All Things Empire Builder

justalurker66 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 29, 2023 7:16 am

The combination of wear and damage to the railroad track, had it been noticed by BNSF Railway inspectors, should have led to the track being replaced before the derailment occurred, the National Transportation Safety Board found. Investigators also found that a train inspector’s workload likely prevented him from doing a walking inspection of the area before the derailment.

How many railroads do a walking inspection of tracks? I see a lot of hi-rail inspections and Sperry work, but actual walking of every mile of track?

I can not speak to other railroads but the Amtrak division where I work does a pretty good job at keeping track of the bad spots. When I worked the third trick yard job the dispatcher was always giving out Form Ds for tracks OOS so they could work and walk section of known issues. The freight guys may get a chance to Hi rail but walk it who knows with the pressure they have to keep things moving. One can always tell if a track inspector has been out just look for the fluorescent paint on the ties or rail.

Reading the report it surprised me to learn that the two rails were of different weights. Is this common practice?

CLamb wrote: ↑Sat Jul 29, 2023 1:01 pm Reading the report it surprised me to learn that the two rails were of different weights. Is this common practice?

Unknown but IMO not very much of a problem. However, if the different weight mean different rail height then a factor. Worn rail joined to a patch rail of different height was cite as contributing.

Now there are joint bars that adapt two different height rails to have top of rails at the same height. Believe 141# rail taller than 136 # rail

Has BNSF responded to the announcement yet?

west point wrote: ↑Sat Jul 29, 2023 1:13 pm

CLamb wrote: ↑Sat Jul 29, 2023 1:01 pm Reading the report it surprised me to learn that the two rails were of different weights. Is this common practice?

Unknown but IMO not very much of a problem. However, if the different weight mean different rail height then a factor. Worn rail joined to a patch rail of different height was cite as contributing.

Now there are joint bars that adapt two different height rails to have top of rails at the same height. Believe 141# rail taller than 136 # rail

This type of rail joint would be known as a compromise joint. Or the act of joining to different weight rails together. Its not that uncommon I see them quite often on secondary tracks and in yards.

John_Perkowski wrote: ↑Sat Jul 29, 2023 2:03 pm Has BNSF responded to the announcement yet?

Nothing public. This dropped July 5th, so plenty of time to at least get a press release out. Checked their site... nothing posted.

I think what hurts the most to this long time industry investor and observer, who does have eleven years "on the inside" within his CV, is that there were "the others", but there, as a shining light, was Uncle Warren's 1:1 Lionel set.

But now, owing to the NTSB Joplin Final Report, is BNSF any "better than the rest"?

I defer to Messrs. Carey and Junkie, who both have gotten that "unexpected 3A call" in their careers,

disclaimer: author Long UNP, has also been Long CSX NSC BNI until an Advisor said "you're overweighted in the sector".

TAN: Back when oil was getting expensive, train crews were paid by the mile, and highways were restricted to 55 miles per hour, some railroads tried to be patriotic and save fuel by imposing a maximum of 40 miles per hour for their freight trains. They soon made an exception that downhill with the throttle in the 1st notch, 50 miles per hour might be allowed for short distances.

Certainly on BNSF, on the historic CB&Q line from North Kansas City to Lincoln, I routinely see freight moving at 45-50 mph these days.

More local coverage here, but there was a tidbit:

https://www.kmbc.com/article/ntsb-deadl ... i/44715315

"The steepness of the road grade in this instance was 13 times the maximum slope recommended by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)," NTSB said in a press release Wednesday. " Additionally, the angle of the intersection was 30 degrees sharper than the lower limit of the range recommended by AASHTO."

Mr Wild,

You’ve mixed incidents. Mendon Missouri was a SW Chief. Montana was an Empire Builder.

John_Perkowski wrote: ↑Thu Aug 03, 2023 7:22 am Mr Wild,

You’ve mixed incidents. Mendon Missouri was a SW Chief. Montana was an Empire Builder.

Ah, where's the thread on that one...

Apparently they are closing many of these bad crossings, but we know that farmers and others will create new ones, and truck and other drivers will continue to go without looking, and go over ones that are far too steep.

photobug56 wrote: ↑Thu Aug 03, 2023 12:50 pm Apparently they are closing many of these bad crossings, but we know that farmers and others will create new ones, and truck and other drivers will continue to go without looking, and go over ones that are far too steep.

Creating new ones? They would not last long.

ADMIN NOTE:

The matter of the Montana accident, having been adjudicated by NTSB, is now part of All Things Empire Builder.