VS
Posted on 12/19/2017 4:07:00 AM PST by servo1969
An Amtrak train that derailed Monday during its inaugural ride on a new line in Washington state was traveling at 80 mph in a 30 mph zone, the National Transportation Safety Board said, citing data recorder information.
Bella Dinh-Zarr, an NTSB board member, said at a news conference late Monday that information from the data recorder in the rear locomotive provided information about the train’s speed.
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A track chart prepared by the Washington State Department of Transportation shows the maximum speed drops from 79 mph to 30 mph for passenger trains just before the tracks curve to cross Interstate 5, which is where the train went off the tracks.
An Amtrak train derailed south of Seattle early Monday, causing "injuries and casualties," according to officials. (Washington State Patrol Trooper Brooke Bova) The chart, dated Feb. 7, was submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration in anticipation of the start of passenger service along a new bypass route that shaves off 10 minutes for the trip between Seattle and Portland, Ore.
Kimberly Reason with Sound Transit, the Seattle-area transit agency that owns the tracks, said speed signs are posted 2 miles before the speed zone changes and just before the speed zone approaching the curve.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The engine left the track further down the track at the curve. Once that happens the passenger cars will buckle and jump track causing the following cars to derail as well further back.
The NTSB has stated that the train was going 80mph on a 30mph curve. That’s all I need to know for now.
My car GPS gives a red indicator when I'm going faster than the speed limit for the road I'm on. I'm guessing that it wouldn't be THAT hard to equip a train with a GPS which would automatically throttle back when approaching a curve. Or at least sound an alarm to the engineer.
Japan and France have sections where their high speed rail slows to 30 mph as well. I know because I have traveled on their rail. FYI this railroad’s top speed was 79 mph not 135 mph. Two miles to slow from 79 mph to 35 mph is not a major feet.
VS
True, but it went through woods that slowed it down. Still your points are valid, it had to go fast to miss the curve completely without tipping, but then it had to slow down even quicker. Deserves more investigation.
“High Speed Route” is a misnomer. The distance between Portland and Seattle is 175 miles. It takes about 3 hours to drive it on I5. The AMTRAK Cascade makes 6 stops between Seattle and Portland and takes about 3 hrs. and 20 min. to make the trip if everything goes according to plan.
Once it left the tracks it became a plow. That’s why it didn’t go that far before stopping. It’s like the sand trap at the end of a dragstrip.
If the train was traveling at 80 mph (or anywhere near that) the cars wouldn’t end up at the point of derailment. “Momentum”.
The curve AFTER the bridge sure looks like a problem for a train that didn’t reduce speed for it, BUT the cars would not be where they are.
ANTIFA!!!!!!!
They forced the engineer to exceed the known speed limit!
/s
“They still are not mentioning the Earth First terror activity?”
It’s not relevant.
81mph on a 30mph curve. That’s the whole story.
Correction: The locomotive at the rear of the train through me off.
I stand corrected. My point is pointless with the train going in the other direction like it was.
Wiping egg off my face, waiting for the pies.
They still are not mentioning the Earth First terror activity?
Huh? Link/Source?
After looking further at the photos it looks like the train left the tracks BEFORE the yellow guy. What is that gray stuff that looks like #1 stone next to the track right where it looks like the point of the problem? The guardrail untouched at that point?
Yup, we the taxpayer. As long as we are on the hook, paying for Amtrak management that gives not one damn about how many people are killed, how many families and lives are destroyed, this will continue. Because in the end it will be taxpayers footing the bill in dollars and lives.
But hey what's a few dead taxpayers, there's plenty more where the came from.
Was the enginw=eer a Rounder???
The old route does not seem to show any sharp turns. Maybe the engineer drove the old route & did not know the new route was booby trapped?
Loaded FREIGHT train (very heavy, normally rated in thousands of tons, uses 4 large axles per car) takes over a mile to stop from 55 miles per hour.
Partially loaded PASSENGER train (relatively light, usually rated in the hundreds to a thousand tons, only 2 light axles per car) takes a mile to stop from 80 mph.
Your car takes a lot more effort and distance to stop when you have 5 people, a trunk full of luggage, and a cartop carrier full of stuff than it does when it’s just you driving an empty car.
It’s the same problem: lots more mass X 55 takes more time and distance to stop than less mass X 80. (only a 25 mph difference...)
The lead engine is resting down on the highway.
My observer’s look is that it hopped off track below and left of the circle
Cool chopped up picture!!
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