Derailment today in Denver. Approximately 15 cars of a Montana bound BNSF train derailed near Park Avenue/Fox street about 1PM May 13. Information for Channel 9 News in Denver can be seen here. I may think of heading down Friday and getting a few photos of the continuing clean up.
Who's fault was it? Bad track? Axle failure? It looks as if the DENLAU stringlined... Good thing she was m/t headed back to MT! The loads normally head south thru Cheyenne timetable eastbound, and empties head west. Some shots would be good. Looks like a heckuva tight curve where the derailment occured...
It almost looks like it was so light that when it reached the curve over the bidge it was just pulled over by the engines themselves.
Makes me wonder, after lookingn at photos again, if something toward the Rear of the train jumped first, then caugh something, thereby pulling rest of train over as locomotives continued to pull. Individual that was starting under bridge was missed by a freight truck by about 10 feet!! Because I ended up sleeping all day, I went nowhere, did nothing yet today! And doubt I will!!
Tank cars are equipped with "tight-lock" couplers to help keep them together in a derailment so the drawbars don't puncture the other tank cars. It keeps the couplers from passing through each other. The downside is that when one goes over, it drags the rest of them with it.
