http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=10664593
On TV thay think foul play was involved. Care to elaborate? Whay were thay storing cars full of potash??? Also is it an actual parking system or the hand break?
Feel free to discuss this!
Justin
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bubbajustin http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=10664593 On TV thay think foul play was involved. Care to elaborate? Whay were thay storing cars full of potash??? Also is it an actual parking system or the hand break? Feel free to discuss this! Justin
On TV they B idiots.
Thank you for permission to discuss this. I think it was caused by a solar flare.
ML
Depending on how long the cars in question were stored there (assuming the news station got that right) someone could very well have released handbrakes. If air was bled off when these cars were stored, wouldn't they have been 'double' braked with handbrakes tied on also? I've heard of some locals switching out industries speak of wheel chocks. Would a set or two (more?) have helped in a situation like this? Hard to say without knowing the grade of the tracks in question I suppose.
Dan
Why would hoppers loaded with potash be placed in long-term storage instead of being delivered to a consumer? This story doesn't make sense in that respect. Potash is used as fertilizer, so it seems more logical for the cars to be delivered somewhere for emptying before being placed in long-term storage.
I would think there's adverse effects from leaving a fertilizer in a car like that for an extended period of time, both to the quality of the product and maybe to the car. Good thought.
greyhoundsI think it was caused by a solar flare.
That's Grassman around here/
That's what I wondered Dan. Why would they store those cars "long term" if still loaded with potash? If the cars were sitting on a hill, I do imagine that they would use chalks. Evan if thay werent I think that those cars would have there hand brake set, and the breakes charged.
The Indiana Rail Road often stores loaded cars for delivery when a customer is found. Really, not at all that unusual.
Gabe
I believe there's an general railroad operating rule that prohibits parking a cut of cars 'on the air', at least for a period of time longer than several hours.
Perhaps one of the members here who's more familiar with it can confirm and elaborate, esp. the rationale for the rule. I could see the purpose of that rule being so that crews won't get into the habit or practice of relying on the air only to hold the cars in place. Why ? Because you just know that sooner or later, there's going to be a car or cut of cars where the air leaks off faster than anyone anticipated, and without an adequate number of hand brakes being set and/ or chock[s] in place, then away they go . . .
- Paul North.
Aside from the wording of the news report, there is nothing unusual in the storage cars "in transit". I would assume that for long time "parking" there would be hand brakes and chocks and no air, and if on a siding, there could possibly be a derail in addition to a switch both of which would have to be set for the move or otherwise negotiated without derailment.
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henry6 Aside from the wording of the news report, there is nothing unusual in the storage cars "in transit". I would assume that for long time "parking" there would be hand brakes and chocks and no air, and if on a siding, there could possibly be a derail in addition to a switch both of which would have to be set for the move or otherwise negotiated without derailment.
I think you hit the nail on the head about the wording being part of the issue here. Perhaps these were stored "on air" but I suspect we'd have to wait for a report from an investigator to find out.
Paul_D_North_Jr I believe there's an general railroad operating rule that prohibits parking a cut of cars 'on the air', at least for a period of time longer than several hours. Perhaps one of the members here who's more familiar with it can confirm and elaborate, esp. the rationale for the rule. I could see the purpose of that rule being so that crews won't get into the habit or practice of relying on the air only to hold the cars in place. Why ? Because you just know that sooner or later, there's going to be a car or cut of cars where the air leaks off faster than anyone anticipated, and without an adequate number of hand brakes being set and/ or chock[s] in place, then away they go . . . - Paul North.
Although another reason for the wheel chocks is vandalism--people releasing handbrakes and/or bleeding the air.
Since our "yard" is on a grade, we always set a couple of brakes on our consist, not to mention the handbrake on the locomotive. We also throw down a chock.
It's not at all unusual to leave the consist at 5 pm with a full service application (assuming the locomotive is still attached), or an emergency application (if we broke the locomotive off the train for some reason) and arrive the next morning to find all of the air brakes released.
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CNW 6000 I would think there's adverse effects from leaving a fertilizer in a car like that for an extended period of time, both to the quality of the product and maybe to the car. Good thought.
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tree68Since our "yard" is on a grade, we always set a couple of brakes on our consist, not to mention the handbrake on the locomotive. We also throw down a chock. It's not at all unusual to leave the consist at 5 pm with a full service application (assuming the locomotive is still attached), or an emergency application (if we broke the locomotive off the train for some reason) and arrive the next morning to find all of the air brakes released.
Tree I imagine you always set handbrakes because even if it is only to set out a car something may interfeer with you getting back to that part of the train?
blue streak 1 Tree - I imagine you always set handbrakes because even if it is only to set out a car something may interfere with you getting back to that part of the train?
Tree - I imagine you always set handbrakes because even if it is only to set out a car something may interfere with you getting back to that part of the train?
We're only working with passenger cars. If we're in station and the locomotive will be remaining on-line, we may not set a brake.
However, for two of our trips each day we have to perform a run-around at each end. At the station the cars are usually empty - no passengers or crew, so no one to catch an extra brake if needed. Far better to set them in the first place.
At the distant end of the trip, the cars are occupied, and we keep someone on the train.
Either way, it's not desirable to have the cars roll on us, so at least one, and sometimes two, brakes will be set on the consist, even though the cars will be in emergency once the break is made.
.
Ok so I bet that it was the hand breaks. Seems thay should put a lock on them.
The railroad cars left their parking spot and traveled under their own power southwest nearly 4.5 miles to the end of the spur line in eastern Sullivan County
Who put the traction motors on the rolling stock? Or did they mean rolled?
TrainManTyWho put the traction motors on the rolling stock? Or did they mean rolled?
bubbajustin Ok so I bet that it was the hand breaks. Seems thay should put a lock on them.
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