[Alvin]

Originally Posted by Cobrabill

The rail broke because of "impact damage"resulting from a flat spot on a wheel.Combine that with the right temp & stress on the rail and here we go!

After reading the following accident description,
I wondered what on-board safety equipment is standard to protect the Engineer and other crew from toxic & hazardous materials spills?
• Such as Gas Masks
• Heat shields eyes, face and body
• Hand and foot protection
• Post accident eye wash and inhalation recovery First Aid kits

The Accident
…Near control point 266, about 6:58 a.m., while the train was traveling at 47 mph and the locomotives were pulling the train in throttle position No. 2, 2 both crewmembers heard a loud “pop” from under the locomotive. Immediately, the engineer looked in the rearview mirror and could see sparks at the spot in the track where the crew had heard the noise, then the brakes applied with an emergency application. The event recorder indicated that the engineer had kept the locomotive brakes released in response to the emergency application. 3

The engineer said that he saw a fire near the middle of the train. The crew contacted the train dispatcher and reported that the train was on fire. After coming to a stop, they exited the locomotive and walked ahead of the train. The conductor made contact with the arriving emergency responders and gave them the written consist of the train…

The report of “…emergency brakes were applied …the event recorder indicated the engineer had kept the brakes released in response to the emergency application.”

Is this the standard procedure, due to the emergency brakes override of any manual application of the brakes, by the engineer during an emergency stop?

Interesting information for sure. Keep safe all of you Engineers and Crew.

Getting there without incident safe and sound, doesn’t make the reports or headlines, but keeps our economy moving.