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"Bomb Trains" threaten America's safety, according to report

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Posted by tomikawaTT on Monday, December 14, 2015 3:18 PM

Right at the bottom of the article it tells you that the author is an anti-fracking activist.  Her agenda is obvious.

One of the best ways to generate fear in the uninformed is to wildly exaggerate the probability of some bad event, then claim that the responsible parties are ignoring things that the general public will never be able to check.

I, personally, have been within a couple of feet of enough megatons to make Moscow (or any other city) a memory.  So...

I was also near neighbor to a couple of one tankcar load LPG BLEVE.  The fire evacuation radius was one mile.  The actual damage zone was about 100 yards, max, from the blowout point.  Since some of my Air Force duties involved disaster control, I have a professional interest in such matters.

So now all we need is a couple of dump trucks and a front end loader to remove this pile of bovine excrement.

Chuck (semi-professional skeptic)

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Posted by schlimm on Monday, December 14, 2015 6:24 PM

tomikawaTT
all we need is a couple of dump trucks and a front end loader to remove this pile of bovine excrement.

Gee, that's really impressive reasoning!

C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, December 14, 2015 6:48 PM

The only bomb train to worry about is a DOD.  Remember Roseville.

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Posted by JOSEPH RENNER on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 2:18 PM
They mentioned that " oil trains increase risk of cancer" Doesn't everything nowadays? I think driving is more dangerous than oil trains
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Posted by tomikawaTT on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 2:29 PM

schlimm

 

 
tomikawaTT
all we need is a couple of dump trucks and a front end loader to remove this pile of bovine excrement.

 

Gee, that's really impressive reasoning!

 
So, how do you suggest removing it?  Diverting the River Styx would be something of an overkill.
 
Or do you actually approve of this kind of fearmongering?
 
Chuck (retired USAF Disaster Control responder)
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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 3:04 PM

blue streak 1

The only bomb train to worry about is a DOD.  Remember Roseville.

But that was real ordinance!

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Norm48327 on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 3:49 PM

The media panning these trains is nothing new. In the sixties, Dow Chemical ran a dedicated train on C&O carrying [who know what] chemicals through the suburbs of southeatern Michigan presumably on it's way to the Gulf Coast. There was considerable hubub in the press and on TV about it. They had people scared out of their wits worrying about a major chemical spill that never happened. A search turned up nothing but perhaps Tree 68 remembers it.

Norm


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Posted by schlimm on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 4:36 PM

tomikawaTT

 

 
schlimm

 

 
tomikawaTT
all we need is a couple of dump trucks and a front end loader to remove this pile of bovine excrement.

 

Gee, that's really impressive reasoning!

 

 

 
So, how do you suggest removing it?  Diverting the River Styx would be something of an overkill.
 
Or do you actually approve of this kind of fearmongering?
 
Chuck (retired USAF Disaster Control responder)
 

No, I already said I do not like fear-mongering and exaggerations, whoever does so.   I just don't like posts that rely on silly euphemisms for vulgar slang.

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Posted by schlimm on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 4:41 PM

Norm48327

The media panning these trains is nothing new. In the sixties, Dow Chemical ran a dedicated train on C&O carrying [who know what] chemicals through the suburbs of southeatern Michigan presumably on it's way to the Gulf Coast. There was considerable hubub in the press and on TV about it. They had people scared out of their wits worrying about a major chemical spill that never happened. A search turned up nothing but perhaps Tree 68 remembers it.

 

I don't recall that false alarm.  I recall quite well the real N&W Decatur crash of 1974.  A real bomb train.

http://herald-review.com/news/local/memories-still-strong-of-rail-explosion/article_32579a2e-1399-5b9a-b6ce-bd68efb5fa68.html

Bunk house where seven railroaders were killed.

1974 Norfolk & Western Railway Co. Explosion 3

1974 Norfolk & Western Railway Co. Explosion 1

1974 Norfolk & Western Railway Co. Explosion 5

 

 

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Posted by LensCapOn on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 5:20 PM

Wait, the "BOMB! TRAINS!" are oil trains?

I thought they were grain trains.

Have you ever seen the "after" photo of a grain elevator explosion? If a whole 100 car grain train went at once Hiroshima would look like a Bic.

 

 

(Snark?  Me?)

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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 5:30 PM

Norm48327
...perhaps Tree 68 remembers it.

The Dow "death train."  Which did, in fact, derail between Highland and Milford, although I don't remember the date.  I don't recall that there was anything spilled, however.

It ran on the CSX Saginaw Sub from the thumb down through Plymouth and on to Toledo and points south, I believe.

We used to get the "acid train" through this area - it was a real witch's brew, too.  Not a lot of hubbub, and never an incident that I know of.  I believe it takes another route now, if it runs at all.

LarryWhistling
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