5 top causes of rr acidents

[Randy Stahl]

We have the ability to put the iron and steel back together. We can make a RR from a pile of twisted metal . We cannot do the same with the human body, derailments happen every day, some can be prevented . We only hope that everybody walks away and is able to go home to their familys after work.
Randy

[Anonymous]

Sorry..........Im just to Quick!
BNSFrailfan.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

Case in point: A friend was working a conductor job last week. The train was making a shove and my buddy was riding the point. Crossing a grade crossing the train was struck by a vehicle, my coworker had his legs amputated by the car crashing into the corner of the boxcar.
Randy

Ouch. Hate to hear that. Condolences...

LC

[espeefoamer]

You beat me to it! That's what I was going to say.This was the cause of the BNSF vs.Metrolink wreck near Atwood, last year.

[Anonymous]

"FALLING ASLEEP" at the throttle!
BNSFrailfan.

[MP57313]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mudchicken

We all forgot the most important one: GRAVITY! [:D]
<snip>
Roadmasters Lament: Broken rails at a derailment site are often the result/aftermath of a derailment, not the cause. The report says "broken rail", but the operating nimrod cannot see beyond the obvious when he turns in the report.

If you were to back up one step from the broken rail, would the most common cause (maybe as a sub-category to Gravity) be "wide gauge" or "out of gauge" or "out of level"?

Some years back I got a gift of train videos (made by the RRs, not railfan videos). One was from the Santa Fe, which mounted a camera underneath a freight car frame to see how the freight car wheels moved while the train was "at speed". The video was very grainy but did show the car wheels lifting up at certain spots, but no derailment.

MP

[CShaveRR]

I would submit that equipment failures probably cause more derailments than signal failures...things like hotboxes, shifted loads, dragging equipment, etc.

(No, hotboxes are not a thing of the past...with roller bearings there may be fewer of them, but things go from bad to worse a lot more quickly.)

[locomutt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Randy Stahl

Case in point: A friend was working a conductor job last week. The train was making a shove and my buddy was riding the point. Crossing a grade crossing the train was struck by a vehicle, my coworker had his legs amputated by the car crashing into the corner of the boxcar.
Randy

Man. My codolences.I know it won't bring his legs back,but when
Police came,I hope the auto driver got locked up.

There is NO call for something like that to happen. Your friend was doing his
job,very much looks like the auto driver wasn't doing his by looking
where they were going.

[Randy Stahl]

Case in point: A friend was working a conductor job last week. The train was making a shove and my buddy was riding the point. Crossing a grade crossing the train was struck by a vehicle, my coworker had his legs amputated by the car crashing into the corner of the boxcar.
Randy

[locomutt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Limitedclear

1. Human Error (Trespassing)
2. Human Error (Motorist)
3. Human Error (Railroad)
4. Track Problem
5. Signal Problem

Would be my guess...

LC

I wouldn't exactually call that a guess.

There's more truth in that than you know.

Wait a minute,we all forgot one,and it doesn't really,totally
fall in to the human error catigorey. It's called "IDIOTS"

[Anonymous]

Idiots driving and what-not, not the crew was what I meant if it was taken the wrong way.

[JoeKoh]

Human Error-yaking on your freakin phone when you should be watching for trains.
stay safe
Joe

[mudchicken]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Limitedclear

QUOTE: Originally posted by MP57313

Good guess. I have no idea if there are current "official statistics"

If you are talking about derailments, #4 would likely move to the head of the list. The derailments that get general news coverage seem to be mostly track-caused

Check out

www.fra.gov

for what it's worth...........................................LC

We all forgot the most important one: GRAVITY! [:D]

What you are looking at in the FRA notes are the "FRA reportable derailments" that meet a damage threshold of $6370/$6700 or more to track or equipment. (No Labor costs)...It does not show every time a wheel hits the ground, every time a switch crew shoves 10 cars into a track that holds 6 cars, bypass knuckles, overspeed couple, running over derails or running thru rigid switches. The original statement almost requires a Clintonesque response of "define accidents"(?) ....The numbers are just that, figures without explanation / not the whole story. Those figures do not usually include pedestrians and motorists going stupid in the zone surrounding an operating railroad.

Old legend #1 around the railroads is the one about the department whose supervisor who gets to the derailment scene "last" winds up as accepting/ being the cause of the derailment in the closeout report.[X-)]

Old legend #2 is that trainmasters, yardmasters and superintendents can see "wide gage" from 50 miles away through the little holes in their radio microphones and cell phone receivers.[8D]

Old legend #3 is that dispatchers can tell you how much a derailment costs (always less than $6370) and how long it should take to fix track and re-rail cars (always 10% of what it actually takes)[%-)]

Roadmasters Lament: Broken rails at a derailment site are often the result/aftermath of a derailment, not the cause. The report says "broken rail", but the operating nimrod cannot see beyond the obvious when he turns in the report.


[banghead][banghead][banghead]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by MP57313

Good guess. I have no idea if there are current "official statistics"

If you are talking about derailments, #4 would likely move to the head of the list. The derailments that get general news coverage seem to be mostly track-caused

Check out

www.fra.gov

for what it's worth.

LC

[MP57313]

QUOTE: Originally posted by csxengineer98

define people being stupid?
csx engineer

[csxengineer98]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Blue Ridge Front

People being stupid as usual. What happens in most cases.

define people being stupid?
csx engineer

[Anonymous]

People being stupid as usual. What happens in most cases.

[MP57313]

Good guess. I have no idea if there are current "official statistics"

If you are talking about derailments, #4 would likely move to the head of the list. The derailments that get general news coverage seem to be mostly track-caused

[Junctionfan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Limitedclear

1. Human Error (Trespassing)
2. Human Error (Motorist)
3. Human Error (Railroad)
4. Track Problem
5. Signal Problem

Would be my guess...

LC

That would be my guess.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Limitedclear

1. Human Error (Trespassing)
2. Human Error (Motorist)
3. Human Error (Railroad)
4. Track Problem
5. Signal Problem

Would be my guess...

LC

I agree. But how about natural disasters, (meaning ice, rain, etc)

[Anonymous]

1. Human Error (Trespassing)
2. Human Error (Motorist)
3. Human Error (Railroad)
4. Track Problem
5. Signal Problem

Would be my guess...

LC

[Anonymous]

[8D] TGIF !!! hi fellow rail fans. i notice so many rr acidents in last year and this year. why so many and also please what are the top 5 reasons for accidents on the main lines? thank you for your help. GOD BLESS AMERICA[:)] lee boy