Slowing Down the Oil Trains

Hush my mouth.  I said it was just what they didn't need, but I was wrong, because the top management decided to do it.  It will surely help with two things, less severity if there's a derailment in these locations, and a railroad is always in a better position if they properly sense which way the wind is blowing at the FRA and take action voluntarily before something more onerous is imposed.

I was wrong, and I'll take any beating I have coming.

According to the company officials, the railroad will increase its inspection by 2.5 times more than earlier, and the company will also remove the flawed wheels which prevent the track-side detectors to track the wheels.

anyone know what the above means  re flawed wheels?

Increased inspections are good, but what qualifies  as an inspection? Detector?  a member of another  train crew or same train. . section crew?

  Reducing speed from 40 to 35  in certain populated areas is also a good thing but I wonder what the speed is  otherwise?

This reminds a bit of the big derailment of CP train 54 in Mississauga  (Toronto area) where something like 450 thousand people had to be evacuated. (cars of chlorine gas . propane etc). I can't remember what  year but at least 20 years ago Probably longer .

Slowing speeds means these trains will remain in the city limits for a longer period of time. It sounds like a "knee-jerk" reaction to say "we are doing something". I would suspect that decelerating a train to enter the area or accelerating it afterward might represent a greater probability of a derailment (applying brakes and releasing them). 

This may or may not be true, but I think the situation demands more study. I wonder is six-wheel trucks would be less likely to derail.

Not just crude oil trains.... now ALL "KEY TRAINS" are max speed 35 mph...

I don't see how 5mp or 10 mph would make a difference but they have to show they are trying to do something. More dog catch crews on the way. Oh yeah, and now there is a "procedure" that has to be communicated between the crew and the dispatcher, over the radio, and in writing, to verify where the train is being tied down and exactly how many hand brakes were applied. CYA buddy!

The question I have never understood is regarding hand brakes. If I remember GCOR rules stated "a sufficient number of handbrakes must be set..." when leaving a cut of cars or your train parked.

With every other safety issue having a specific measurable rule, there seems to be no metrics for "sufficient number" of hand brakes set for a parked string or train.

Can any current trainmen enlighten me if this has changed?

Thank you.

Paul

The way to PROVE that you have set a "sufficient number" of hand brakes is to then release the air on the train as well as the independent brakes (locomotive brakes). If the train starts to move, then you have NOT set "sufficient number" of hand brakes, and more must be set. Most experienced crews know their territory, i.e. the grades, and thus know how many hand brakes to set to start with, prior to releasing the air brakes.

The frequency of Oil trains is going to be drastically reduce due to the collapse in the price of oil.  Domestic oil from fracking just can't compete with cheap foreign  oil.  So the likely hood of a accident will be reduced just on the numbers of trains running compared to 2014

Your last paragraph may have  "hit the nail on the head" Not so much likely to derail but possibly  less stress on the rail. Apparently  oil trains put a lot more stress on the track than say a grain  train .  It seems the derailments in northern Ontario are track related.  If in doubt always blame the section crews.

Any time they slow down the trains on a main line more problems come into play since it could be the same in most cases as doubling the distance on right of ways causing bottle necks all along the line.  

Jack

Thank you Hot Water.

Paul

I suppose there are forces that we don't understand  or at least I don't.

Anyway

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/...JR5kaiFVyysASzHQtDMD

Paul that release test is also REQUIRED by the rules. If the train is parked on a grade, there is a chart in the Air Brake & Train Handling Book as a "starting point/minimum" number of hand brakes to apply per the grade.

My brakeman and I tied down a 10,000 ton train on the Cajon Sub where it was almost 2% grade. The chart said 65 handbrakes.... we tied 71 cars plus the 4 engines. The 65 cars started creeping so we tied a few more. 

There is a rule for EVERYTHING!

How long did it take you? Earned your money for sure that day...I can hear the out going crew... How many friggin hand brakes did they put on?

Laid off...

Thanks for that reply. That is one heck of a train to tie down on the Cajon grade. Was that a siding or did you outlaw on the hill?

Paul

In the latest Trains mag one of the commentators was talking about all the oil train derailments over the past year. Each one he mentioned was already around the 35 mph speed limit stated above and the tank cars were of the newer design, still you had massive explosions and fire.  Said commentator mention one of his railroad sources stated the new design tank cars really shouldn't go faster that 15 MPH and the older design tank cars over 10 MPH. (I think don't have the article in front of me).  What would those speeds do to the fluidity of the railroad?

It took about an hour mostly because we were on the Mainline, and had trains going by us in both directions at times. So we would have to stop and get in the clear while the other trains passed.

We were on Main 2 stopped at a red signal at Verdemont, which is 1 of the steepest portions of the entire grade. We had been stopped about 20 minutes when the PTC System (Positive Train Control) went into suppression which made a full service set on the train airbrakes. It went into penalty for no reason. At that point we had to much air set anyway (another rule), and couldn't get the PTC to reset. So we had to tie the train down to the point we knew the handbrakes would hold it, release the air brakes on the train to recharge the air, the engineer made another set to hold the train again, and then we had to knock off all the brakes so we could continue out trip from there.

Yes it sucks....especially with a train that heavy.