What is the most common cause of derailments?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by M.W. Hemphill

QUOTE: EIGHTWHEELER wrote: I am asking for the specific causes of derailment because I am wondering what would be necessary to reduce their frequency.

Why? What is your agenda? The industry doesn't feel the derailment frequency is excessive. Are you worried about the derailment of one car in a yard? The high-speed derailment of a passenger train that kills passengers? What statistic alarms you?

First allow me to apologize for being away from the forum for so long.

QUOTE: [i]
Why? What is your agenda? The industry doesn't feel the derailment frequency is excessive.

Permit me to tell you a bit about myself.
My background, 20 years ago was in cross court trucking, I then changed careers to the communications industry. Now I'm retired.

QUOTE: Why? What is your agenda?

Simply public safety.

QUOTE: The industry doesn't feel the derailment frequency is excessive.

Of course they don't, especially if it would entail large costs to correct it. Do I know this? No, I don't but I am presuming that it would because it probably mean replacing hundreds of thousands of railroad ties that are unstable.

QUOTE: What makes you think the cleanup costs are astronomical?

When a train derails without falling over
#1 there is an interruption is service, so just the loss of income per hour is not small. #2 Then there is the calling out of whatever type of equipment is used to put the cars back on the track.
#3 Then there is the track replacement/repair for the damaged section.
#4 Then there would be a inspection of some type to determine if the cars are able to be used without being replaced. If they need to be replaced then there is the cargo transfer.
#5Then there is the loss of scheduled freight delivery which costs the receiver money. Possible insurance claims. If the cargo is damaged there would be a call for another load to be shipped.

I am positive that I have left out other things of which I'm not aware. One where the cars are all strewn about would only increase the costs.

QUOTE: I continue to read about the supposed convictions of railroad executives in the prevention of accidents. I am curious if you old timers think more should be done.

QUOTE: Convictions as in moral convictions? Convictions as in the legal system? To what are you referring?

Supposed moral convictions. These are the same moral convictions preached by the exexcutive of every large corporation. Their concern is not for the individual or the family, but is the cost absorbable in this quarter. (Yes, I know quite a few of this class of execs now and we have discussed employee deaths)

QUOTE: I see the population continually rising in the lower 48, daily tonnage is also continually rising. When was the last time someone laid 500 miles of new track to reduce costs and lower accidents per mile?

Are you talking new construction on a location where there never was a track at all? Or relay of rail, ties, etc.? Rail, ties, and ballast are laid every day, and track geometry improved every day, to reduce costs and improve reliability.

I'm referring to new construction on a location where there never was a track at all?

QUOTE: The ridiculous statement "We are insured" is a poor substitution for self responsibility as the frequency of derailments and insurance premiums continue to climb.

QUOTE:
I have no idea what you are talking about. Who is making that statement? What frequency of derailments is continuing to rise? Whose insurance premiums are continuing to climb?

"We are insured"; is a common phrase that is used by salesmen and executives trying to convince the customer that no matter what happens you won't lose any money. Personaly, I find it disgusting. Tell me about your on time delivery record instead.

Last month I read of a derailment on the switchback (switchback is probably the wrong term) (halfway up the mountain) coming East out of Bakersfield. The train was doing 10 or 20 mph.

Whose insurance premiums are continuing to climb?
The railroad industry as a whole which influences the costs of shipping by rail and the bet income of the rail line.

Do we not have an electronic device that can read the solidity of a tie or is it necessary to actually drive a spike into one to determine the quality of the center? I'm not an electronics engineer but I think something like this should be quite simple to design.

It strikes me as astonishingly rude to not have any training and expertise and presume to tell someone with years of training and expertise what should be simple for them to design. What makes you think such a device is even necessary?

Then Sir, you will have to consider me an "astonishingly rude" individual for bringing the subject out in public. I apologize, but I don't feel I'm like;y to change at this late date. We have devices which permit law enforcement to remain 500 feet from your home and watch you move from room to room, or they can do the same from a helicopter. The metal detectors which will search the ground down Lord only knows how deep,. The fish detectors which are amazingly accurate in defining the vegetation below your boat and show you right where to make to most likely successful cast, then I see no difficulty at all in asking the private industry to develop a tool that would allow a moving vehicle to chart the rot that railroad ties are suffering.

The only possible reason why I can see the railroad companies for not doing such a thing is they are afraid of the answers. I would imagine their track maintenence engineers have a pretty good idea now just using their historical area charts. Such a device would allow others to do the same. That could get expensive, couldn't it?

Now, let me get to the real reason why I started this thread. While I was trucking I hauled hazardous chemicals. Many times, the kind that one good whiff of would kill you in minutes. Our railroads also haul them.

I live outside Reno, Nevada and it is not unusual for me to see 50 or more pressurized tank cars sitting in Sparks waiting to be connected to the locomotive for delivery.

I have never been attached to the Special Forces, just an old SeaBee, but I am concerned because of how easy it would be for a terrorist to open the unloading valves or set off a few of these cars. The rail line isn't protected from such an event with decent security forces.

The rail yards I know of are all located in or close to large cities where the deaths from hazardous gasses could be enormous. Many of these gasses do not rise to dissipate. They follow the ground and spread out killing every oxygen consuming plant or animal they come in contact with. A gentle ten mph wind would be vary hazardous to all emergency crews and residents in the area if they weren't fully aware of just what they were dealing with. Many time the combination of various gasses, which I will not name will make them deadlier.

I hope you understand the reasons why I am concerned about this hazard to where you can understand and agree that some changes are in order. I would much rather see this done under the sole control of the railroad lines without any more government involvement.

I apologize for my poor formatting, but I'm still learning how.

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