Car "On the Ground"

Flash Blackman Jul 12, 2007

  1. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    This is a question for those with experience with real railroads. How often is a freight car derailed in train operations? My impression is that it doesn't happen often on the main lines. Such a happening is a significant event with a lot of damage. Is it more prevalent in switching moves, where the car just drops off the rail? Is it easily re-railed if it just drops off a few inches? If you work a yard or switcher, can you expect it to happen once a day or once a week?

    A few years ago (4-5) the San Antonio East Yard was just terrible, AFAIK. They had different switches in the same yard that were pneumatic, electric, and manual. I have heard of switches inadvertently being thrown under a string of moving cars during switching. (BTW, this is no longer the case in East Yard. UP has put some money into that operation and made other nearby yards available to reduce over crowding.)

    Thanks for the information on "cars on the ground."
     
  2. Rule 281

    Rule 281 TrainBoard Member

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    It's probably more frequent than most folks imagine both on and off the main. I suspect minor derailments are more common in yard operations than out on the road because of the number of switches and direction changes involved. I'd hate to say it's a once-a-day thing but I suppose in big yards or over a whole system, it could very well be. I've been at this for quite a while and have only had a few 'oops' moments over the years. Other guys seem to have them more often. Luck of the draw I guess.
    The most prevalent cause in yard work is run-through switches where the move shoves through a misaligned switch and then pulls back over the now-bent and gapped points. That kind of thing is a rule violation and hence frowned upon by the carriers. It's not something you want to have happen very often to your crew or you'll be testing the coverage of your out-or-service insurance. Broken rail, wide gauge, misaligned couplers and yes, throwing a switch under your own train (a serious oops moment) all contribute to cars leaving their intended path at times.
    Main line derailments tend to be more spectacular because of the speeds and/or grades involved but if caught in time, they aren't always so (defect detectors go a long ways in that regard). One axle off the rail or a broken wheel can hold up the works while it gets fixed but won't neccessarily cause a lot of damage unless you drag it for miles or if it snowballs into a pile of wreckage before you realize anything's wrong. That's usually the rub with road trains...the problem can be deep in the string and you may not know there's anything happening until you go into emergency when stuff starts stacking up.
     
  3. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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  4. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks, Rule281. Good info.

    Yes, Russell, that is what I mean. If you have a rerailer, you could just pull it back on the tracks, I suppose, depending on a lot of other factors. I mean, it wouldn't take a crane to lift it. OTOH, snow, zero degrees F, rain, connected to a string of cars, rails rolled over, etc., etc. If you were in a yard, there might be help near by.
     
  5. Charlie

    Charlie TrainBoard Member

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    I'm in agreement with what Rule281 sez. it's bound to happen. To some
    folks it seems to happen more often. Hard to say why, but it does.
    I've even run thru and flopped a couple of switches in my time(Shhhhh!
    dont tell anyone). Just dont let it happen too often!

    Charlie
     
  6. Rule 281

    Rule 281 TrainBoard Member

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    :beer: Used to be if it was just an axle or two, you could throw the section men or carknockers a little something to grease the skids and they'd shim up the switch, help you pull the car on, make up a tale for the trainmaster and that was that.
    :zip:
    Anymore it's a federal case if word gets out.
     

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