Posted on 07/10/2013 6:53:41 AM PDT by NonValueAdded
There are a number of choices that were made by various people that caused this to occur.
They could also load up some tanker ships in Duluth and sail down the St. Lawrence.
I’m sure there are a lot of factors that added to this tragedy, however, it would seem that the largest factor was the lack of brakes.
The brakes would have kept the train where it was far outside of town.
As far as I know the air pressure in an air brake system is used to TAKE OFF the brakes which are failsafe and otherwise always ‘on’. Rip the brake lines out of an air brake system and the wheels lock.
“...the air pressure in an air brake system is used to TAKE OFF the brakes
which are failsafe and otherwise always ‘on’...”
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Nope, not true.
Trains don’t generally have spring brakes. The air leaks out of the system eventually and one apparently has to set the mechanical park brake appropriately.
With the brakes set, there are only two ways to release the brakes. Pump up the air pressure or bleed off each brake on every car.
Air brakes are “negative”, which means that air pressure keeps the brakes off, not on. Loss of air pressure locks up the brakes.
Was wondering if trains were like 18 wheelers.
On our big rigs we had *Maxi brakes*, when you would set them, you pulled a knob which would bleed off air pressure with a pretty loud sound to it.
Not so. Air pressure is required to keep the brakes on.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3041105/posts?page=12#12
yeah, I chose a bad analogy because enduring CLO is good for you but enduring ABCBSMSNBCPBS is just torture.
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