Place cursor on track where track left it...
Posted on 12/19/2017 4:07:00 AM PST by servo1969
An Amtrak train that derailed Monday during its inaugural ride on a new line in Washington state was traveling at 80 mph in a 30 mph zone, the National Transportation Safety Board said, citing data recorder information.
Bella Dinh-Zarr, an NTSB board member, said at a news conference late Monday that information from the data recorder in the rear locomotive provided information about the train’s speed.
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A track chart prepared by the Washington State Department of Transportation shows the maximum speed drops from 79 mph to 30 mph for passenger trains just before the tracks curve to cross Interstate 5, which is where the train went off the tracks.
An Amtrak train derailed south of Seattle early Monday, causing "injuries and casualties," according to officials. (Washington State Patrol Trooper Brooke Bova) The chart, dated Feb. 7, was submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration in anticipation of the start of passenger service along a new bypass route that shaves off 10 minutes for the trip between Seattle and Portland, Ore.
Kimberly Reason with Sound Transit, the Seattle-area transit agency that owns the tracks, said speed signs are posted 2 miles before the speed zone changes and just before the speed zone approaching the curve.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The rulebook speed limit for each track section is also given in the employee timetable.
The train may be set up as a push pull. It’s common with a lot of locomotive driven commuter trains.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wreck_of_the_Old_97
Wreck of the Old 97 Johnny Cash with Lyrics:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHKxk719AMc
From the article:
A track chart prepared by the Washington State Department of Transportation shows the maximum speed drops from 79 mph to 30 mph for passenger trains just before the tracks curve to cross Interstate 5, which is where the train went off the tracks.
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The train hadn’t crossed the bridge yet. It was approaching the bridge.
If you read the account of The Wreck of the Old 97, the account is very, very similar to yesterday’s accident...................
Someone needs to answer for why the delay in implementing Positive train Control (PTC) for these trains.
Congress mandated these type systems after the nasty Metrolink crash in LA nine years ago after the dip$hit Engineer blew through red signaling while texting.
At the time I was working for a So Cal Company that manufactured Crossing / Signaling / Comms equipment for the rail industry. It was a huge push to develop this technology that takes the human element out of speed / Signaling of trains with automatic override. I know development was slow and competing designs we’re considered..... ultimately Congress must have moved out mandatory implementation dates.
I’m afraid to say it but this a Titanic on rails scenario.
My guess is some officials are going to jail for ordering the engineer to make up for being late because its the inaugural run and must be in liberal Portland or else.
So there is my liberal finger pointing for the day.
And its so obvious no train can handle that kind of speed on a flat track of that radius curve, not even a giant Lionel train.
The track must NOT be ‘broke’ for the trailing engine stayed on it!
Greatly surprised no one traveling on the road below was killed.
O.K., I get the distinction. But look at the basic situation. This route was touted as a new High Speed route between Washington and Oregon cities, but first crack out of the box, they left one or more spots on the route where top safe speed is 35 mph. Japan and France must be ROFLTAO.
Here’s something pertinent to what actually happened according to FOX News:
rwood
It looks to me like the lead engine jumped the track and ran down hill coming to rest something in the neighborhood of half the length of the whole train.
Maybe they were going too fast and derailed because of how hard they were breaking coming into the turn.
Then in case of a derailment on the curve the train cars would just pile up in the woods.
It did de-rail on the first curve. Perhaps the pusher engine at the rear of the train has you confused as to the direction of travel.
However, like you I think it had slowed somewhat but entered the curve too fast. The NTSB head is a Public Health official, not an engineer, and we will hear more in months to come.
Cell phones, impaired operator, asleep or narcoleptic, the usual.
Doubt it. The installation price tag for the PTC system is very expensive. The rail roads have been battling it for years. two years ago, Congress extended the implementation deadline until the end of 2018.
An 8-car passenger train moving at 80 miles an hour needs about a mile to ...
How this is caused by a human being is the problem. The technology available is easily capable of stopping this from happening. I know why it’s still under human control but it still should have technological backups.
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