Last 12 Cars of a Loaded BNSF Coal Train derailed in Mendota not sure which one here is a Story on it from my local Paper.
http://www.mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=424317
The article said 122 car coal train pulled by only two engines? Seems like they'd need more than that for a 122 car loaded coal train...
Sawtooth500 The article said 122 car coal train pulled by only two engines? Seems like they'd need more than that for a 122 car loaded coal train...
Coal isn't going anywhere very fast and a pair of locos on the front end will provide 8000-8800 HP. Also consider that BRC used to pull 150 loads of coal into Rail To Water Transfer with just a pair of heavily ballasted C424's.
This quote from the linked article:
As of early Friday night, the cause was unknown, but there were reports the cars had been swaying before they tipped.
Can anyone comment on what that might mean, 'cars had been swaying before they tipped?' It might be an indication of what? I realize you would be speculating or generalizing. Thanks.
Nance-CCABW/LEI
“Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” --Will Rogers
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right! --unknown
I pulled many coal trains over 122 cars with two units on the E-W main between Clinton and Proviso before DPU's were put into regular use. Our Plaines trains were the first ones to go 126 cars in length along with the Newton coal trains before they went via St. Louis, while most of the other trains were still running around 115 cars or so. I think the PP trains might have been longer too.When I would leave Clinton, if I hit Acker Rd around 34mph or so I knew I had good power. I would top the hill at Union Grove around 20-22 mph if everything was going well. As a rule of thumb, just from experience, I could figure on topping Dixon hill about 5 or so mph below that, and topping Creston hill about 5 mph below Dixon hill. There were many times though in bad weather, or after stopping for the BN at Rochelle and I didnt have a 35mph run for the hill at Creston, I would top the hill there in single digits. When I was a conductor in the mid 90s before going to engineers training, we got a 126 car Plaines train out of Nelson siding. 10mph till we were all on the main, and then there was a train stopped at Nachusa the disp failed to tell us about. Got train control and wound up stopping on the middle of Dixon hill, in a light rain. In one of the most impressive things I have ever seen, the engineer released the brakes, went out to the 5th notch, and walked that train out of there, with two units. Dixon hill is a four mile grade around .70-.75 percent.
Greetings and welcome, Altafest, from a retired UP/CNW yard employee at Proviso!
I was a little surprised to hear that Creston Hill took more out of you than Dixon Hill, but then realized that you probably had a hard time making a good run at it even slowing down for the BNSF at Rochelle (even if you didn't have to stop).
Nance, this is pure speculation, but if I were determining a cause for this wreck I'd be interested in knowing more about the cars rocking--did it start at one spot (near the derailment) or had it been going on for a while? If the latter, this might be an instance where truck hunting could be the culprit. Haven't heard of it much on coal cars, though. If the former, it could have just been a soft spot in the roadbed--possibly something that had thawed a little more quickly (maybe some salt fell off a car roof at this point--it could be almost any innocent thing like that that would start something like this). A train full of heavy loads would make a soft spot softer in a hurry, and the rocking as the cars went into the spot and recovered--and over-recovered--might make the entire roadbed around it suspect.
This derailment did result in some Amtrak trains being rerouted: east of Galesburg they took the former Santa Fe to Joliet, then the former GM&O into Chicago (the Santa-Fe-all-the-way route has been cut east of Corwith).
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
Hey Carl, when did you pull the big trigger and retire from UP? Maybe we'll see you out at Eola more this year once the weather warms a bit more? Hope so.
Last July, Jim! No less busy, but I can sleep in another hour or two.
As for Eola, I certainly wouldn't mind getting out there when I can (no longer have to wait until after work). One of these times I hope to build up the energy to bike out there again (there's this nice bike path...).
All the loaded coal trains off the BNSF on the CN have two units in front and one unit in the rear.
Andrew
Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer
No, the coal loads down on the Mendota Sub usually only have two units, both on the head end. Some of these do have a third motor in dpu into Galesburg where it is taken off.
I've been along the line quite a bit during the past year (shooting the old searchlight signals that are going to be replaced) and seen quite a few coal trains. Most of them are just two SD70MACs/SD70ACEs or ES44ACs on the head end. About one in three coal loads will be dpu'ed with a third loco on the rear.
Trains going to the CN enroute to Green Bay, WI will usually have a dpu since they make a reverse move in the Chicago area and the rear unit will then lead the train northward over the CN.
Lance
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