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 ...
A few trees won’t slow a train much that’s doing 80 miles an hour.
“Hitting a tree tends to slow you down.”
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That’s what Sonny Bono said.
The brand new engine is smashed a bit and on the road.
Some Kennedy too.
I did and it was informative.
Thanks for the suggestion.
It has been a long time since I’ve studied centrifugal force, and momentum. The tire dynamics in play was interesting.
When I used to drive like a crazy guy, I could count on dissipating some of the force by allowing for sliding sideways.
The problem is, if you’re on a narrow road, you’re not going to want to slide much. You’ll be off the road in the tulies.
About ten years ago, drifting became a big rage. I thought it was interesting, but you would go through a set of tires in about five minutes. Okay, a clear exaggeration, but it would cost you a lot of money in tires and suspension repairs.
Definitely a possibility that bears investigation. It is the Pacific Northwest after all.
That's true.
The one that ended up down on the road was the head end and the one that stayed on the tracks was at the rear.
One of the newscasts said the trailing locomotive was dead, i.e. not running and just going along for the ride.
I don't know if that is true or not.
Thank you!!
Thank you!!
Driving well below the adhesion limit on public roads is highly recommended. Especially in rain and on snow/ice.
Look at the picture in 53
Inaugural trip = Titanic AMTRAK
I think the rear engine was there to pull the train back to Seattle. Then they wouldn’t have to turn around when they got to Portland. Look at the soot streaks on the top.
Im thinking breaking so hard and fast the cars in rear ran into cars in front.
Betcha work on the tracks has signs taken down or being replaced. Betcha there was no sign about the limit speed of the curve. It was going back up next week.
I do not believe this was some union engineer on cocaine on the maiden voyage of this train.
That is my GUT instinct
These tracks were groomed
That would be awesome and allow the railroads to more closely follow the example of the 'nets packet switching.
You could kick some cars off while passing a siding and use a rail gun to pick some up.
Most of the time freight cars seem to be just sitting around.
Yes, I agree. On the freeway when it’s down-pouring, I sometimes drive much less than the speed limit.
I hydroplaned one time and totalled my vehicle.
I hit a pool of water about four inches deep, and lost all control of my vehicle.
From what I’ve been reading, it’s been stated that the train braked starting in the back moving to the front.
That should alleviate most of the effect you are addressing.
Of course once you go off the track the front cars are coming to a full stop while the back cars still have momentum.
What you reference would for sure happen then.
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