Trains collide again in S.A. (unlawful riders pull brake levers)

San Antonio Express-News ^ | September 26, 2004 | Tom Bower

[Cincinatus' Wife]

"It's rare they're looking to harm anyone or anything,"

We must assume they want to do harm.

______________________________________________________________

[This is the story in the Houston Chronicle]

SAN ANTONIO -- The rear 50 cars of a freight train detached and rolled backward for two miles near San Antonio, smashing into another train, a Union Pacific spokesman said.

The Burlington Northern Sante Fe and Union Pacific trains collided about 11 p.m. Friday, derailing about 25 cars from both trains and spilling magnesium chloride from one car. There were no reported injuries and no one was evacuated from their homes.

Union Pacific spokesman John Bromley said unlawful riders on the eastbound Burlington Northern Sante Fe train may have pulled a brake lever, detaching the cars that hit the Union Pacific train.

Magnesium chloride is neither flammable nor toxic, said Randy Jenkins, district chief of the San Antonio Fire Department.

"We're not looking at a major environmental concern, and we're not looking at any health hazards," he told the San Antonio Express-News for today's online edition.

Trespassers are common on trains, Bromley said, and regular riders know how to stop a train.

"It's rare they're looking to harm anyone or anything," Bromley said. "I think they just wanted to get off."

It's the city's third train derailment this year. This is the second time this year Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe trains have collided in the area. Previously, a Union Pacific train derailed near the location of Friday night's derailment.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/2814655

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Throw the bums in prison for 500 years and the problem will be solved.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

Illegal aliens?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Perhaps. But they could also be terrorists who are now using the Mexican border, and quite easily from what I read and hear.

[supercat]

Carrying both acid and lye? Does having both on the same train make things more or less dangerous (mixing the two together will produce a very powerful exothermic reaction, but the by-products of that reaction will be sodium sulfate and water--not nearly as nasty as either NaOH or H2SO4).

I'm puzzled, though--wouldn't uncoupling cars on a moving train cause all the brakes along the entire train to get automatically thrown pretty quickly? Or did whoever uncoupled the cars cap the brake lines to prevent that from happening?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

They need to patrol the trains much more carefully.

[Check6]

Northbound train. So they are Mexican illegals bailing out in a nice big warm place where they'll be swallowed up. Or maybe some islamofascists from abroad. Who knows? G'mint ought to police the borders, don't you know.

[Check6]

Northbound train. So they are Mexican illegals bailing out in a nice big warm place where they'll be swallowed up. Or maybe some islamofascists from abroad. Who knows? G'mint ought to police the borders, don't you know.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

You're more informed than me.

I don't know.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

San Antonio is huge and an explosion would be devastating.

[nw_arizona_granny]

There is a good chance you are correct.

[par4]

I would suggest snipers to eliminate unauthorized riders, but the ACLU may take a dim view of my ideas (wouldn't be the first time).

Maybe snipers with rubber bullets or rock salt?

Or maybe I'm stuck on the sniper theme? It's late....

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Dogs could work the trains.

[wideminded]

I wonder how the boxcars could run downhill for two miles. It is my understanding that the air brakes on train cars are designed to apply the brakes if air pressure is lost, such as would be the case when a series of cars are decoupled. Here is a quote from a webpage on train braking systems:

Brake Pipe
The pipe running the length of the train, which transmits the variations in pressure required to control the brake on each vehicle.  It is connected between vehicles by flexible hoses, which can be uncoupled to allow vehicles to be separated.   The use of the air system makes the brake "fail safe", i.e. loss of air in the brake pipe will cause the brake to apply.  Brake pipe pressure loss can be through a number of causes as follows:

* A controlled reduction of pressure by the driver

* A rapid reduction by the driver using the emergency position on his brake valve

* A rapid reduction by the conductor (guard) who has an emergency valve at his position

* A rapid reduction by passengers (on some railways) using an emergency system to open a valve

* A rapid reduction through a burst pipe or hose

* A rapid reduction when the hoses part as a result of the train becoming parted or derailed.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The resulting string of cars — most of them brand-new empty boxcars — rolled downhill for about 2 miles before running into the Union Pacific train as its 30th car rolled by a switch between South St. Mary's and South Presa streets.

Could "brand-new empty boxcars" have anything to do with it?

[Jeff Chandler]

I've seen illegal aliens hop off of box cars in Casa Grande, AZ.

[wideminded]

Could "brand-new empty boxcars" have anything to do with it?

The fact that they were empty should make the brakes work better. Train cars are supposed to have brakes that turn on when they lose air so that they won't roll downhill if they are accidentally detached. Maybe someone who knows more about trains than me can comment on how this happened.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Thanks

[par4]

How about dogs with sniper rifles - or laser beams on their heads - or

Sorry, I have this Doctor Evil thing going here, time to go home and get some sleep.

But really, it's a thought, I think that the people board the trains as they move slowly, so it might be very dangerous for dogs. After all, they can scent them out, but working a moving train of box cars just seems a little too much.

[kemosabe]

The Railroad Consortium in the USA does not properly maintain it's rolling stock and their tracks, nor do they admit any culpability when these incidents occur.

They will calmly bribe, obfuscate, deny, and also murder when it suits them...they are not held accountable for their shameful disregard for safety and the prevention of such incidents

This incident is one more of many that will be blamed on mythical causes...as posted above several times, a rolling disconnect should cause immediate braking of the loose rolling stock...so in conclusion, place the blame where it truly belongs...on the railroad - the rolling stock - the sleeping driver. ! .