NS derailment in Anniston

[Overmod]

Remains to be seen how this accident gets 'spun' but the NTSB has noted that Norfolk Southern has a rule about not carrying locomotives without alignment-control couplers together when dead-in-train; they didn't observe it with the 'block' of GP10s they received, and apparently the wedges or blocks restricting lateral alignment had been removed.

https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/RRD23LR008.aspx

There is a developing thread on RyPN about this accident, and one of the posts indicates that applying heavy dynamic without first ensuring the slack is completely out of the train can cause 'issues', including in this specific circumstance.

Note the two separate sections of derailed consist, and the likely cause thereof...

Can anyone shed light on what the constituents and concentration of the 'sodium hydrosulfide residue' were doing in a tank car?  NaSH is a granular solid with a melting point over 660 degrees F, and if in some kind of spent solution from papermaking ought to be buffered so it does not react with acids to liberate H2S.

[tree68]

Overmod

Can anyone shed light on what the constituents and concentration of the 'sodium hydrosulfide residue' were doing in a tank car? 

Any hazmat container must be placarded unless it has been completely cleaned, even if it is "empty."  There may be a standard for that amount, but I'm not aware of it.

[Backshop]

There's already another thread on this subject.

Locomotives in Alabama Derailment Lacked Couplers Specified - Trains Magazine - Trains News Wire, Railroad News, Railroad Industry News, Web Cams, and Forms

[Overmod]

Backshop

There's already another thread on this subject.

And Balt already posted the same link to the NTSB material.

Go there for further commentary.

[Juniata Man]

Overmod; the chemical company I retired from produced NaSH at a site near Mobile. When shipped by rail, it always moved in a 45% solution form in a tank car. Highway movements of the product were always in 45% solution in tank trailers or ISO's. I'm not aware of it ever being shipped in a dry form.

And, as Larry notes, a residue empty hazmat car carries the same placard as a loaded one. The placards may be removed only if the car has been cleaned and purged.

CW

[jeffhergert]

Overmod

Remains to be seen how this accident gets 'spun' but the NTSB has noted that Norfolk Southern has a rule about not carrying locomotives without alignment-control couplers together when dead-in-train; they didn't observe it with the 'block' of GP10s they received, and apparently the wedges or blocks restricting lateral alignment had been removed.

https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/RRD23LR008.aspx

There is a developing thread on RyPN about this accident, and one of the posts indicates that applying heavy dynamic without first ensuring the slack is completely out of the train can cause 'issues', including in this specific circumstance.

I think you mean to say going into dynamics to heavily before the slack is bunched in.  Not out.

A slack out condition means the train is stretched out.

Our rules allow one home road non-alignment controlled engine to be moved in a consist with alignment controlled couplers.  When there ar no alignment controlled coupler engines in a consist, up to three non-alignment controlled engines may be the consist.

Foreign line or waybilled non-alignment controlled engines must be handled as a special move.  I'm sure the proper authority can authorize exceptions to the rules.

Jeff 

[BaltACD]

I seem to recall that engines moving in revenue service on a waybill were handled as a 'restricted shipment' and had to have a Clearance Bureau clearance wire issued that specified the actions that had to be utilized for the movement on CSX.  I recall that one of the 'restrictions' on the clearance wire, was that the coupler limiting blocks had to be in place.

Needless to say, each carrier has their own requirements and methods.

[Overmod]

jeffhergert

I think you mean to say going into dynamics too heavily before the slack is bunched in.  Not out.

Yes.  What I meant is that all the slack is 'out of the train' by being run in under light dynamic before any heavier braking at the head end is applied.  (You wouldn't be stretching the consist by having the head end in dynamic and no set, would you?)