A bad day on the railroad (not mine, thankfully!)

[Loco Vette]

Runaway tank car

Fortunately no one was hurt and the car stopped when it started to go up a hill and a crew was able to secure the handbrake.

[Aerovette]

He's making a run for it. Tired of being on the train gang.

[Anjdog2003]

I was riveted to my seat

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by Anjdog2003

I was riveted to my seat

How did you manage that? Maybe you need some seat covers or something?

[Bill]

This is why we need to stop pipelines, because hauling oil by train is much safer and cheaper.

[DAB]

free range tanker: "born free...."

[Mike Mercury]

don't rail cars have a anti-runaway braking system?

[Loco Vette]

Originally Posted by Mike Mercury

don't rail cars have a anti-runaway braking system?

Yes, if they are in a train and the train line is charged with air. The Westinghouse system has a two-stage setup. Initially, if there is no pressure in the air lines there is no braking force being applied to the wheels. As the engineer pumps air into the system, braking force is applied to the wheels until approximately 70 psi. At that point, a valve on each car forces air into the reserve system, which releases the brakes and the system is fully charged with the brakes off at approximately 90 psi. For regular operations, if the engineer wants to slow the train he lowers the pressure in the system to some level between 90 and 70 psi depending on how quickly he wants to slow the train.

In an emergency, the engineer "dumps" the air (opens the system to the atmosphere) to lower the pressure to 70 psi as fast as possible, and the reservoirs on the cars apply the brakes. This also happens if the train line connecting the cars is broken for some reason, say a derailment or two of the hoses connecting the cars get separated.

After an emergency stop, unless air is still being pumped into the system the system will slowly lose air and when the pressure drops enough the cars will start to roll again unless a handbrake has been applied.

This latter scenario is what caused the mess in Canada a few years ago:

Lac Megantic Train Disaster Report

The car that rolled loose yesterday had been set out on the mainline while the crew switched a customer, and did not have the handbrake applied correctly. They violated the rules by disconnecting from the car without insuring that it was not going to roll first.

[VITE1]

What type of fines do they face for this mistake?

[Loco Vette]

Originally Posted by VITE1

What type of fines do they face for this mistake?

From the CFR:

Originally Posted by Code of Federal Regulations

Minimum rail safety penalty 49 U.S.C. ch. 213 $919

Ordinary maximum rail safety penalty 49 U.S.C. ch. 213 $30,058

Maximum penalty for an aggravated rail safety violation 49 U.S.C. ch. 213 $120,231

Minimum penalty for hazardous materials training violations 49 U.S.C. 5123 $508

Maximum penalty for ordinary hazardous materials violations 49 U.S.C. 5123 $84,425

Maximum penalty for aggravated hazardous materials violations 49 U.S.C. 5123 $196,992

Since no one was hurt and there was no property damage this would probably qualify as an "Ordinary Hazardous Materials Violation"

[Giraffe (He/Him)]

That was awesome.

Dramatic headlines; Runaway train! Unmanned and dangerous!

Cue music; Apprehensive and epic!

Add fear; *Could* be carrying 30,000 gallons of oil!

Additional 'lives in danger' fear; Railroad crossing. But will they make it in time!? The gates! Out of control!

<zoom in on runaway tanker>

Unpredictability! It may jump the tracks and attack a schoolroom full of children!

But wait! The gates closed! Millions are saved!

<cue crescendo>

<fade to black>

[ratflinger]

Thank God that tanker didn't have a gun too!

[Giraffe (He/Him)]

Originally Posted by ratflinger

Thank God that tanker didn't have a gun too!

See! He's right you know. Rampage on the Rails!

[Loco Vette]

Originally Posted by Giraffe

That was awesome.

Dramatic headlines; Runaway train! Unmanned and dangerous!

Cue music; Apprehensive and epic!

Add fear; *Could* be carrying 30,000 gallons of oil!

Additional 'lives in danger' fear; Railroad crossing. But will they make it in time!? The gates! Out of control!

<zoom in on runaway tanker>

Unpredictability! It may jump the tracks and attack a schoolroom full of children!

But wait! The gates closed! Millions are saved!

<cue crescendo>

<fade to black>

Only vid I could find of it that wasn't on FB. One there has it rolling ny a crossing at about 40.

[Steve_R]

Originally Posted by Giraffe

That was awesome.

Dramatic headlines; Runaway train! Unmanned and dangerous!

Cue music; Apprehensive and epic!

Add fear; *Could* be carrying 30,000 gallons of oil!

Additional 'lives in danger' fear; Railroad crossing. But will they make it in time!? The gates! Out of control!

<zoom in on runaway tanker>

Unpredictability! It may jump the tracks and attack a schoolroom full of children!

But wait! The gates closed! Millions are saved!

<cue crescendo>

<fade to black>

Yup. Impossible to make it sound any more dramatic.

[ZipZap]

That made me want to rewatch Chariots of Fire.

[99 pewtercoupe]

I have been on site at a certain USN submarine base that had certain shall we say“hazardous materials” delivered by rail car. A local short line pushed a box car in, decoupled, locked the gate behind them and left. When you are standing there it feels like you are on level ground but you are not. Evidently the RR crew neglected to set the brake and shortly thereafter the box car rolled through the gate and almost made it to a crossing in a nearby town. A lot of people were “sucking cotton” over that one. Luckily no injuries or significant property damage

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Loco Vette

Yes, if they are in a train and the train line is charged with air. The Westinghouse system has a two-stage setup. Initially, if there is no pressure in the air lines there is no braking force being applied to the wheels. As the engineer pumps air into the system, braking force is applied to the wheels until approximately 70 psi. At that point, a valve on each car forces air into the reserve system, which releases the brakes and the system is fully charged with the brakes off at approximately 90 psi. For regular operations, if the engineer wants to slow the train he lowers the pressure in the system to some level between 90 and 70 psi depending on how quickly he wants to slow the train.

In an emergency, the engineer "dumps" the air (opens the system to the atmosphere) to lower the pressure to 70 psi as fast as possible, and the reservoirs on the cars apply the brakes. This also happens if the train line connecting the cars is broken for some reason, say a derailment or two of the hoses connecting the cars get separated.

After an emergency stop, unless air is still being pumped into the system the system will slowly lose air and when the pressure drops enough the cars will start to roll again unless a handbrake has been applied.

This latter scenario is what caused the mess in Canada a few years ago:

Lac Megantic Train Disaster Report

The car that rolled loose yesterday had been set out on the mainline while the crew switched a customer, and did not have the handbrake applied correctly. They violated the rules by disconnecting from the car without insuring that it was not going to roll first.

Originally Posted by Loco Vette

From the CFR:



Since no one was hurt and there was no property damage this would probably qualify as an "Ordinary Hazardous Materials Violation"

Participating this forum is a lot like watching a Fat Albert cartoon episode. Have some fun, and we might even learn a little something, too!

[Bill]

Runaway Trains - YouTube

[Steve_R]

Originally Posted by 99 pewtercoupe

I have been on site at a certain USN submarine base that had certain shall we say“hazardous materials” delivered by rail car. A local short line pushed a box car in, decoupled, locked the gate behind them and left. When you are standing there it feels like you are on level ground but you are not. Evidently the RR crew neglected to set the brake and shortly thereafter the box car rolled through the gate and almost made it to a crossing in a nearby town. A lot of people were “sucking cotton” over that one. Luckily no injuries or significant property damage

I’m sure there wasn’t anything in it that could hurt or kill more than a few hundred thousand people.