Separation anxiety

henry kisor · Aug 8, 2012

The other day as the Algoma Central milk train approached Hearst, the locomotive became uncoupled from the three-car train and both parts stopped safely about 50-75 yards apart as the air brakes did their thing. Took 20 minutes to make sure the hardware was OK and recouple up and get going again.

I didn't think there was any peril, and the jolly conductor kept smiling, although his was probably a forced smile. We were 1.5 hours late already.

My question: How common are train separations?

Also, how seriously does the railroad take them? Are there investigations and consequences? Or are separations just part of railroading, to be taken in stride?

I experienced one other separation, about 20 years ago when the Zephyr lost its last coach in the Sierra. Fortunately no one was walking between cars when it happened. The rest of the train backed up, recoupled and went on its way.

cirdan · Aug 8, 2012

henry kisor said:
The other day as the Algoma Central milk train approached Hearst, the locomotive became uncoupled from the three-car train and both parts stopped safely about 50-75 yards apart as the air brakes did their thing. Took 20 minutes to make sure the hardware was OK and recouple up and get going again.

I didn't think there was any peril, and the jolly conductor kept smiling, although his was probably a forced smile. We were 1.5 hours late already.

My question: How common are train separations?

Also, how seriously does the railroad take them? Are there investigations and consequences? Or are separations just part of railroading, to be taken in stride?

I experienced one other separation, about 20 years ago when the Zephyr lost its last coach in the Sierra. Fortunately no one was walking between cars when it happened. The rest of the train backed up, recoupled and went on its way.

I believe separations are rare but not unknown. They are especially a problem for some freight trains, especially with cars that haven't undergone proper maintenance.

I don't know what the requirements are in terms of reporting and investigation.

tim49424 · Aug 8, 2012

May 17 around 6:30 AM, near Devil's Lake, ND, the Westbound Empire Builder (#7/27) was struck by a vehicle and separation occurred. I was on this train but asleep when the accident happened. The sudden jerk of the emergency brakes woke me up. The vehicle hit the baggage car and the engines were separated. All power to the rest of the train was lost. The reconnection process took about three to four hours as the baggage car was damaged to the point that the power connections were damaged and the car had to be moved to the back of the train.

caravanman · Aug 8, 2012

Hi,

I understand that the USA "Buckeye" coupling is one of the strongest designs of coupling. As with any mechanical device there is some potential for malfunction, but I would consider this a negligible problem. The emergency brakes will automaticaly apply to both portions of the train in any case.

Here in the UK we ran "unbraked" freight trains when I worked for British Rail in the 1980's, the engine had a brake, and the last vehicle had a brake (the guards van), so no matter where the break, if any, each portion of the train could be halted. I never heard of any such train division while employed. All passenger trains had full continuous braking, either by vacuum in the older trains or air brake in more modern, and it was part of the rules that the brake pipe had to be opened from the rear of the train to "prove" continuity each time a train went into service each day.

Runaway train? I don't think so!

Ed

WhoozOn1st · Aug 8, 2012

Why has this thread not been moved to Miscellaneous? Only by being about railroads in general is it related to Amtrak. Not a first time OP, either.

George Harris · Aug 8, 2012

When a North American train comes uncoupled in the middle, it usually means that somehow the pin holding the knuckle closed gets lifted. This si obviously a very unusual happening. By the way, the AAR style coupling has been adopted in most of the rest of the world outside Western Europe and the indian Subcontinent. On very long freight trains it is possible to pull out the coupler shank in case of heavy run out of the slack in the system. This sort of event is covered by rules on train handling on what to do when going through fairly short vertical curves that change the direction of the grade.

I don't know which amazed me more, whether it was that the continued use of four wheel "waggons" or that the lack of braking on all axles continued into the Twentieth Century.

Look up "An Act to Promote the Safety of Employees and Travelers upon Railroads by Compelling Common Carriers Engaged in Interstate Commerce to Equip Their Cars with Automatic Couplers and Continuous Brakes and Their Locomotives with Driving-wheel Brakes, and for Other Purposes"