Southwest Chief on the Ground in MO

To quote the earlier Railway Age report:

The (NTSB) is looking at crashworthiness, however. “Lives were lost on the train so we’re looking at survive-ability,” she said. “We’re looking at seating configurations; some of the seats move and rotate. … We’ve made recommendations on this in the DuPont, Washington, accident that we investigated involving an Amtrak train, where the seats weren’t locked and the seats swiveled—that has an impact on survive-ability. We’re also looking at lighting, handles, windows, doors. On the windows, we’re going to look at ejection or popping of the windows. We can say there were no passenger ejections in this accident, but when a window is ejected, and the train is on its side, and sliding on its side, ballast, gravel is coming into the train, into that train car, and that has an impact. So we’ve had recommendations on windows popping out or popping in for decades, so that’s something we’re going to look at as part of this investigation. Now I’m really happy that FRA had Volpe out here, which does a lot of its research and engineering also on passenger windows, so they were looking at that too as we were going through the railcars, which was really helpful. Again, our goal is to make sure that people can walk away if there is an accident.”

You kind of have to wonder if the tightlock couplers worked too well here and actually caused a lot of the damage by turning the entire consist over. No lives were lost however because of people being ejected from the vestibules which has been the case in other situations. What works well in some accidents might not work so well in others.

As I mentioned before, roof escape hatches would certainly have been useful in this event but I haven't heard of them ever being suggested even though they are required in all motorcoaches.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Sun Jul 24, 2022 7:46 amThe height from street to operational cab is 10 feet. The height from street to top of the cab total is 13 feet 4 inches. Needless to say, the driver of this dump truck could see the train over any brush.

After the incident the NTSB performed a recreation with a truck similar to the one struck by the train. I have not seen a report from the NTSB on the results of the recreation, which took into account the angle of the crossing and actual approach to the rails.

bostontrainguy wrote: ↑Sun Jul 24, 2022 11:10 am You kind of have to wonder if the tightlock couplers worked too well here and actually caused a lot of the damage by turning the entire consist over. No lives were lost however because of people being ejected from the vestibules which has been the case in other situations. What works well in some accidents might not work so well in others.

As I mentioned before, roof escape hatches would certainly have been useful in this event but I haven't heard of them ever being suggested even though they are required in all motorcoaches.

There's been some issues with them in the Metra Galley cars. Look at the "Superliner status" thread for more details on that.

As of last Wednesday, 7/13, the 2 P42 locomotives were still on the siding near the accident site in Mendon. Any idea when they will head over to be repaired?

Mendon:

https://www.dreamstime.com/editorial-st ... ge69380779

Clarendon Hills:

https://www.alamy.com/coenen-truck-on-m ... archtype=0

Any wonder why one was on the ground and the other remained on the rails?

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Sun Jul 24, 2022 4:16 pmAny wonder why one was on the ground and the other remained on the rails?

Sounds like a call for speculation? Comparing an empty box truck with a fully loaded gravel truck. In Clarendon Hills the front of the truck was struck at a 90 degree crossing, pushing it off the rails to the right of the train. In Mendon the heavier truck was struck at a non-perpendicular crossing and pushed off the opposite side of the tracks. More mass hitting a larger object ... no surprise that there was a difference in outcome.

I don't think you can draw any conclusions on why one remained upright vs. flipping on its side, other than the fact that the rails held together in Clarendon Hills, and the track came apart in Mendon.

The Mendon train was traveling at 79mph. I don't know if the Metra train was able to be going faster than 70 on the Racetrack.

10 mph or more can make for a huge difference in inertia.

Mr. Olesen, first at Mendon, 89 vice 79. Speeds on the Chicago Sub - the so-called "Racetrack" (how it ever got that name within the railfan community escapes me) are Passenger 70, Container 60, other 50. Many a manifest, especially if it has a "fresh" crew only going to Galesburg, is held to 25 - and always when I'm trying to X the tracks!!!

Thanks for the clarifications. That extra 20 miles an hour of speed is going to be exponentially worse in terms of the kinetic energy involved.

Observrd #3(26)

P-42 #160, 50th anniversary "Pepsi Can" livery on the head, otherwise trailing P-42 and "usual" eight car consist.

bostontrainguy wrote: ↑Sun Jul 24, 2022 11:10 am As I mentioned before, roof escape hatches would certainly have been useful in this event but I haven't heard of them ever being suggested even though they are required in all motorcoaches.

In the US Code of Federal Regulations in pertinent part: "49 CFR § 238.123 Emergency roof access.
. . .
(a) Number and dimensions. Each passenger car ordered on or after April 1, 2009, or placed in service for the first time on or after April 1, 2011, shall have a minimum of two emergency roof access locations, each with a minimum opening of 26 inches longitudinally (i.e., parallel to the longitudinal axis of the car) by 24 inches laterally.

(b) Means of access. Emergency roof access shall be provided by means of a hatch, or a conspicuously marked structural weak point in the roof for access by properly equipped emergency response personnel.

(c) Location. Emergency roof access locations shall be situated as practical so that when a car is on its side -

(1) One emergency access location is wholly within each half of the roof as divided top from bottom; and

(2) One emergency access location is wholly within each half of the roof as divided left from right. (See Figure 3 to this subpart.) " https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/s ... I/part-238

Okay, where are they?

#48, Lake Shore, I presume.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Thu Jul 28, 2022 11:44 am #48, Lake Shore, I presume.

Looks like it.

I do not remember ever seeing a roof emergency escape hatch in an Amtrak car. Here's two interior shots. Note that there is no roof hatch but by going to a single pane sliding door at the end of the car it allowed for a new emergency escape hatch in the door not on Viewliner Is.