NTSB: Amtrak train sped up before crash

Philly.com ^ | 5/14/2015 | JOSEPH A. GAMBARDELLO & ANTHONY R. WOOD

[NetAddicted]

Right before its fatal derailment on Tuesday night, Amtrak Train 188 accelerated significantly as it approached the Frankford Junction curve, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday.

[Aqua225]

There is a lot of software on board a locomotive, including software that dictates what is written to the event recorder...

An opening of the emergency brake valve could be a engineer’s only recourse, the only thing not managed by the silicon and copper on board.

The motors on the Siemens Sprinter are 3 phase. They are NOT directly driven from line input. The power is rectified, then a very large set of inverters change the DC into 3 phase AC power for the traction motors.

If there are cameras set in the cab of the engineer, then it will be interesting to see what he was doing. If it was going nuts attempting to stop a train, that seems like “Houston, we have a problem.”

[ChicagahAl]

Thanks for posting that. I had forgotten about that incident.

"It's not surprising that the Navy would blame the Iowa disaster on personal emotions rather than on military negligence, particularly when they could also then claim support for their ridiculous argument that gays are unfit for military service,"

Jilted homosexual lover + 550# bag of explosive = BOOM

[Myrddin]

Conventional rail air brakes are released by bringing the air to 100 PSI. The train starts with the couplers compressed. As the head head moves, the cars move in succession adding momentum to the whole. When braking is started from the head end, the pressure is dropped to around 80 lbs. That initiates a moving pressure drop toward the rear with more braking in front. The rear of the train begins compressing couplers before the brakes become effective. The "improved" approach is ECP "Electronically Controlled Pneumatic" brakes. The head end provides pressure to the air pipe, but braking is initiated from the rear forward using electronic signals to air switches. The ECP approach reduces braking distances by 35% compared to standard head end air pipe approaches. My research cars had automatic couplers that handled the "glad hand", air pipe and ECP electrical connections without human involvement. The auto-anglecocks, auto-cutlevers and auto-handbrakes would permit remote coupling or separation without putting a vulnerable human in the way of the mechanics.

[Balding_Eagle]

This guy did everything you could possibly do wrong.

The Republicans cut off funding needed for proper training.

[freedomfiter2]

Maybe all the cancer patients could lobby the MDA to declare them healthy.

[printhead]

I’ll go one farther... IIRC, that turret explosion on the USS New Jersey, wasn’t that tried to pin on a gay crewman?

[printhead]

ooops, USS Iowa

[UB355]

The brakes get engaged front to back so the monentum from the back added to the force causing the cars to jump off the rails on the curve.

[DBrow]

Hey y’all here’s a theory- Train drivers like to zip through the curve because it’s fun, and this time it didn’t work out.

So let’s see speed records for the many times Amtrack takes this curve and see how many drivers push the envelope.

If it’s a common practice, obviously something went wrong this time.

(In one town I lived in there was a curve at the bottom of a hill where there was a terrible crash involving a sheriff’s cruiser and a truck. Turns out that lots of sheriffs would take the curve as fast as they could and would sometimes brag about how fast they took it).

[TBP]

That was pretty stupid.

[Paladin2]

My research cars had automatic couplers that handled the "glad hand", air pipe and ECP electrical connections without human involvement. The auto-anglecocks, auto-cutlevers and auto-handbrakes would permit remote coupling or separation without putting a vulnerable human in the way of the mechanics.

Sounds exactly like what the Freight RRs need to improve their throughput.

[Myrddin]

My project contractors still have the components ready. Click the images.

[Myrddin]

My project cars were coal cars for the first pass to perform bearing vibration/temperature analysis as well as ride quality. The Timken bearing generator made the car self powered. GPS tracking. CDMA cell data connection. Wi-Fi with mesh networking to connect to the locomotive for emergency notification of derail or bearing burnoff.

2nd gen cars were container cars with the auto-cutlever, auto-handbrake, auto-anglecock, 802.15.4 gateway for DHS container monitor to cellular data network. CANOpen networked controllers to simplify wiring and cut costs. 2nd gen Timken bearing generator with ability add solar panel backup for extended non-movement. Digi-mesh 802.15.4 auto-configuration/auto-manifest with A/B orientation.

The 2nd gen cars had just been fitted with equipment and prepared for over the road testing when Obama arrived. His cronies moved into the FRA offices and the project died.

[Myrddin]

Sounds exactly like what the Freight RRs need to improve their throughput.

Part of the value proposition from the vibration signature analysis was the ability to perform predictive maintenance. The car owner could schedule maintenance in the company shops ahead of a failure where a fix "on the road" comes at unfavorable rates in a non-company shop. The basic signature analysis can identify 55 defect types and perform trend analysis to see when to repair. The temperature monitoring in the bearing adapters detected approaching bearing failures and assymmetry. The tri-axial accelerometors detected suspension problems.

[NetAddicted]

I didn’t understand that the first time I read it. Since he doesn’t remember....

[LadyDoc]

several questions:

what was his THC, alcohol and cocaine levels?

When was the last text/use of his cellphone?

I hope they checked these things before he left the hospital.

[Paladin2]

Are there online pics of the auto couplings?

[who knows what evil?]

Well I’ve read different times that up to half of gays try and commit suicide at least once.

Sodomites are mentally ill...always have been, always will be. Repent while you still can...

[Paladin2]

Just saw this. Thnx.

[Truth29]

"Sodomites are mentally ill...always have been, always will be. Repent while you still can..."

Would explain a lot of things emanating from the White House.