News Wire: Train derails and catches fire in Saskatchewan

[Brian Schmidt]

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan — Canadian Pacific says one of its trains derailed about 6:15 a.m. in Saskatchewan. Media in Western Canada are reporting that the derailed and caught fire, with multiple outlets posting images of large flames illuminat...

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2020/02/06-train-derails-and-catches-fire-in-saskatchewan

[Euclid]

It is another oil train derailment with tank cars jackknifed into a tight pack side to side.

[NDG]

 

FYI.

 

CP 7016. Heritage Unit, Block Paint Scheme.

 

Was one of the locomotives on train in derailment near Guernsey, SK.

 

Time 1:47 in Video.

 

https://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/slowdown-ordered-after-second-train-carrying-oil-derails-near-sask-town-1.4799721

 

Thank You.

[Miningman]

Oh no.  A brand new heritage unit of all things. Know that area, have friends in Lanigan. Not good, not good at all. 

[Overmod]

Hoo boy, speed restriction to 40 km/h.  That'll tie up those single mains.  And we thought it was bad when key trains were supposed to be held to 40mph...

[dwill49965]

Or probably what you'll see is a sudden increase in the number of trains that have only 19 cars or less of hazardous goods.

[charlie hebdo]

Several derailed trains lately.  A function of weather?  This winter has been fairly mild. 

[Overmod]

charlie hebdo

Several derailed trains lately.  A function of weather?

I think it's more just incredibly bad luck and circumstance (in the case of the duplicate incidents on CP).  Will be interested to see if it is 'more'.  

I did note the clever use of 'heavy telephoto' in a couple of the media 'track shots', perhaps to 'subliminally' suggest poor track line, surface, or maintenance...

[Eastrail11]

Judging by what I have seen in the areal video from ABC

https://abcnews.go.com/International/fiery-freight-train-derailment-prompts-canada-enact-30/story?id=68808691

It seems like that the cars derailed on a switch, which seems to be part of a WYE. Also it looks like the derailment was not close to the engines, so the heritage unit should be safe. 

[SD70Dude]

R19W0320
Date:
Occurrence Type:
Time:
ACCIDENT Accident/Incident Type: MAIN-TRACK TRAIN DERAILMENT
2019-12-09 12:00 Classification: BEING ASSESSED
Province: Nearest Town/City:
Subdivision Owner:
Subdivision Name:
SASKATCHEWAN WOLVERINE
CP - CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY CO.
SUTHERLAND Subdivision Mileage: 48.70
Location:
Details:
DG Cars Involved:
Train Operator:
Yard Name:
33
CP - CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY CO.
DG Released: 0
Spur Name: Spur Mileage:
Injuries:
Fatal: 0 Serious: 0 Minor: 0
Occurrence Summary:
Eastward CP unit oil train operating DP at 45 mph derailed lines 1-34 at mile 48.7 Sutherland Sub. Derailed are 1 hopper (sand) and
33 tank cars loaded with Petroleum crude oil – UN1267. No injuries. Unknown at this time how many cars have caught fire. TSB
investigators from Gatineau, Toronto and Winnipeg deployed and assessing

[Overmod]

Is that Gatineau as in Quebec, Longest Bar in the Gatineau?

Forgive me for violating honorary Canadian status -- but are the Gatineau and the Toronto area actually the closest points of response for TSB personnel (other than Winnipeg of course)?

[SD70Dude]

Besides Winnipeg, I believe the nearest TSB field office is located in Calgary, and the investigators there are currently handling a number of other rail investigations, including the runaways at Field and Luscar.

Being across the river from Ottawa, the TSB's headquarters is located in Gatineau.  The bigwigs must be coming out to see this incident for themselves.

Transport Canada has issued new speed limits for trains carrying large amounts of dangerous goods.  They are now restricted to 25 mph on all lines.  And 20 mph in urban areas (these zones were previously 35 mph).

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ottawa-orders-trains-carrying-dangerous-goods-to-reduce-speed-after/

[SD70Dude]

Eastrail11

Judging by what I have seen in the areal video from ABC

https://abcnews.go.com/International/fiery-freight-train-derailment-prompts-canada-enact-30/story?id=68808691

It seems like that the cars derailed on a switch, which seems to be part of a WYE. Also it looks like the derailment was not close to the engines, so the heritage unit should be safe. 

The burning cars are located here:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/51%C2%B052'13.3%22N+105%C2%B010'10.7%22W/@51.870353,-105.1718317,489m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x0!7e2!8m2!3d51.870353!4d-105.1696432

The wye is the junction with CP's spur into the Lanigan potash mine. 

The locomotive (ES44AC 9362) and cars shown in some pictures are the tail end of the train.  From available information it appears that the lead locomotive consist did not derail either, and the crew was able to escape the derailment site with them.  The remote appears to then have been used to pull most of the undamaged cars away from the fire. 

Kudos to whomever was crazy enough to walk that close to the fire to close the angle cock and pull the pin.

While the following is pure speculation, this type of derailment is characteristic of a track defect.  For some reason the locomotives often seem to make it through bad spots, only for the cars behind them to fall off.