Serious Metro North Derailment

[crencs]

4 Dead with more than 60 injured - Not a good for Rail service on along the Hudson today.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/fatalities-reported-nyc-metro-north-train-derailment/story?id=21060842

[Memster1]

The service should be the least of the concerns.  4 dead  and 60 injured - I think thats the bigger concern.

[Dave Schneider]

Very sad. From the photos it looks like it was being pushed with the engine at the rear. Are these passenger cars unpowered?

Best wishes, Dave

[kornellred]

Actually, the biggest concern is why the accident happened.  The mere fact that accidents happen is practically axiomatic.  It sucks, but that is reality as we human beings experience it.
Trains will NOT, and I repeat, NOT, depart from the rails, IF the track is in excellent shape, the wheels and axles of the rail conveyances are intact and within specifications, and speed restrictions are adhered to.
Metallurgy is, for all practical purposes, an exact science.  Extremely rare are the incidences where there is a metallurgical failure - a broken wheel, for example.  Broken rails do occur, most likely more often than broken wheels - but still rare in any case.  Sticking or dragging brake equipment can cause serious maneuverability issues with a rail conveyance.  A distinct possibility.
The wheel profile is critical in rail safety.  One of the cars could have missed a periodic inspection and the wheel profile specs were not true.  Another  distinct possibility.
The weakest link in the chain of safety in operating a rail conveyance is the human being. 'nuff said.

[GaryHinshaw]

The ABC report showed that the train was being pushed by a loco, and that it happened on a sharp curve just beyond the junction where line into Grand Central splits off from the line into Penn.  This southbound train was supposedly headed to Grand Central.   

They report 4 dead and 11 in critical condition.  Best wishes to all affected by this.

[central.vermont]

From the photo's I saw it looks like the train was on the center track. Normally the express trains take the out side track around the station platform. This train must have been destined to stop here or they were routed down the wrong track. Maybe someone more familiar with the operations here might be able to shed some light on this. Also of note is that there isn't any interlocking just prior to this that they could have picked a switch. Either to much speed or mechanical failure or both. We will have to wait and see. My heart goes out to those who were killed and are injured.

Jon

[eric220]

The report that I saw on CNN quoted the engineer as saying that he applied the brakes heading into the curve and nothing happened.

[PRRATSF]

It appears there is an interlocking several thousand feet north of the accident site.

Sam

[nkalanaga]

Unrelated to the accident (I hope), but the pictures I saw seemed to show a third rail, while the loco looked to be a diesel.  Do they use dual-power locomotives, or is it diesel powered, or was that just a piece of old rail I saw?

[central.vermont]

Unrelated to the accident (I hope), but the pictures I saw seemed to show a third rail, while the loco looked to be a diesel.  Do they use dual-power locomotives, or is it diesel powered, or was that just a piece of old rail I saw?

Yes they do use dual power loco's. The loco 225 on this train was dual power.
Here's a close up shot of the pickup shoe on a sister loco.
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/mncr/mncr201wkd.jpg

Jon

[Philip H]

It appears there is an interlocking several thousand feet north of the accident site.

Sam

And looking at the pics in the Wa Po this AM, I am beginning to wonder if that won't be the ultimate issue. judging by the reported speed and where the cars ended up - and the trees and shrubs laying down - a jumped switch point - or a damaged switch - would seem like a culprit.

[nkalanaga]

Jon:  Thank you. 

Sam and Philip:  I found the site on Google Maps right after seeing the original stories, and a switch problem was one of my first theories as well.  The photos looked too much like one of my trains after splitting a switch on a curve...

[packers#1]

CNN has some really good views in their article; I agree with hopping the switch; I feel like if they had too much speed the cars would all be much more linear than they are right now

[lock4244]

The NTSB is on record stating that the train was doing 82mph as it entered the 30mph curve. No indication as to human or brake error.

However, quote from NTSB member Earl Weener from MSN Canada:

"the throttle went to idle six seconds before the derailed train came to a complete stop — "very late in the game" for a train going that fast" — and the brakes were fully engaged five seconds before the train stopped"

One could draw a very simple explanation from that...

[eric220]

One could draw a very simple explanation from that...

Oops