"Little late?"
No.
The grain train crew called "emergency emergency emergency" as required by rule
approximately 48 seconds after the UDE as the grain train came to a rest. The
grain train crew warned the passing train as required by rule, even calling to
them by engine ID about 40 seconds after the UDE while they were still slowing
to a stop. Given the opposing train was right on top of them (and moving at 43
mph) at the time the UDE occurred, I don't think it's fair to suggest that the
grain train crew's performance was deficient in any way or that the
notification they gave was a "little late."
When your train goes into emergency, your first course of action is to stop the
train as safely as possible. This requires some attention and focus, even when
you are the one who puts the train into emergency.
The trains meet at approximately 20 seconds after the UDE while the grain train
was still underway and while the engineer was controlling the stop. If the oil
train crew had plugged their train when the meet occurred, before they had
knowledge of the UDE or the derailment, it is still possible the collision
would have occurred and still been catastrophic. The performance of both crews
was not the cause of the collision. The cause was equipment failure, which
unfortunately occurred as the trains met.
As someone who has dealt with UDEs at speed, both during meets and out on
single track main alone, each one is different. Like I said, your focus is
getting the train stopped safely, which must be done with consideration for the
train (weight, length, slack, etc.), the terrain and how the train is handling
during the UDE. It's a whole lot of trouble right now when it happens.
The crews did their jobs the right way on that day.
Ryan H
Fort Worth TX
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Posted by: ryan.harris@sbcglobal.net
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