High winds that ripped across much of the Canadian and American West yesterday afternoon might be to blame for a pair of derailments on two separate CN lines in Alberta. One incident near Huxley, AB; the other on the Battle River bridge west of Fabyan, AB. News link below shows doublestacks strewn across the ground, as well as a prior derailment at Battle River just a few years ago:
https://globalnews.ca/news/3809965/fire-crews-respond-to-central-alberta-train-derailment/
Assuming the derailments were caused by wind, wouldn't the railroad's operating managers know how strong a 90 degree wind, as an example, a moving train could sustain before it needed to stop?
Airplanes have crosswind limits, which are stated in the aircraft's operating manual. On more than one occasion I have diverted to my alternate airport because the cross winds at my original destination were more than my airplane could handle safely.
Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII
There are wind detectors at both ends of the Battle River trestle, and there are specific restrictions for double-stacked empty containers.
But this was an exceptionally strong storm with exceptionally strong gusts which appeared out of nowhere in my area, it may well have been that the train was already crossing the bridge (perhaps at a slower speed due to the storm) when an especially powerful gust blew in and did the damage.
The previous grain train derailment on the bridge was not wind-related, been a few years but I believe that one was caused by a cracked wheel.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
There also were 5 cars of a CP train that caught fire near the Agrium elevator in the Gleichen area, which is described as wind related.
I have been following RR development in southern Alberta for about 60 years and I don't recall anything quite like this. I have been reading about grassfires in places I haven't thought about in years. With the urbanization of Alberta, I think there are fewer people left in those areas to fight these fires and the fires are getting out of control like never before.
Doublestacks operating in 60-80 MPH winds is something that is still kind of new to us as well, relatively speaking.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
Live update (earlier) from the bridge this morning:
https://globalnews.ca/news/3810003/train-cars-derail-off-trestle-bridge-in-central-alberta-witness/
Bruce Kelly (10-18 / 10-18A):
Your living in the northern western U.S. makes those wrecks of special interest to you. It definitely sounds as if the derailments were wind related. Those winds must have come up exceptionally fast, and strong.
I live in the High Desert of Southern California, about 100 railroad miles from the famed Tehachapi Pass. Quite often very strong winds cause both BNSF and UP dispatchers to order trains to park right on the mainline until the winds subside. Those stopped trains could be there for 20 minutes or seven hours.
In the cases you reported, it sounds like the gusts came up out of nowhere, with little time for train crews to take evasive action. They, too, may have had little experience with such gusts, unlike on Tehachapi and the related Mojave Desert with strong gusts being old hat for crews.
Thanks for posting.
K.P.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.
We had a front come through here (NY) on Sunday. In the course of a few seconds I went from dry roads to blinding rain, with plenty of wind to accompany it.
A year or so ago, a storm came through the area - there were a few reports of wind damage, but none like an area I reported to NWS where the damage was confined to a narrow swath maybe 100 feet wide by a half mile, more or less, which blew down a number of trees and levelled an old garage.
Mother Nature can be funny like that.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Bruce KellyOne incident near Huxley, AB; the other on the Battle River bridge west of Fabyan, AB.
Huxley is on CN's Edomonton-Calgary line.
Fabyan is on the CN Transcontinental Line.
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