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Discussion relating to the operations of MTA MetroNorth Railroad including west of Hudson operations and discussion of CtDOT sponsored rail operations such as Shore Line East and the Springfield to New Haven Hartford Line

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 #1187218  by Patrick Boylan
 
Unless you want a show brought to you by the letter F I suggest you turn the audio off, it adds nothing to the video. A skateboarder at a park next to the crash site took it, as the thread title says, it seems to be from just moments, probably less than a minute, after the crash.
 #1187219  by Bill D
 
Amazing footage! Some people have criticized the language used, but the youths in this video are honestly reacting to what has just happened. Better than anything I have seen from the "professional" media.

Bill
 #1187221  by Clean Cab
 
I agree. I should have put up a warning about the parade of obscenities. This video is rated PG for adult language!!!
 #1187272  by runningwithscalpels
 
I think my IQ went down a dozen or so points just listening to these kids, but that is definitely some powerful footage, even if you're forced to put it on mute.
 #1187273  by Travelsonic
 
DutchRailnut wrote:focus is now on broken rail.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-575 ... ain-crash/

What exactly do they mean when they say 'broken rail'?

As in, how broken would 'broken' have to be/in which ways would rail need to be broken to derail a train like that? I could only really see something like separated and misaligned rail, but what do I know/that's why I'm asking for clarification if any can be given. :D
 #1187285  by Freddy
 
Travelsonic wrote:
DutchRailnut wrote:focus is now on broken rail.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-575 ... ain-crash/

What exactly do they mean when they say 'broken rail'?

As in, how broken would 'broken' have to be/in which ways would rail need to be broken to derail a train like that? I could only really see something like separated and misaligned rail, but what do I know/that's why I'm asking for clarification if any can be given. :D
I've seen rail break straight thru, like it was custom cut with a saw, I've seen it break at all different angles depending on where the metal was weak, also seen head(ball of the rail) web and base breaks, and of course bolt hole breaks. Kinda hard to explain without pictures.

 #1187319  by Kevin-L
 
Found this in an article here http://gothamist.com/2013/05/18/70_inju ... tro-no.php , Looks like an Insulated joint installed with angle bars. under the guy with the badge you can see the other joint and the side leads going to the bond box.
Attachments:
2013_05_mtdamage.jpg
2013_05_mtdamage.jpg (125.52 KiB) Viewed 2610 times
 #1187321  by mtuandrew
 
Freddy wrote:
Travelsonic wrote:What exactly do they mean when they say 'broken rail'?

As in, how broken would 'broken' have to be/in which ways would rail need to be broken to derail a train like that? I could only really see something like separated and misaligned rail, but what do I know/that's why I'm asking for clarification if any can be given. :D
I've seen rail break straight thru, like it was custom cut with a saw, I've seen it break at all different angles depending on where the metal was weak, also seen head(ball of the rail) web and base breaks, and of course bolt hole breaks. Kinda hard to explain without pictures.
Not to mention, an entire Z train might pass cleanly over one break at 79 mph, and a light engine might derail at 10 mph over another. It depends not only on whether the rail is physically broken, but also the condition of the ballast (if there's a low spot or sump), the condition of the ties, tie pads and clips (if the rail is held firmly in place), whether the rail head is damaged or misshaped, the shape of the vehicle's wheels and quality of suspension, the curvature and superelevation of a curve, the speed, acceleration and jerk (it's a physics term, look it up) of the train at any particular location... the list goes on. The NTSB and Metro North will figure out all the factors and take them into account in their report and repair, so it's best for us to keep our mouths shut, our hands folded, and our eyes and ears open.

There are a few technical reports easily accessible on Google that seem to do a good job of explaining rail breakage, its effect on train traffic, and strategies to prevent it from occurring. I'm paging through this PDF from a Swedish university now, and there's another PDF published by the US DOT that looks to be on the same subject.

(Apologies to the mods for breaking the rule - if you see fit to suspend me, let me know.)
 #1187342  by DutchRailnut
 
Cab signal ATC , track is signaled for bi-directional travel.
 #1187357  by CTRailfan
 
That video is awesome. Within two minutes of the crash, they had a lot more information nailed down than the news media did the next day. As much as their language is pretty rough, they seem to actually have a basic understand of how a train works, and how this crash happened unlike the buffoons on the local news who kept talking about "lanes".
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