Derailment of Cascades #501, DuPont WA, 2017-12-18

[SARGuy]

::::::::WILD SPECULATION FOLLOWS::::::::
Like I said, I'm not a train guy, but it seems that if at the join between the concrete ties and the wooden ties, becomes.... I don't know...."unweighted" and then hit an irregularity in the rail, would that be enough?
the flange on the inside of the wheel is pretty deep, no? 5" maybe? That'd be a big bounce.

 

[john small berries]

Now we're really into the "What if Superman had landed in **** Germany" phase of the uninformed crash postmortem on the boards (not just this one).

Until we actually hear something from someone who actually knows something, Occam's Razor is the best explanation.

 

[niemi24s]

There appears to be a slight misalignment/height difference there, perhaps 5mm.

Please tell us how you were able to say this.

 

[TrackWalker]

There appears to be a slight misalignment/height difference there, perhaps 5mm.

Please tell us how you were able to say this.

I noticed it too, in one of the many photographs of the derailment.

Orange paint typically marks the POD (Point of Derailment) where a train left the rail.

Past the POD the track is lined inward for a short distance. (straight railed look, churned ballast on the low side) Most likely where the cars derailing to the inside of the curve pushed it inward as they bounced against it and then over it.

 

[SARGuy]

A colleague who was on the scene showed me a camera phone picture.

Does that work for you?

 

[niemi24s]

A colleague who was on the scene showed me a camera phone picture.

Does that work for you?

It certainly does - thanks. From what you had written previously, it sounded as if you had somehow seen the 5mm in the photo you had posted.

Just trying to separate fact from speculation and opinion.

 

[SARGuy]

Good lord no....50 year-old eyes.

FWIW, I couldn't tell form the pic if there was much lateral movement at that joint, just the vertical.

 

[John Bobinyec]

Cause or Effect

The problem with looking at track damage/deformation at a derailment site is to decide whether it was there before or after the derailment. Only experts like the NTSB, FRA, etc..., can figure that out.

jb

 

[Green Maned Lion]

What makes you think they can?

 

[lo2e]

What makes you think they can?

I'm not JB, but there might be evidence that would reveal whether or not there was damage prior to the accident. I don't have any idea what that evidence might be, but chances are FRA/Amtrak/NTSB/etc. are more likely to see it than I would if it's there.

 

[pennyk]

Third victim identified: Benjamin Gran

http://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/Amtrak-Crash-Seattle-3rd-Victim-12445593.php

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Third victim identified: Benjamin Gran

http://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/Amtrak-Crash-Seattle-3rd-Victim-12445593.php

Why did that article have to go on and on about his past conviction.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[BobWeaver]

I was considering trying to take this train to be part of the inaugural run. My last flight on the 17th (IST-SNN-ATL) was delayed multiple times, and had I stayed on time I most likely would have gotten stuck in the Atlanta fiasco anyway. This is definitely a black eye for the Cascades.

IST-SNN-ATL?

What airline flies that?

None, at least nonstop.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Third victim identified: Benjamin Gran

http://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/Amtrak-Crash-Seattle-3rd-Victim-12445593.php

Why did that article have to go on and on about his past conviction.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

Becuse pwople who do anything at all wrong in life- esp. those who fart- deserve no quarter,

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Third victim identified: Benjamin Gran

http://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/Amtrak-Crash-Seattle-3rd-Victim-12445593.php

Why did that article have to go on and on about his past conviction.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

Agreed. Seems unnecessay.

It's also quite sad, and hits very close to home, that the 3 confirmed dead were train / Amtrak enthusiasts.

 

[Rover]

Remember there was a Conductor in the cab on a qualifying run. So there were two people in the cab, the Engineer and the Conductor on a qualifying run. The Conductor on duty on the train was of course in the body of the train, not in the engine.

And so goes the clamoring for having two people in the cab to prevent accidents...

Amtrak will pay derailment costs, governor says

http://www.thenewstribune.com/latest-news/article190939969.html

Gov. Jay Inslee released a statement Wednesday confirming that Amtrak has agreed to pay derailment costs following Monday’s tragic event in DuPont that killed three passengers.

“The swift response to this tragedy has been the result of cooperation from all the involved jurisdictions,” Inslee said in the release. “The priority has been on taking care of those on board the train and restoring access to I-5 as soon as safely possible.

“This response, however, does not come without financial costs.”

Inslee spoke with Amtrak president and co-CEO Richard Anderson about the matter Wednesday.

 

[Rover]

Gents (and Ladies too, I reckon)

I'm not a train enthusiast, but I am local to this event and have been following this thread with great interest.

A tremendous amount of data and detail, I must say.

Thank you for that.

Re: the folks who were discussing transporting engine 1402 from the scene, these pics came across this AM and I thought you might find it interesting.

Cheers,

Ron

I have never seen a contraption like that.

It's a superload trailer.

http://www.diamondheavyhaul.com/equipment.htm

I saw something like that once moving a giant generator to some kind of a mining site. It was 3am in the morning, and the utility company was taking down the traffic light cables across the roadway, because the generator was so tall.

 

[west point]

Since BNSF dispatches this spur did they also design and build the signal system under sub contract ?

 

[XHRTSP]

I was considering trying to take this train to be part of the inaugural run. My last flight on the 17th (IST-SNN-ATL) was delayed multiple times, and had I stayed on time I most likely would have gotten stuck in the Atlanta fiasco anyway. This is definitely a black eye for the Cascades.

IST-SNN-ATL?

What airline flies that?

My airline does every few days on behalf of Turkish Cargo.

 

[daybeers]

Here is the latest post of Washington State Patrol's blog, and a short quote from it: https://wspinsideout.wordpress.com/2017/12/20/our-thanks-to-you/

I think everyone can agree it has been a long couple of days. Just a little more than 50 hours after an Amtrak passenger train derailed in DuPont, Interstate 5 has reopened for public use.

As of this afternoon, December 20, 2017, the two left lanes are open, with a set reduced speed of 45 mph. All three lanes are expected to be open by tomorrow morning.

 

[aewanabe]

I was considering trying to take this train to be part of the inaugural run. My last flight on the 17th (IST-SNN-ATL) was delayed multiple times, and had I stayed on time I most likely would have gotten stuck in the Atlanta fiasco anyway. This is definitely a black eye for the Cascades.

IST-SNN-ATL?

What airline flies that?

My airline does every few days on behalf of Turkish Cargo.

Atlas/Kalitta? (Jetblue here)

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[junebug]

After slamming Amtrak regarding life saving safety device, a little blurb at the end of the article finally acknowledges that funding has been cut.

"Joseph Boardman, a former chief executive of Amtrak, said the company could have had the system in place throughout the corridor more than 15 years ago if Congress had not kept cutting the railroad’s funding. “It’s the same problem that you see everywhere with the infrastructure funding — not enough being available to do the job,” he said."

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/us/amtrak-train-safety.html?_r=0

 

[Green Maned Lion]

That goes without saying. We demand the world, fund a marble, cut taxes, and then seem shocked that the result is things don’t work right. We have this basic expectation that we can have all of it for nothing. *shrugs*

 

[SP&S]

That goes without saying. We demand the world, fund a marble, cut taxes, and then seem shocked that the result is things don’t work right. We have this basic expectation that we can have all of it for nothing. *shrugs*

Ah yes, "My taxes are too high! Cut taxes! My taxes are too high! When is somebody going to fix these potholes?" If you want it, you have to pay for it.

 

[LookingGlassTie]

It's sad that so many people have appointed themselves judge, jury and executioner where the engineer is concerned. It's pretty much a case of "people were hurt/killed, and somebody has to answer for it".