What causes derailments, why are they so common?

pennsy wrote:The last derailment I saw was somewhat unusual. one axle of a U Boat split the switch it was going over. Three axles made it, the last didn't and the wheels went on the ground. Since it was a switching operation, no speed was involved. Close inspection of the points of the switch ascertained that the points were worn out. The inspector sent out to pass judgement on the derailment promptly placed a red tag on the switch and condemned it. The points were replaced within 24 hours. At the time, the switch was Southern Pacific property.

a year or two ago I came a cross a switch in a crossover that had about 8 inches of the V section that guides the flages in the Frog missing. I called CSX and reported it an up comeing train came up about 20 miunets later moveing at about 5 miles an hour and the conducter inquired as to where the defect was. Once he saw the extent of how bad the frog was and adviced the dispatcher not to use the interlocking. 2 and a half hours later a road formen and a welding crew showed up neather of which were happy to be working past 4:00p.m. ordered everyone by the tracks to leave. Sents then I have never ever called CSX not even the local police to report any kind of defect or railroad crossing problums its not worth wasteing the time.

BR&P wrote:
If you would do a little research, you'd find that that IS a fairly standard design for passenger locomotives.

How come the locomotive in the video goes straight through it, no harm done, but the genesis locomotive gets destroyed and derails?

PC789 wrote:

BR&P wrote:
If you would do a little research, you'd find that that IS a fairly standard design for passenger locomotives.

How come the locomotive in the video goes straight through it, no harm done, but the genesis locomotive gets destroyed and derails?

The locomotive type has little to do with if a train will derail. First of all any locomotive hitting a truck at high speed WILL have damage to the nose, cracked headlights, broken windshields, etc. Locomotives are not indestructible. "No harm done", yeah right. There's always harm done when a train strikes something. You just couldn't see it in that video. The fact that it derailed only means that debris from the truck got in the flangeway, or the force of the impact lifted the wheel off the rail. As little as a inch or two of ice in the flangeway can derail a locomotive, no matter what design, so you can't make a train derail-proof. Guardrails and crash walls can lessen the impact of derailments, but as long as you have conventional rails I would imagine there is no way to 100% derail-proof trains and locomotives.

RearOfSignal wrote:but as long as you have conventional rails I would imagine there is no way to 100% derail-proof trains and locomotives.

Even the RUF (not conventional rails), which uses compression braking, and which locks the vehicle onto the guideway, could still suffer a derailment.

Stuff gets old, wears out, and breaks, no matter how well you design it or how often you inspect it. That's the nature of the built world. Get used to it.

"Six people die after a high-speed train travelling from London to Plymouth hits a car and derails on an unmanned level crossing near Ufton Nervet, Berkshire."





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I would like to see an example of a train vs. car collision that DIDN'T end in a derailment... if there ever has been one.

PC789- we just spent two weeks explaining to you that derailments happen for many reasons, not always because a vehicle is struck. Didn't you watch any of the videos we posted where trains demolish vehicles on grade crossings? No derailment, just debris all over the place. What is your obsession with this topic, anyway? Are you actually reading any of the replies to your questions? Your lack of understanding is very irritating.

-otto-

Here's a few...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezvsss7jtgw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrlaNfPtUzA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__Dw3KiauKA

Dude, if they made trains as thick as your head then they wouldn't derail.

Mini Van hit by Train
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCrHwqGf ... re=related
Semi Truck hit by Illinois Central Train
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGfVv2RF ... re=related
Car hit by Amtrak Train
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUNZO1Xt ... re=related
Union Pacific Train hits jeep and did not derail.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyH5KwFd ... re=related
Conrail accdent from the late 70's early 80's train did not derail when it hit automobile.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwvCwiTh ... re=related

Okay, I think we have made our points..............