Train Derailments

[Poser]

I worked for a railroad for 8 months. In that time, I was on 3 trains that derailed. Happens quite a bit.

 

[def90]

There are something like 1000 train derailments a year.. It's just the news being the news.. Turn off the news.

 

[realunlucky]

There are something like 1000 train derailments a year.. It's just the news being the news.. Turn off the news.

It's about the actual number of cars derailing not about the number of reportable derailments.

 

[cnelk]

I would have never known the large amount of derailments without reading the posts here on Rokslide.
Thanks for the info.

And the reports on the news prompted this thread.

 

[sacklunch]

It's about the actual number of cars derailing not about the number of reportable derailments.

Is there a statistic that differentiates train cars that derailed from than overall train derailment?

you keep saying it's about the number of cars, but I suspect that's only because your first narrative that it's happening more.frequemy now has been proven false. just interested to see the data that shows that x % more/less cars makes a train derailment more or less catastrophic?

Woumd seem to me the more important variables are speed, weight, location, cargo type. A train with 50 cars carrying liquid/gaseous contaminants that plunges off a bridge is potentially far more catastrophic than a 150 empty cars derailing in a wheat field.

 

[Iowafarmer]

Seems like train derailments are getting more common each week.

Whats up ya think?

That’s what the media wants to cover

 

[displacedtexan]

For all of the people say that the media is covering it (or anything else) to get attention/clicks...

Media companies are businesses. Reporters, photographers, printing, servers, etc all take money. So they need consumers, so advertisers will give them money. Capitalism 101.

How else would they get that money?

 

[H2PVon]

For all of the people say that the media is covering it (or anything else) to get attention/clicks...

Media companies are businesses. Reporters, photographers, printing, servers, etc all take money. So they need consumers, so advertisers will give them money. Capitalism 101.

How else would they get that money?

Need eyeballs on screens. Tragedy is one way, another is to stir an emotion. Easiest emotion to stir is anger which is why all the "news agencies" pick a side. You tick people off, they watch. They all learned a little bit from Howard Stern.

 

[Poser]

I don’t see why it’s a bad thing that the media has taken a sudden interest in derailments. Railroads have been screaming that inspection times have been cut so minimally that they are ineffective and nobody seems to care. Under the previous administration, brake inspections and safety audits were rolled back. Where inspectors used to spend 3 minutes per car, it is now 90 seconds per car. Additionally, minimum train crew of 2 was changed to one, signed off on by the previous administration.

While my time and experience in railroading was limited to several months, the experience that I did have leaves me to conclude that all of these changes are insanity. INSANITY. But, sure let’s move loads of toxic chemicals around at high velocities, cut safety inspection times in half and have a train crew of 1.


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[Dust Rider]

Too bad it wasn't Bud Light.

There was cars of Bud Light too! Local news said it was 18 cars carrying Coors Light, Bud Light, clay pellets and one chem car with Butane.
There is a fishing lodge right across the river from the train wreck. I would only save the Coors, let that Bud Light rice beer sink to the bottom.

 

[def90]

I don’t see why it’s a bad thing that the media has taken a sudden interest in derailments. Railroads have been screaming that inspection times have been cut so minimally that they are ineffective and nobody seems to care. Under the previous administration, brake inspections and safety audits were rolled back. Where inspectors used to spend 3 minutes per car, it is now 90 seconds per car. Additionally, minimum train crew of 2 was changed to one, signed off on by the previous administration.

While my time and experience in railroading was limited to several months, the experience that I did have leaves me to conclude that all of these changes are insanity. INSANITY. But, sure let’s move loads of toxic chemicals around at high velocities, cut safety inspection times in half and have a train crew of 1.


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Lets ignore the fact that the current admin threw rail workers under the bus with their strike attempt last year.

 

[Poser]

Lets ignore the fact that the current admin threw rail workers under the bus with their strike attempt last year.

While I don’t disagree, let’s also (not) ignore the fact that part of what they were attempting to strike over were these very regulations rollbacks.

 

[def90]

While I don’t disagree, let’s also (not) ignore the fact that part of what they were attempting to strike over were these very regulations rollbacks.

I’m not a Trump fan but your claim is incorrect.

NTSB Chair Contradicts Posts That Wrongly Claim Trump to Blame for Ohio Train Wreck - FactCheck.org

The National Transportation Safety Board's chair said an Obama-era rule the Trump administration nixed would not have prevented the derailment of a train in Ohio, as some partisan commentators inaccurately claim. The rule requiring a new electronic braking system for certain trains carrying...

www.factcheck.org

No, Trump’s deregulation didn’t cause the East Palestine train disaster - Washington Examiner

Opinion No, Trump’s deregulation didn’t cause the East Palestine train disaster By Brad Polumbo February 25, 2023 06:17 AM Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email Print Opinion No, Trump’s deregulation didn’t cause the East Palestine train disaster By Brad Polumbo February 25, 2023 06:17 AM Twitter...

www.washingtonexaminer.com

 

[Forestryguy]

I’m not a Trump fan but your claim is incorrect.

NTSB Chair Contradicts Posts That Wrongly Claim Trump to Blame for Ohio Train Wreck - FactCheck.org

The National Transportation Safety Board's chair said an Obama-era rule the Trump administration nixed would not have prevented the derailment of a train in Ohio, as some partisan commentators inaccurately claim. The rule requiring a new electronic braking system for certain trains carrying...

www.factcheck.org

No, Trump’s deregulation didn’t cause the East Palestine train disaster - Washington Examiner

Opinion No, Trump’s deregulation didn’t cause the East Palestine train disaster By Brad Polumbo February 25, 2023 06:17 AM Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email Print Opinion No, Trump’s deregulation didn’t cause the East Palestine train disaster By Brad Polumbo February 25, 2023 06:17 AM Twitter...

www.washingtonexaminer.com

Deregulation is not a party issue. It is a who can line the pockets the deepest issue. It has been happening across both parties. Rail companies claim that if they can't do what they want they will crumble and the country will shut down. Yet they get what they want and still can't deliver on their contracts, by choice. Then they turn around and suspend "fire" people for dumb stuff cause they need to boost profits. It happens so much that there are Buisness made to provide wage insurance to rail employees. Yea, you pay monthly so that you can get a pay check if you are let go, if they don't somehow throw and insubordination claim on the Micky mouse hearing you have to go through.

 

[realunlucky]

Please keep this on topic

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[Jauwater]

Well, I just watched that movie “Super 8”. So I’m kinda thinking maybe trains transporting alien life are being targeted by civilians in the “know”.


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[Pony Soldier]

I find it interesting that in 72 years I only remember 5 train wrecks on 200 miles of tracks where I lived. Two were grain trains (our waterfowl loved those), two have been beer ( the locals didn't have to buy beer for over a year) and one in town with a cargo of canned peaches. Evidently toxic/hazardous material goes east and consumables goes west. Somehow that fits.

I come from a family of railroaders at nearly all levels. I got lots of stories of the early years but a limited number of wrecks. I think I see a maintenance issue here.

 

[4090Sharps]

Here's a recently published article from ProPublica talking about some of the issues with longer trains and how it has led to derailments; https://www.propublica.org/article/train-derailment-long-trains

 

[Hamartian_]

Cost cutting leads to poorer maintenance. Companies need competition to make improvements and that's not something that's happened in quite a while in the rail industry.