Amtrak Derailment Philadelphia (5/12/2015)

[RampWidget]

MSNBC seems to have dumped Larry and has resumed clueful discussion without crackpot theories.

yeah, I'm going over there. The FOX talking head just asked if the locomotive was the Quiet Car.

 

[Guest]

I enjoy how they refer to the engine as 'the front car with the wind shield"

 

[FrmThruwayBusMgr]

Good grief... I thought CNN coverage & "experts" were bad... FOX is worse and their talking heads are as lost as last year's Easter egg...

So NTSB folks that are being interviewed by Fox is bad? Keep showing your Fox bias!

 

[jis]

That is the Conrail yard and it is quite normal to find tank and other freight cars there.

 

[RampWidget]

I'm curious as to what's in those tank cars, anybody have any word?

The ones I can see aren't placarded, so it's not hazmat.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

That is the Conrail yard and it is quite normal to find tank and other freight cars there.

Yes, but I'm curious as to if anything was in them. I've read unsubstantiated rumors that they were filled with unknown "chemicals", I'd appreciate if anybody had any better information...

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

The ones I can see aren't placarded, so it's not hazmat.

Good to know!

 

[AlexandriaVATraveler]

I enjoy how they refer to the engine as 'the front car with the wind shield"

Awkward wording for certain, but not really all that technically inaccurate.

Bear in mind that you don't know how much any of these talking heads ride trains, and even if they did, you wouldn't really expect them, as journalists, to know the technical details and technical jargon. And their audience is in largely the same boat, so sneer away if you must.

 

[jis]

I am waiting for CNN to bring in the lost Malaysian Airline flight into the discussion somehow

 

[RampWidget]

Good grief... I thought CNN coverage & "experts" were bad... FOX is worse and their talking heads are as lost as last year's Easter egg...

So NTSB folks that are being interviewed by Fox is bad? Keep showing your Fox bias!

Don't know who you are, but you know nothing about me and what I do or don't watch. And just because someone is with the NTSB doesn't grant them magic powers of accurate speculation. That's more a hindrance than a help, IMO.

 

[SarahZ]

I am waiting for CNN to bring in the lost Malaysian Airline flight into the discussion somehow

Don't jinx it.

 

[Alexandria Nick]

That is the Conrail yard and it is quite normal to find tank and other freight cars there.

Yes, but I'm curious as to if anything was in them. I've read unsubstantiated rumors that they were filled with unknown "chemicals", I'd appreciate if anybody had any better information...

CHEMICALS is my favorite "scary term."

Practically everything is a chemical!

 

[RampWidget]

I am waiting for CNN to bring in the lost Malaysian Airline flight into the discussion somehow

Lol

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I am waiting for CNN to bring in the lost Malaysian Airline flight into the discussion somehow

Have they brought out any 3D simulations yet? You know those GPUs are grinding as we speak!

 

[AlexandriaVATraveler]

Dihydrogen monoxide,perhaps?

That is the Conrail yard and it is quite normal to find tank and other freight cars there.

Yes, but I'm curious as to if anything was in them. I've read unsubstantiated rumors that they were filled with unknown "chemicals", I'd appreciate if anybody had any better information...

 

[Agent]

Interesting Track-A-Train screenshot on this Twitter post: http://twitter.com/AirlineFlyer/status/598336725195296768.

 

[PRR 60]

A 100% unconfirmed report with a screenshot from Amtrak's Track-a-Train shows Train 188 entering the curve from the west at 106mph. That would be grossly overspeed for this curve, and overspeed for the railroad approaching the curve. If that is true, it is very, very bad.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

lol, and oldie but a goodie!

Dihydrogen monoxide,perhaps?

 

[Guest]

FOX News just wheeled out SUlly for expert commentary.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

A 100% unconfirmed report with a screenshot from Amtrak's Track-a-Train shows Train 188 entering the curve from the west at 106mph. That would be grossly overspeed for this curve, and overspeed for the railroad approaching the curve. If that is true, it is very, very bad.

Mostly unconfirmed, but not 100%. A local news reporter claims Amtrak "source" confirmed that Amtrak knows how fast the train was going and that it was "very fast".

https://twitter.com/AdamTuss/status/598336116786372609

 

[Eric S]

MSNBC seems to have dumped Larry and has resumed clueful discussion without crackpot theories.

Seems you may have written that too soon. He was back just a bit ago. Maybe this time he is gone for good.

 

[PRR 60]

A similar report from the NBC Washington transportation reporter indicates that Amtrak already knows the speed of the train as it entered the curve from a remote data downloaded from the ACS-64. The Amtrak "source" told him that the train was traveling "very fast" entering the curve.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

FBI at this point is saying it doesn't appear to be a act of terrorism. IF the train was doing 106 Why did it go that fast and why didn't the systems in place stop it? maybe a medical issue with the engineer and he slumped over on the throttle?

 

[Eric S]

If the signals and such were working properly, what would happen if a train was traveling at 106mph entering a 50mph curve? Would it force an automatic speed reduction?

I don't mean to speculate that this is what happened - just wondering how the system is designed to work.

 

[SarahZ]

106?

Could this be one of those goofy GPS issues, like when my walking app says I'm walking 8 mph because of a hiccup? The speed on my app usually resolves itself a minute later. I imagine the same happens with Track-a-Train, as it isn't perfect either.

I'm not saying the train wasn't speeding, but 106 seems a bit odd, considering the speed limit in that area.