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Train vs. Tornado
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=verdana,geneva>We have had some discussion here in the past about the pros and cons of track guard rails.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The bridge in this wreck had track guard rails that terminated straight rather than curving inward to join each other at the end, as had been more or less standard practice for a long time.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P><FONT face=verdana,geneva> <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=verdana,geneva>I can’t see how the lead truck of the tank car reacts to encountering the track guard rails.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The appearance of sparks on the left side of the truck leads me to believe that it was derailed during the approach.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It also appears that the tank is slightly off center to the left of the track when it first becomes recognizable during the approach.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The purpose of track guard rails is to keep a derailed car on the bridge deck as it crosses.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I don’t know if the track guard rails would have accomplished that, since the truck was running true (although likely derailed) during the entire approach sequence, and may have just kept running true even if the bridge had no track guard rails.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=verdana,geneva size=2></FONT></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=verdana,geneva size=2>Whatever the effect of the track guard rails was, it was not sufficient to prevent the tank from fouling the plate girder alongside of the bridge deck.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>You can see a flash of sparks and hear the impact bang as the tank corners the bridge girder.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>That collision causes the tank to bounce up and down, which apparently leads to the disintegration of the lead truck.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>You can see the axles of the wheelsets drop out at about 1:25.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Apparently some action in the breakup of the lead truck causes more bounce and throws the tank against the side of the deck girder, which guides the tank just before the tank hits the hopper. </FONT></SPAN></P>
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