The News reaches us regarding the horrific Train Accident which just happened in Lac-Mégantic, Québec, Canada, just North of the New York State Border.
The Train, it is said, consisted of Five Locomotives and 72 Tank Cars filled with Petroleum Products. The Train was headed from somewhere in North Dakota to Québec. Incredible as it may sound, the Crew stopped the Train, apparently on an Incline, shut off 4 of the 5 Locomotives and left one Locomotive running, so as to power the Brake Systems (generally, Trains work on a Brake System known as Westinghouse Brakes, which are different than the Brake Systems on Automobiles or Trucks), then, leaving the Train unattended, the Crew headed to a nearby Motel to sleep. There was also a Mention that the Crew had „tied” the Train before leaving. We don't know what they meant by „tying” the Train; we would hope they did not mean tying the Train with a Rope to a Tree, so that it would not move.
Somehow, while the Train was unattended, the Braking System malfunctioned (so they say) and the Train started rolling with no one on Board. The ensuing Result was catastrophic. The Train rolled downhill through a curved Section of the Rail Track and eventually the Tank Cars began derailing and started exploding one by one. The Accident happened at Night.
40 People are missing, presumably killed and probably vaporized from the intense Heat.
15 People are known to be dead, according to the latest Reports.
The entire Downtown of Lac-Mégantic has been destroyed. There really isn't a Way to say, it could have been much worse, as some are saying regarding the Boeing 777 Landing Accident which happened in San Francisco. But, at least, in the latter Case, Error or no Error, both the Pilot and the Copilot were in their Seats, executing a Landing.
According to Ed Burkhardt, Chairman of Montréal, Maine & Atlantic, the Railway which operated the Train, someone certainly had tampered with the Locomotive; this, according to a Telephone Interview he gave to the Montréal Gazette.
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/08/19354278-death-toll-rises-to-13-in-canadian-derailment-railways-chief-alleges-train-was-tampered-with?lite
We don't know if Mr. Burkhardt is right and just exactly what caused the Train to start rolling with such horrific Consequences but we are wondering, who in his Right Mind would leave a Train with 5 Locomotives and 72 Tank Cars filled with flammable/explosive Cargo completely unattended in the Middle of Nowhere, or, in the Middle of Somewhere, for that Matter and then head for a Motel nearby to catch a „Nap.”
There is an Investigation which is already underway. However, in addition to focusing on what caused the Accident (Mr. Burkhardt suggested that the Locomotive Engine had been turned off by someone, after the Train Crew left it unattended, thus causing the Braking System to fail), the Investigation, we believe, should also focus on the Decision of the Crew or the Policy of the Montréal, Maine & Atlantic Railroad, to leave a Train of this Type, or even a Train with only one Railcar, or even one Locomotive, let alone Five Locomotives coupled up to 72 Tank Cars containing flammable/explosive Material completely unattended, for the Purposes of taking a Nap, or for any Reason whatsoever at all.
(Note: Trains have redundant Braking Systems but the Westinghouse Braking System on a Train in engineered such that when the Rail Cars lose the Power which controls the Braking System (which uses Compressed Air), then the Wheels brake automatically. Thusly, a simple Explanation that when the Locomotive Engine stopped running, this caused the Train to start moving would not be adequate.)
Aerial View of the Lac-Mégantic Train Wreck
The Train, it is said, consisted of Five Locomotives and 72 Tank Cars filled with Petroleum Products. The Train was headed from somewhere in North Dakota to Québec. Incredible as it may sound, the Crew stopped the Train, apparently on an Incline, shut off 4 of the 5 Locomotives and left one Locomotive running, so as to power the Brake Systems (generally, Trains work on a Brake System known as Westinghouse Brakes, which are different than the Brake Systems on Automobiles or Trucks), then, leaving the Train unattended, the Crew headed to a nearby Motel to sleep. There was also a Mention that the Crew had „tied” the Train before leaving. We don't know what they meant by „tying” the Train; we would hope they did not mean tying the Train with a Rope to a Tree, so that it would not move.
Somehow, while the Train was unattended, the Braking System malfunctioned (so they say) and the Train started rolling with no one on Board. The ensuing Result was catastrophic. The Train rolled downhill through a curved Section of the Rail Track and eventually the Tank Cars began derailing and started exploding one by one. The Accident happened at Night.
40 People are missing, presumably killed and probably vaporized from the intense Heat.
15 People are known to be dead, according to the latest Reports.
The entire Downtown of Lac-Mégantic has been destroyed. There really isn't a Way to say, it could have been much worse, as some are saying regarding the Boeing 777 Landing Accident which happened in San Francisco. But, at least, in the latter Case, Error or no Error, both the Pilot and the Copilot were in their Seats, executing a Landing.
According to Ed Burkhardt, Chairman of Montréal, Maine & Atlantic, the Railway which operated the Train, someone certainly had tampered with the Locomotive; this, according to a Telephone Interview he gave to the Montréal Gazette.
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/08/19354278-death-toll-rises-to-13-in-canadian-derailment-railways-chief-alleges-train-was-tampered-with?lite
We don't know if Mr. Burkhardt is right and just exactly what caused the Train to start rolling with such horrific Consequences but we are wondering, who in his Right Mind would leave a Train with 5 Locomotives and 72 Tank Cars filled with flammable/explosive Cargo completely unattended in the Middle of Nowhere, or, in the Middle of Somewhere, for that Matter and then head for a Motel nearby to catch a „Nap.”
There is an Investigation which is already underway. However, in addition to focusing on what caused the Accident (Mr. Burkhardt suggested that the Locomotive Engine had been turned off by someone, after the Train Crew left it unattended, thus causing the Braking System to fail), the Investigation, we believe, should also focus on the Decision of the Crew or the Policy of the Montréal, Maine & Atlantic Railroad, to leave a Train of this Type, or even a Train with only one Railcar, or even one Locomotive, let alone Five Locomotives coupled up to 72 Tank Cars containing flammable/explosive Material completely unattended, for the Purposes of taking a Nap, or for any Reason whatsoever at all.
(Note: Trains have redundant Braking Systems but the Westinghouse Braking System on a Train in engineered such that when the Rail Cars lose the Power which controls the Braking System (which uses Compressed Air), then the Wheels brake automatically. Thusly, a simple Explanation that when the Locomotive Engine stopped running, this caused the Train to start moving would not be adequate.)
