NS derails coal train with known HBD warning

[blue streak 1]

Crew tried to move car to siding about 8 miles distance at 20 MPH but train derailed before reaching siding.  This may cause an industry wide changes in how HBD warnings are handled but who really knows?

Rail union says Virginia derailment renews questions about Norfolk Southern's safety practices (msn.com)

[BaltACD]

blue streak 1

Crew tried to move car to siding about 8 miles distance at 20 MPH but train derailed before reaching siding.  This may cause an industry wide changes in how HBD warnings are handled but who really knows?

Rail union says Virginia derailment renews questions about Norfolk Southern's safety practices (msn.com)

I am not conversant with NS Rules and their application.

When I was working on CSX and a HBD detected a car and the crew inspected and determined it needed to be set out - the car was to be moved at 'Walking Speed' no more than 4 MPH under observation of the crew member to the point of set out.

[SFbrkmn]

No knowledge of how NS handles hot bearing alarms. On the green n orange, expereinced two events both involving Z trains w/different method of inspections. First one was a level 2 told to us by the DS. Orders were to take it 55 miles further downline where the responder would meet us for the inspection and to set it out. Did as instructed. Upon getting off at the determined inspection point, got off, pulled the car up and found the hotbox. Bearing was smoking &  spitting grease. Set it out and continued on the merry way.                                                           Second event about three wks ago. Level 1 alarm per the ole DS. Since it was a level 1, an immediate stop/inspection was required. Towards the rear of a 7000 ft train. Pulled the axle towards me, looked it over. No smoke or grease but the cap was hot blue. Heat gun I took temp w/was like 195.Upon briefing w/the hot bearing desk and since we were 15 miles from the crew change point, the decision was made to take to town not, exceeding 10 mph. That was time consuming and sucked but made it. S/o was completed at the end of the trip.                        Sam 

[Overmod]

SFbrkmn

Upon briefing w/the hot bearing desk and since we were 15 miles from the crew change point, the decision was made to take to town not, exceeding 10 mph.

What was the temperature at the outside end of the bearing when you arrived?

This alarms me greatly, because no attempt appears to have been made to consider the state of the critical inside bearing, which is the one contributing most to the axle end separating.  Oxide bluing forms considerably hotter than 195 degrees F, it would have required substantial time at that temperature to come up to 'color', and the whole mass of the axle and its heat-sinking through the outer bearing (and inward through the wheel fit) would have to be brought to that temperature or higher first.

[tree68]

Overmod

This alarms me greatly, because no attempt appears to have been made to consider the state of the critical inside bearing, which is the one contributing most to the axle end separating.  Oxide bluing forms considerably hotter than 195 degrees F, it would have required substantial time at that temperature to come up to 'color', and the whole mass of the axle and its heat-sinking through the outer bearing (and inward through the wheel fit) would have to be brought to that temperature or higher first.

Reducing speed will greatly reduce the effect of the friction.  At 10 MPH you may still get heating, but it's far less likely to reach the point where things melt.  And if the axle end does fail, you don't end up with 50 cars accordianed across the ROW.

You can rub your hands together slowly all day long.  

If you do it  quickly, things get warm pretty quickly.

[Overmod]

Yes, but if you have rubbed your hands so that they are severely blistered, even a little additional rubbing can cause quick additional pain or damage.

[traisessive1]

On CN we're told to stay with the car and limp it to a set out point, if safe to do so, and to not exceed 10 mph when moving it. We've had numerous hot boxes that had to be changed out in place. The mainline was shut down until the truck came to change the axle.

I had guys on Reddit calling me an idiot for NOT doing what these NS guys did. 

It seems that NS is a backwards railroad and has made their crews believe that incredibly dangerous moves are normal. 

[zugmann]

traisessive1

I had guys on Reddit calling me an idiot for NOT doing what these NS guys did. 

You expect anything else from Reddit? 

[SD70Dude]

zugmann

traisessive1

I had guys on Reddit calling me an idiot for NOT doing what these NS guys did. 

You expect anything else from Reddit? 

Are we talking about the online forum or the CN Redditt Subdivision?

[Overmod]

zugmann

traisessive1

I had guys on Reddit calling me an idiot for NOT doing what these NS guys did.

You expect anything else from Reddit?

More to the point, you're concerned about what the usual run of Redditors says about this?  

[SFbrkmn]

[quote user="Overmod" 

 190 on the one dragged into Wellington at 10 mph

SFbrkmn

Upon briefing w/the hot bearing desk and since we were 15 miles from the crew change point, the decision was made to take to town not, exceeding 10 mph.

 

 

What was the temperature at the outside end of the bearing when you arrived?

 

This alarms me greatly, because no attempt appears to have been made to consider the state of the critical inside bearing, which is the one contributing most to the axle end separating.  Oxide bluing forms considerably hotter than 195 degrees F, it would have required substantial time at that temperature to come up to 'color', and the whole mass of the axle and its heat-sinking through the outer bearing (and inward through the wheel fit) would have to be brought to that temperature or higher first.

 190

[/quote]