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Curve where Amtrak train derailed in Washington has speed limit of 30 mph
The Seattle Times ^ | December 18th, 2017 | By Mike Baker , David Gutman and Mike Lindblom

Posted on 12/18/2017 6:00:15 PM PST by Mariner

The Amtrak train that derailed Monday morning on its inaugural trip through a faster railway route was supposed to slow dramatically before entering the curve where the crash occurred.

The speed limit at the curve where the train crosses Interstate 5 is 30 miles per hour, said state transportation department spokeswoman Barbara LaBoe, while the speed limit on most of the track is 79 mph. She said speed-limit signs are posted two miles before the lowered speed zone and then just before the zone.

“Engineers are trained to slow trains according to posted speeds,” she said.

Daniel Konzelman, who was driving on I-5 south parallel to the train, said he was traveling at 60 mph or more and watched the train pass his vehicle about a half-mile before the crash. A website that monitors locations and speeds of Amtrak trains, transitdocs.com, reported that the train was going about 81 mph shortly before the derailment, The Associated Press reported.

Russell Quimby, a consultant who was previously an investigator-in-charge for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said it appeared to him that the derailment was caused by speed. He said the track appeared relatively undisturbed, so it seemed unlikely that something knocked the train off the track, and he noted that it appeared the train drove in a straight line, missing the turn.

(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: amtrak; rail; trainwreck
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To: Mariner

Casey Jones - - Toot Toot!!


21 posted on 12/18/2017 6:16:54 PM PST by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country)
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To: DoughtyOne

WSDOT says it’s a 30mph curve.

The train was doing 81.1mph.

It would not matter if there was something on the track or not.


22 posted on 12/18/2017 6:17:26 PM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Mariner

I am not knowledgeable as to trains. I ride them, I like them, I fool around with models — but for the Real Big Ones, I’m not an expert at all.

Having said that...

From the TeeVee pictures, it looked like the engine was still on the tracks. EVERY car had derailed.

...and, it looks like they “got all ziggy-zaggy” and rear-ended each other, and fell off the rails.

That seems odd to me.

Somewhere in the rush of displays of ignorance and idiocy that is the rattle and blather of the news, someone said there were two engines — a fairly normal thing. But only one showed in the pictures. (Perhaps the leader had been disconnected and pulled away from the wreck...)

Even so, it still seems odd.

Now, you may recall The Bad Guys publish a magazine, “Rumiah.” Very slick and professional. In recent months they ran a nice how-to article about a home-made train de-railer, made with rebar and concrete.

To me, this event sounds exactly like what they were promoting in that article.

Maybe just a coincidence.

Nothing to see here. Move along, please...


23 posted on 12/18/2017 6:17:30 PM PST by William of Barsoom (In Omnia, Paratus)
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To: Mariner

Antifa!

>><<

Or Affirmative Action engineer.


24 posted on 12/18/2017 6:17:32 PM PST by laplata (Liberals/Progressives have diseased minds.)
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To: Publius

PTC will apply braking as needed if it is implemented and the track database is up to date in the locomotive and the system in the locomotive is turned on. Anything in yard limits is not covered.


25 posted on 12/18/2017 6:17:45 PM PST by Dalberg-Acton
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To: Mariner

Either this was engineer error, mechanical failure, or track failure. Right now, I lean toward engineer error.


26 posted on 12/18/2017 6:18:11 PM PST by Repeal 16-17 (Let me know when the Shooting starts.)
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To: LouieFisk

The FRED units at the end of a train and the trackside sensors perform much of that function, but only to relay the condition of the train to the conductor and the dispatcher. Positive Train Control is the real answer to these kinds of operator errors.


27 posted on 12/18/2017 6:18:28 PM PST by Publius
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To: Dalberg-Acton

True. The yards have their own speed limits unless there is a yard bypass track.


28 posted on 12/18/2017 6:19:27 PM PST by Publius
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To: plain talk

Soooooo,who was driving the train???Who ran it at 81 mph in a 30 mph bend??????


29 posted on 12/18/2017 6:19:53 PM PST by Hambone 1934
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To: DoughtyOne
This is the photo I was referencing.

Cars on both sides of the trestle.


30 posted on 12/18/2017 6:20:58 PM PST by DoughtyOne (McConnell, Ryan, and the whole GOPe are dead to me. Are Alabamans tired of winning?)
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To: mylife

Where is the engineer’s cell phone?


31 posted on 12/18/2017 6:21:06 PM PST by ptsal ( Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please. - M. Twain)
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To: LouieFisk

That info should be recorded/kept somewhere one would think.


32 posted on 12/18/2017 6:21:17 PM PST by deport
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To: SE Mom

Time will tell.

It appears to be sabotage to me.

Maiden run? Pristine track? It dumped right on I 5? at Rush hour?


33 posted on 12/18/2017 6:21:32 PM PST by mylife ( The roar of the masses could be farts)
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To: Mariner
I’m reminded of a commuter rail accident in Boston back in 1990 that had similar circumstances. A train approached a curve at almost 80 mph and the curve was posted for 30 mph. The train jumped the track and rammed another commuter train already in the station.

Over 250 injured. The only reason it wasn’t more horrific is the locomotive on the commuter train parked in the station absorbed the bulk of the impact. If the train had hit the passenger cars dead on, it would have accordianed those cars. I saw the locomotive after the accident. There was little left other then the bottom of the frame and the trucks or wheels. The body was gone. Cab gone. I don’t remember if the prime mover was still attached.

http://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/13/us/at-least-264-are-hurt-in-train-collision-in-boston.html

34 posted on 12/18/2017 6:22:42 PM PST by Flick Lives (The FBI - Killing Presidents they don't like since 1963.)
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To: Mariner
Thanks Mariner. I saw that. I'm just saying this photo is not indicative of a speed/curve related derailment.

I don't claim to be an expert, so I can't say they are wrong. I'd sure be looking for something besides speed.

Just because a guy was speeding, it doesn't mean the derailment had to be related to it. It would obviously be an area of interest.

LINK

35 posted on 12/18/2017 6:24:19 PM PST by DoughtyOne (McConnell, Ryan, and the whole GOPe are dead to me. Are Alabamans tired of winning?)
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To: mylife

Yea. Maybe the FBI can take time out of their busy schedule to take a look.


36 posted on 12/18/2017 6:24:31 PM PST by eyedigress ((Old storm chaser from the west))
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To: William of Barsoom

The train had two engines, one on either end. The engine still on the rails is the rear engine. The lead engine ended up on the freeway. There are photos of it on other threads.


37 posted on 12/18/2017 6:25:30 PM PST by aomagrat (Gun owners who vote for democrats are too stupid to own guns.)
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To: Mariner

https://media.8ch.net/file_store/09d7623bf05193977e411289710de2ac00294d63e57dcc39ae6ef7ea164e06bb.jpg


38 posted on 12/18/2017 6:26:48 PM PST by combat_boots (God bless Israel and all who protect and defend her! Merry Christmas! In God We Trust!)
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To: SandRat

you better watch your speed...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcB9wlmnDPY


39 posted on 12/18/2017 6:28:12 PM PST by smileyface (Things looking up in RED PA! I love President Trump!)
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To: mylife

“Maiden run? Pristine track? It dumped right on I 5? at Rush hour?”

81.1mph on a 30mph curve.

It’s not hard to understand.


40 posted on 12/18/2017 6:28:20 PM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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