Lac Megantic explosion: Controversies and contradictions amid the despair (LOCOMOTIVES FOUND by LSM)

Toronto Star ^ | 7/11/2013 | Rosie DiManno

[Paladin2]

As theorized.

[Paladin2]

ping.

[Paladin2]

See also:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/11/1222645/-More-Mystery-Surrounds-Canadian-Ghost-Train-Where-are-the-locomotives

[DManA]

I can’t believe this railroad company is going to survive this.

[Blueflag]

Check the bank accounts and travel plans of all “Asian” employees. I use Asian in the British way.

[AZLiberty]

Before going off the comment radar, Burkhardt had essentially accused the Nantes firefighters of inadvertently teeing up the dreadful derailment. They had responded to an earlier call-out about a fire aboard one of the locomotives, this after the engineer had finished his shift. Burkhardt said the responders had fatefully turned off the engine while fighting the mysterious blaze, which caused the brakes to fail afterwards as the train began nudging away from Nantes. For the brakes to remain functional, the train must not be completely turned off.

“It’s shutting the engine off that did this,” said Burkhardt.

If they designed cars like that, San Francisco would be in a lick of trouble. How about an interlock device that prevents you from turning off a train's engine when it's parked on a hill?

Sheesh!

[Paladin2]

" Burkhardt said the responders had fatefully turned off the engine while fighting the mysterious blaze, which caused the brakes to fail afterwards as the train began nudging away from Nantes. For the brakes to remain functional, the train must not be completely turned off.

“It’s shutting the engine off that did this,” said Burkhardt."

Shutting off an engine when the fire is being fed by fuel leaks from the engine running is low level common sense.

It's leaving a train unattended for hours, held on a grade by a 27 to 37 yr old running engine that is a risky business.

[Paladin2]

[RedMDer]

[Paladin2]

[dynachrome]

hmmmmmm.

[okie01]

One of the most "loaded" news stories I've ever read.

There is no doubt where this reporter's sympathies lie: anti-fracking, anti-fossil fuels, anti-business, full socialist. Some of her prejudices may, in fact, be well directed -- but I wouldn't trust her judgment on anything.

[thackney]

Thanks

[thackney]

How about setting the hand brakes as required when left stopped.

[NonValueAdded]

Indeed ... hard to believe the handbrakes on the engines were engaged when they traveled so far including a stretch uphill.

[Figment]

Interesting. Did the locomotives derail? How they came to be de-coupled needs to be answered. Could this be ELF at work?

[Figment]

Would have been simple to get the train rolling, de-couple the locomotives on level ground and out run it under power. The unpowered train takes awhile to pick up speed on the incline, you cruise through town, the tank cars don’t

[thackney]

I could see that the engines with a lower center of gravity passing the curve that tips over the tank cars. As the tank cars tip from the locomotives, they could twist apart leaving the locomotives on the tracks while spilling the tank cars behind.

Only a theory, might be completely false. But possible knowing the difference between the engines and the tanks.

[Figment]

Twisting enough to derail is one thing, twisting enough to de-couple without derailing the locomotives, I have a problem with. I’m not one to jump to conclusions and shout conspiracy, this one doesn’t pass the smell test though

[BluH2o]

For what it's worth I'm probably the only Freeper, other than a few who may have jumped on board recently who live in the area, who actually has visited Lac-Megantic. This was many years ago ... and the town is only vague in my memory. But what I do remember is that a fair amount of English speaking residents still lived in this Eastern Township community ... immediately north of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Many of them descendants of Loyalists ... those who refused to participate in the American Revolution ... for the most part because they had arrived recently from England and felt loyalty to the 'throne'. The designation 'Loyalist' (with appropriate proof) was of enormous benefit to future generations of families that could trace their heritage back to that era ... access to top Canadian universities, for instance, was assured if academic credentials met the criteria. This era has passed in Canada, for the most part, but is still considered a definite plus.