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Train derailment in Australian desert

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  • Member since
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Train derailment in Australian desert
Posted by pm_1225 on Monday, February 9, 2009 6:36 PM

A week or so ago an eastbound intermodal derailed in a washaway 12 miles into its run across the Trans Australain railway east of Kalgoorlie in Wetern Australia.

This was not the most spectacular derailment but behind the two locomtives is a coach where off duty crews ride considering the derailment was at 70 about miles per hour and a container landed on the west end of the coach it didn't suffer that severe damage.

A photo of the coach and other photos of this derailment are at:

http://westernrails.com/West_Aust_railscene_e_Mag_issue_seven.pdf  

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Posted by selector on Monday, February 9, 2009 6:42 PM

The link won't work for me...."page doesn't exist".

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Posted by Modelcar on Monday, February 9, 2009 6:59 PM

.....Not for me either....same reason.

Quentin

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Posted by pm_1225 on Monday, February 9, 2009 7:03 PM

 Try:  http;//www.westernrails.com

that does exist and paste URL into your browser, then scroll down to issue seven.

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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Monday, February 9, 2009 10:44 PM
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Posted by Modelcar on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 9:05 AM

Great photos of the very serious accident.

Quentin

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  • From: Central Valley California
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Posted by passengerfan on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 10:03 AM

Just goes to show thw strength of Budd cars. They truly were well built.

Al - in - Stockton

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 10:19 AM

Al -

I thought that, too, when I saw those photos.  I think it was Railway Man who recently described the US passenger car specs as requiring them to be essentially the equivalent of a bank vault or safe on railroad wheels.  These photos show why.  Meanwhile, the containers blew apart all over the place, as the photos also show - that's amazing, too.

Thanks for sharing the link and photos.

- Paul North.

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by pm_1225 on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 6:48 PM

Something I should have advised when I first opened this thread.

None of the three man crew on this train, two in the locomotive and one in the coach suffered serious injury only minor cuts and extensive bruising being allowed to go home after treatment at hospital.

They were all very fortunate.

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