not true Niceguy1 Jul 2013 #27

And when the air supply is depleted because of compressors not working? TheCowsCameHome Jul 2013 #28

Yes, it could release the brakes. MicaelS Jul 2013 #32

There was also someone from MM&A who was on the scene with the firemen cali Jul 2013 #23

Mr. Brickbat works with a guy who still has fireman's rights. Brickbat Jul 2013 #17

There was a fire on the engine and the Nantes fire department cali Jul 2013 #21

Almost every engineer is involved in some kind of derailment every year. Brickbat Jul 2013 #5

Tom Harding is the scapegoat and some DUers are ignorant of that cali Jul 2013 #29

That is probably true, on both counts. TheCowsCameHome Jul 2013 #31

It's shameful. Every Class 1 in North America is hoping this gets pinned on the engineer, so they Brickbat Jul 2013 #33

It seems likely that MMA's policy was to not set handbrakes on the cars -- needs investigation FarCenter Jul 2013 #34

One inexpensive bit of prevention was missing here TheCowsCameHome Jul 2013 #35

I stand with Tom Harding who is being smeared by the shit stain chairman of Rail World cali Jul 2013 #36