Aussie's loose control

[Philip H]

of an iron ore train on BHP tracks:

https://www.npr.org/2018/11/06/664729853/runaway-train-blazes-through-western-australia-for-more-than-50-miles

[muktown128]

I saw the headline and some pics about this.  What a mess.  It didn't sound like anyone was injured fortunately.  There really isn't much in that part of Australia with regards to people.  Having the main line down for an extended period of time will cost BHP lots of money.

[vashnar]

They remotely derailed the train? Do the dispatchers have some sort of remote derail device?

[Blazeman]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-06/investigators-visit-runaway-bhp-iron-ore-train-derailment-site/10469802

[MK]

Clean up on aisle 6.  Wow, what a mess!

[Hyperion]

They remotely derailed the train? Do the dispatchers have some sort of remote derail device?

They threw a switch while the train was over it.

Derailed most of it.  What was ahead of the switch went into emergency when the air was cut.

[muktown128]

The switch was thrown remotely from Perth, which is about a 2 hour flight from Port Hedland.  I'm a bit surprised that this happened.  I went through more safety training (videos, on site, daily safety meetings) prior to being allowed access to the BHP locomotive servicing facility in Port Hedland than any other customer / industrial manufacturing facility that I have visited in my 30 years on the job.  Granted, this was very different than any other customer that I have visited. 

[vashnar]

Thanks, muktown128 and Hyperion. I was thinking it was a device specifically for derailing, a switch makes much more sense (duh). I imagine the switch gets pretty messed up in the process

[wes_sutton]

Thanks, muktown128 and Hyperion. I was thinking it was a device specifically for derailing, a switch makes much more sense (duh). I imagine the switch gets pretty messed up in the process

That would be the least of their worries. Estimates are 2 locos and 200 cars trashed.

[Lenny53]

One man crew

[wes_sutton]

One man crew

Yes.

[muktown128]

1 man crew for a train with 4 locos and 260+ ore cars is just plain crazy.  The locos are operated in pairs, each pair pulling about 130 cars.  They combine 2 pairs into 1 single train.  I got to see a lot of these trains pulling into Port Hedland last summer.

[Iain]

Somebody's lost their job.